DEVICE FOR FINDING THE CONCENTRATION OF A COMPONENT IN A GAS MIXTURE

PCT No. PCT/DE96/00611 Sec. 371 Date Jan. 13, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Jan. 13, 1997 PCT Filed Mar. 29, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO96/35120 PCT Pub. Date Nov. 7, 1996An arrangement for determining the concentration of a component in a gas mixture includes a first volume in which the concentration of the component is maintained constant with respect to the influence of the coupling to the concentration in the gas mixture. The coupling acts via a diffusion resistance. The above-mentioned influence of the coupling is compensated via a controllable flow of ions of the component through a solid electrolyte between the first volume and the gas mixture. The solid electrolyte serves as the pump device. The intensity of the pump current defines a measure for the wanted concentration in the gas mixture. The above-mentioned flow is controlled as a function of the deviation of the output voltage of a Nernst cell from a desired value. The Nernst cell is between a first volume and a reference gas volume. The arrangement is characterized by means which influence the above-mentioned desired value in dependence upon the voltage which can be measured across the solid electrolyte of the pump device.