EP3762704A1

EP3762704A1 - Laser-induced incandescent particle sensor comprising a confocal arrangement of a laser spot and of a thermal radiation spot

Info

Publication number: EP3762704A1
Application number: EP19706485.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Matthias Wichmann; Jens Ehlermann; Radoslav Rusanov; Tobias Werner
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2018-03-06
Filing date: 2019-02-15
Publication date: 2021-01-13
Also published as: WO2019170393A1; KR20200126384A; JP2021515891A; CN111819431A; US20200371009A1; DE102018203301A1; JP6997336B2; US11467078B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a particle sensor (16) comprising: a laser module (18) which has a laser; and a detector (26) designed to detect thermal radiation (14). The particle sensor (16) is characterised in that it has an optical device (36) which is designed to focus laser light emitted from the laser module (18) into a first spot (22), and is designed to focus thermal radiation (14) emitted from the first spot (22) into a second spot, wherein a radiation-sensitive surface of the detector (26) in the second spot or in the beam path of the thermal radiation (14) focussed onto the second spot is behind the second spot.

Description

description

title

Laser induced incandescence particle sensor with confocal laser spot and temperature beam spot

State of the art

The present invention relates to a particle sensor according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a particle sensor comprises a laser module having a laser module and a detector configured for the detection of temperature radiation.

The principle of laser-induced incandescence (LI I) for the detection of

For example, nanoparticles in air is known from articles B.F. Kock, Two-color time-resolved LII applied to soot particle sizing, Combustion and flame, 2006, as well as S. Schraml, Application of a new soot sensor for exhaust, SAE TECHNICAL PAPER SERIES, 2000, and is known e.g. For the characterization of the combustion process in "glassy" engines in the laboratory or for the exhaust gas characterization intensively applied. The resulting soot particles during combustion are given a nanosecond pulse of

High-power laser heated to several thousand degrees Celsius and measured the thermal light emission of the particle with a light detector. The method allows the detection of very small particles with a diameter of a few 10 nm.

It is conceivable to expand this principle to the detection of soot particles in the exhaust system of diesel engines or gasoline engines of motor vehicles. In this case, a cost-effective laser diode in continuous operation (CW) is used to heat soot particles in the focus of the laser beam so strong that it emits a clear thermal light signal, which with a detector, for

Example of a photodiode is detectable. Disclosure of the invention

In this context, the present invention provides that the particle sensor has the characteristic features. The above-mentioned particle sensor has an optical device which is adapted to focus outgoing laser light from the laser module in a first spot and which is adapted to focus emanating from the first spot temperature radiation in a second spot, wherein a radiation-sensitive surface of the detector in the second spot or in the beam path of the focused on the second spot temperature radiation is behind the second spot.

The invention is based on the finding that in the detection of measurement signals of a laser-Induced Incandescence, which is generated in the exhaust system of motor vehicles, stray light may occur due to the thermal radiation of the hot environment in the vicinity of the spot (hot exhaust pipe, hotter Sensor head) are conditional. Although the absolute conduction of the stray light on the detector can be very low with some N, it may cause a detector signal that is orders of magnitude stronger than the actual particle to be measured whose measuring signal can be in the Po range. Furthermore, there is a problem in the determination of a particle size distribution on the basis of the detected measurement signals, which are generated by particles that traverse the spot in its edge region. Due to the lower power density of the first spot, there is a lower temperature there than for particles that pass through the center of the first spot. This results in weaker Lll signals that can be easily confused with the Lll signals of smaller signals. Per se are therefore signals of particles on

Focus edge undesirable because they lead to a false rating.

The invention solves these problems ultimately by a confocal

Detection method for the detection of particles. Due to this confocal detection method, only temperature radiation directs the light from a sharply delimited spatial area, namely from the first spot or a part of the first spot onto the detector, and temperature radiation originating outside of this sharply delimited spatial area does not reach the radiation-sensitive detector surface. These features can reduce the influence of portions of the temperature radiation that are not directly from the first spot, or better, from the center of the first spot, on the signal generated by the detector.

The invention thus combines the method of confocal detection with the optical detection of soot particles in the exhaust system by means of laser-induced incandescence. With the help of this combination succeeds, the thermal

Almost completely suppress interference signal, which comes from the hot environment and thus significantly increase the signal-to-noise ratio, so that the detection of very low-power Lll signals is facilitated. Furthermore, this method leads to a reduction of false signals, since only Lll signals reach the detector, which come from particles in the immediate vicinity of the focus.

A preferred embodiment is characterized in that the optical device comprises a beam splitter and a first focusing optical element, wherein the beam splitter is arranged in the beam path of the laser light between the laser module and the first focusing optical element.

It is also preferred that the first focusing optical element is set up to direct temperature radiation emanating from the first spot onto the beam splitter and that the detector is arranged in a beam path of the temperature radiation emanating from the beam splitter.

Due to the beam splitter, the same optical elements can partly be used for the beam path leading from the laser module to the first spot and for the beam path leading from the first spot to the second spot.

It is further preferred that the first spot lies in a first focal point of the first focusing optical element and that the second spot lies in a second focal point of the first focusing optical element. This embodiment has the advantage of requiring only a few optical elements. A further preferred refinement is characterized in that the optical device has a second focusing optical element, wherein the second focusing optical element is arranged in a beam path of the temperature radiation emanating from the beam splitter and is arranged to emit temperature radiation incident from the beam splitter into the second Spot to focus. This embodiment opens in particular more constructive degrees of freedom in the design of the optical system.

It is also preferred that a wavelength-selective optical filter between the beam splitter and the second focusing optical element is arranged in the beam path of the radiation emitted by the beam splitter, which is less transparent to the laser light than for emanating from the spot temperature radiation. By virtue of this feature, laser light, which is prevented from doing so due to unwanted reflections and / or refractions, can be filtered out before it falls onto the detector. As a result, there is a desired improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio and hence higher measurement sensitivity and measurement accuracy.

It is further preferred that in an embodiment in which the

radiation-sensitive surface of the detector in the beam path of the focused on the second spot temperature radiation is behind the second spot, the second spot is located in the opening of a pinhole, which is arranged in the beam path of the temperature radiation between the beam splitter and the detector. Through such a pinhole radiation components that are not directly from the first spot, but come from points that are slightly before or after the first spot or to the right or left of the first spot or above or below the first spot to be kept away from the detector. These radiation components are in the plane of

Aperture opening next to the pinhole opening on the opaque part of the pinhole.

A further preferred embodiment is characterized in that between the pinhole and the detector, a third optical element in the beam path of the temperature radiation is arranged, which of the

Aperture aperture outgoing thermal radiation parallelized, and that in the further beam path of the temperature radiation, a fourth optical element is arranged, which is parallelized by the third optical element

Temperature radiation focused on the detector. These features result in particular in the possibility of lengthening and changing the direction of the optical path between the beam splitter and the detector, which opens up constructive degrees of freedom in the design of the particle sensor.

It is also preferred that the optical device has a further optical element which is arranged in the beam path of the laser light between the laser module and the beam splitter and is adapted to parallelize outgoing laser light from the laser module and to direct it to the beam splitter. A parallelization is here understood to mean a reduction of the opening angle of a bundle of light beams or a bundle of beams, wherein the

Parallelization does not necessarily have to be complete (zero opening angle). The parallelization reduces the beam cross section of the on the

Beam splitter incident laser light, which leads to one that the beam splitter may be smaller than it would be without previous parallelization.

It is further preferred that the laser is a semiconductor laser element, in particular a laser diode. This embodiment has the advantage that inexpensive and robust laser diodes are available on the market.

It is also preferred that the beam splitter is a polarizing beam splitter, and that the polarizing beam splitter is oriented so that it is maximally transparent to the incident, a predetermined polarization direction having laser light. Laser light often occurs in polarized form. Due to the polarizing beam splitter and its alignment suitable for the polarization of the laser light, the laser light can be used to a large extent for signal generation.

Since laser light 10 is generally already polarized, it can

polarizing beam splitter at the direction of polarization of the polarizing beam splitter suitably chosen arrangement in one direction (way to the first spot 22) pass virtually lossless. In other words, by properly choosing the laser polarization and laser orientation, the transmitted power at that location can be maximized (to nearly 100%) while one has to accept a power loss of about 50% in the transmission through the beam splitter in conventional non-polarizing beam splitters.

It is further preferred that the laser is adapted to emit laser light having wavelengths below 500 nm, in particular 405 nm, 450 nm or 465 nm, and that the optical filter is designed to attenuate light having wavelengths below 500 nm or even blocked. These features result in an improvement of the signal to noise ratio compared to configurations that do not have such a filter.

A further preferred embodiment is characterized in that the particle sensor has a first part, which is adapted to be exposed to a measurement gas, and which has a second part, which is adapted not to be exposed to the measurement gas and the optical Contains components of the particle sensor, wherein both parts are separated by a gas-impermeable partition wall. As a result, the optical components can be arranged separately from the sample gas stream, so that the sensor can also be used for measuring particle concentrations in hot and chemically aggressive sample gases, such as exhaust gases of internal combustion engines.

It is also preferred that in the partition wall in the beam path of the laser light, a window is mounted, which is permeable to both the laser light and emanating from the spot radiation.

Further, it is preferable that the particle sensor has an arrangement of an outer protective tube and an inner protective tube, both of which have a general cylindrical shape or prism shape, that the protective tubes are arranged coaxially, wherein the axes of the cylinder or prisms form parallel to the direction of irradiation of the laser light are aligned and the spot lies inside the inner protective tube, that the outer protective tube 28 protrudes beyond the inner protective tube 30 at its laser-facing end and that the inner protective tube 30 protrudes beyond the outer protective tube 28 at the opposite end. Further advantages emerge from the dependent claims, the

Description and the attached figures.

The particle sensor according to the invention can be used as a soot particle sensor for the measurement of soot particle concentrations-masses and velocities in the exhaust gas of internal combustion engines. But it can also be used to measure other particle concentrations in a gas, for example to measure particulate matter in indoor air or outdoors.

It is understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the particular combination given, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description. In this case, the same reference numerals in different figures denote the same or at least functionally comparable elements. In each case, in schematic form:

Fig. 1 is a laser-induced incandescence-based measuring principle used in the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a basic structure of a laser induced incandescence particle sensor; FIG.

Fig. 3 shows a first embodiment of an inventive

Particle sensor;

4 shows an embodiment of an optical part of a particle sensor according to the invention, which operates with non-parallel beam paths;

Figure 5 shows an embodiment of an optical part of a particle sensor according to the invention, which operates with parallel beam paths; Figure 6 shows another embodiment of an optical part of a particle sensor according to the invention, with non-parallel

Beam paths works,

Figure 7 shows another embodiment of an optical part of a

Particle sensor, with arranged between a second spot and a detector optical elements; and

Figure 8 shows another embodiment in which a detector and a

Pinhole function fulfilled.

FIG. 1 illustrates the measuring principle based on laser-induced incandescence (LII). Laser light 10 of high intensity strikes a particle 12.

The intensity of the laser light 10 is so high that the energy absorbed by the particle 12 of the laser light 10 heats the particle 12 to several thousand degrees Celsius. As a result of the heating, the particle 12 emits spontaneously and in the

Significantly without preferential direction radiation 14 in the form of temperature radiation, hereinafter also referred to as LII light. A part of the radiation 14 emitted in the form of temperature radiation is therefore also emitted in the opposite direction to the direction of the incident laser light 10.

2 shows schematically a basic structure of a particle sensor 16. The particle sensor 16 here has a CW laser module 18 (CW: continuous wave, continuous wave) whose preferably parallel laser light 10 with at least one arranged in the beam path of the CW laser module 18 first focusing optical Element 20 is focused on a very small first spot 22. The first focusing optical element 20 is preferably a first lens 24. Only in the volume of the first spot 22 does the intensity of the laser light 10 reach the high values necessary for LII. The invention is not limited to the use of a CW laser. It is also conceivable to use pulsed-powered lasers.

The dimensions of the first spot 22 are in the range of a few pm, in particular in the range of at most 200 pm, so that the particles 12 passing through the first spot 22 are excited to emit evaluable radiation powers, be it by laser-induced incandescence or by chemical reactions (especially oxidation). As a result, it can be assumed that there is always at most one particle 12 in the first spot 22 and that a momentary measurement signal of the particle sensor 16 originates from only at most one particle 12. The measurement signal is generated by a detector 26 which is arranged in the particle sensor 16 so that it detects radiation 14, in particular temperature radiation, which emanates from a particle 12, which passes through the first spot 22. For this purpose, the detector 26 preferably has at least one photodiode 26.1

It is quite possible that the laser of the laser module 18 is modulated or switched on and off (duty cycle <100%). However, it is preferred that the laser of the laser module 18 is a CW laser. This allows the use of low-cost semiconductor laser elements (laser diodes), which reduces the cost of the entire particle sensor 16 and greatly simplifies the control of the laser module 18 and the evaluation of the measurement signal. The use of pulsed lasers is not excluded.

FIG. 3 shows an advantageous exemplary embodiment of a particle sensor 16 according to the invention, which is suitable for use as a soot particle sensor in the exhaust gas of a combustion process.

The particle sensor 16 has a first part 16. 1, which is set up to be exposed to a measurement gas, and has a second part 16. 2, which contains the optical components of the particle sensor 16 and is not exposed to the measurement gas. Both parts are separated by a measuring gas impermeable partition 16.3. In the dividing wall, a window 34 is mounted in the beam path of the laser light 10, which is permeable to both the laser light 10 and radiation emanating from the first spot 22.

The first part 16. 1 of the particle sensor 16 has an arrangement of an outer protective tube 28 and an inner protective tube 30. The two protective tubes 28, 30 preferably have a general cylindrical shape or

Prism shape. The bases of the cylindrical shapes are preferably circular, elliptical or polygonal. The cylinders are preferably arranged coaxially, the axes of the cylinders being oriented transversely to the flow of exhaust gas 32. The inner protective tube 30 protrudes in the direction of the axes over the outer protective tube 28 out into the flowing exhaust 32. At the end of the two protective tubes 28, 30 facing away from the flowing exhaust gas, the outer protective tube 28 protrudes beyond the inner protective tube 30. The clear width of the outer

Protective tube 28 is preferably so much larger than the outer diameter of the inner protective tube 30 that results in a first flow cross section between the two protective tubes 28, 30. The inside width of the inner protective tube 30 forms a second flow cross section.

This geometry has the consequence that exhaust gas 32 over the first

Flow cross-section in the arrangement of the two protective tubes 28, 30 enters, then at the end of the protective tubes 28, 30 facing away from the exhaust gas 32, changes its direction, enters the inner protective tube 30 and is sucked out of it by the flowing exhaust gas 32. This results in the inner protective tube 30, a laminar flow. This arrangement of protective tubes 28, 30 is attached to the particle sensor 16 transversely to the exhaust gas flow, or in an exhaust pipe. Such a first part 16.1 of a particle sensor is a component of a preferred embodiment. Its features are not essential to the invention features. The features essential to the invention are part of the second part 16.2 of the particle sensor 16.

The second part 16. 2 has a laser module 18, an optical device 36 and a detector 26.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of the optical device 36 together with the laser module 18 and the detector 26, that is to say an embodiment of the second part 16. 2 of the particle sensor 16. The optical device 36 has in particular a beam splitter 38 and a first focusing optical element 20. The laser light 10 of the laser module 18 is focused into the first spot 22 via the beam splitter 38, which may be, for example, a dichroic mirror or a beam splitter cube, and a first focusing optical element 20. The first focusing optical element 20 is preferably a lens 24. A particle 12 flying through the first spot is heated by the laser light and emits temperature radiation as a result. The particle 12 may be considered a point source of light due to its small size. The first spot 22 lies inside the inner protective tube 30. In this first spot 22, the laser light intensity is high enough to heat the soot particles 12 transported with the exhaust gas 32 to several thousand degrees Celsius, so that the heated particles 12 significantly absorb radiation 14 in FIG Form of

Emit temperature radiation. The radiation 14 is, for example, in the near-infrared and visible spectral range, without the invention being restricted to radiation 14 from this spectral range.

Part of this undirected emitted in the form of temperature radiation

Radiation 14 is incident on the first focusing optical element 20 and propagates via the beam splitter 38 to the detector 26, this part being focused by the first focusing optical element 20 onto a second spot 40. In the embodiment of Figure 4, the second spot 40 is located in a focal point of the first focusing optical element 20, or vice versa, the focus is in the second spot 40. Detached from the special

Embodiment of Figure 4 is that the second spot 40 in a

Focus of the optical device 36 is or vice versa

Focus of the optical device 36 in the second spot 40 is located.

The detector 26 is arranged in the beam path of the beam 14 emanating from the beam splitter 38 so that its radiation-sensitive surface is located in the second spot 40 or in the beam path of the focused on the second spot 40 radiation 14 behind the second spot 40. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the detector 26 is located behind the second spot 40 in the beam path of the radiation 14. The second spot 40 is shown in FIG

Embodiment on the opening of a pinhole 42, so that the detector 26 registers only radiation 14, which falls through the opening on its radiation-sensitive surface.

Through the pinhole 42, radiation 14 originating in front of, behind, to the right of, to the left of, the area above or below the first spot 22 is blocked, since this radiation from the optical device 36 is adjacent to the opening the pinhole 42 lying, for the radiation 14 non-transparent edge regions of the pinhole 42 is directed. Radiation 14 emanating from these regions is, for example, thermal radiation from the environment or signals from particles which the first spot 22 at its Cross the edge. Therefore, these parts of the temperature radiation do not reach the detector 26 and therefore do not distort the measurement signal.

The result is a significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). On the other hand, it is different for temperature radiation originating from the first spot 22, which exactly depends on the optical device

Aperture opening is directed. This temperature radiation can the

Completely pass through the aperture plate, provided that the aperture diameter does not fall below a certain minimum size. It should be noted that the diameter can also be chosen smaller than this minimum size. In this case, one must expect a significantly reduced detector signal. For the inserted aperture, both pinhole apertures with fixed and variably adjustable diameters can be used. The latter allow adjustment of the filter effect in a wide range.

The beam splitter 38 causes in the optical device 36, the particularly important advantage that only an optical access to the exhaust gas 32 is required because the same optics, in particular the same first focusing optical element 20 for the production of the first spot 22 and for detecting the used by the particle 12 outgoing radiation 14 is used.

The exhaust gas 32 is an example of a measurement gas. The sample gas can also be another gas or gas mixture, for example room air.

Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the second part 16.2 of

Particle sensor 16. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment initially in that the optical device 36 illuminates the beam splitter 38 with collided laser light 10. In this

Embodiment, the optical device 36, a further optical element 44 which in the beam path of the laser light 10 between the

Laser module 18 and the beam splitter 38 is arranged and is adapted to parallel outgoing from the laser module 18 laser light 10 and directed to the beam splitter 38. The further optical element 44 is preferably a lens 46. The laser light 10 emanating from the laser module 18 is parallelized with the further optical element 44 and propagates through the beam splitter 38 to the first focusing optical element 20. The first focusing optical element 20 focuses the laser light 10 into the first spot 22. The heated particle In the first spot 22 outgoing radiation 14 is also directed here via the beam splitter 38 in the beam path leading to the detector 26.

For the production of the second spot 40, the optical device 36 has in this embodiment, a second focusing optical element 48 which is arranged in an emanating from the beam splitter 38 beam path of the radiation 14 and is adapted to incident from the beam splitter 38 forth radiation 14 in to focus the second spot 40. The second focusing optical element 48 is preferably a lens 50.

Between the beam splitter 38 and the detector 26, in particular between the beam splitter 38 and the second focusing optical element 48, a wavelength-selective optical filter 52 may be arranged, which for the

In this way, possible stray light from the exciting laser (e.g., 405 N) can be filtered out. The thus filtered radiation 14 is then focused with the second focusing optical element 48 in the second spot 40. Such a wavelength-selective optical filter 52 can be combined with all embodiments.

The concept can also be constructed with an incomplete or non-parallelized laser beam. This is shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of one with not completely parallelized

Beam paths working second part 16.2 of a particle sensor 16. This further embodiment has an optical device 36 which operates with a not completely parallel aligned beam path. The further optical element 44, which is arranged between the laser module 18 and the beam splitter 38, reduces the aperture angle of the laser light 10 without aligning the laser light completely parallel thereto. The first

focussing optical element 20 focuses laser light 10 emanating from the beam splitter 38 into the first spot 22 and is directed from the first spot 22 incident radiation 14 on the beam splitter 38. It reduces the

Opening angle of the incident radiation 14. The beam splitter 38 directs incident radiation 14 from the first focusing optical element 20 onto the second focusing optical element 48. The second focusing optical element 48 introduces the temperature radiation incident from the beam splitter 38 into the second spot 40.

FIG. 7 shows, as already shown in FIG. 4, an exemplary embodiment of a second part 16.2 of a particle sensor 16 which operates with beam paths that are not completely parallelized. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7, in the beam path behind the second spot 40, ie between the pinhole and the detector 26, a third optical element 53 in the beam path of the radiation 14. In the further beam path of the radiation 14, a fourth optical element 54 is arranged which focuses the radiation 14 incident from the third optical element 53 on the detector 26. The two optical elements 53 and 54 are preferably realized as lenses. The third optical element 53 re-parallelizes the radiation 14 emanating from the second spot 40, while the fourth optical element 54 finally focuses the radiation 14 onto the detector 26, which is now arranged a total of some distance behind the aperture plate.

The exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures thus also show overall that the optical device can be constructed with only one, with two or also with more than two focusing optical elements such as lenses or mirrors.

FIG. 8 shows a further exemplary embodiment. This embodiment corresponds largely with respect to its parallel beam path

Embodiment of Figure 5. A difference of this

Embodiment for all described up to here

Embodiments is that the second spot 40 is not limited here by a pinhole. Instead, the detector 26 is arranged directly in the second spot 40, or arranged so that the second spot 40 is located on the radiation-sensitive detector surface and is limited by this. In this case, the radiation-sensitive detector surface has the function of the pinhole. Temperature radiation that is not sensitive to this radiation Detector surface falls, does not contribute to the measurement signal and is spatially filtered out in this way. For efficient signal filtering, the

radiation sensitive detector surface correspondingly small. This embodiment can be combined with all embodiments shown here. Furthermore, a structure is possible in which the positions of

Laser module 18 and detector 26 are reversed. The beam splitter 38, or the dichroic mirror, must then correspondingly have a reverse functionality. He should then have full reflection for the exciting laser light 10 and full transmission for the Lll signal forming temperature radiation.

Claims

claims

A particle sensor (16) comprising a laser module (18) having a laser and a detector (26) adapted to detect temperature radiation (14), characterized in that the particle sensor (16) has an optical device (36) connected thereto is set up by

Laser module (18) focus outgoing laser light in a first spot (22) and which is adapted to focus from the first spot (22) outgoing temperature radiation (14) in a second spot (40), wherein a radiation-sensitive surface of the detector (26 ) in the second spot (40) or in the beam path of the focused on the second spot (40) temperature radiation (14) behind the second spot (40).

2. Particle sensor (16) according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical device (36) comprises a beam splitter (38) and a first

focusing optical element (20), wherein the beam splitter (38) in the beam path of the laser light (10) between the laser module (18) and the first focusing optical element (20) is arranged.

3. Particle sensor (16) according to claim 2, characterized in that the first focusing optical element (20) is adapted to direct from the first spot (22) outgoing temperature radiation (14) on the beam splitter (38) and that the detector ( 26) in one of the beam splitter (38) outgoing beam path of the temperature radiation (14) is arranged.

4. Particle sensor (16) according to claim 3, characterized in that the first spot (22) in a first focal point of the first focusing optical element (20) and that the second spot (40) in a second focal point of the first focusing optical element (20) lies.

A particle sensor (16) according to claim 4, characterized in that the optical device (36) comprises a second focusing optical element (48). , wherein the second focusing optical element (48) in an outgoing beam path of the beam splitter (38) of the

Temperature radiation (14) is arranged and adapted to focus from the beam splitter (38) ago incident temperature radiation (14) in the second spot (40).

6. Particle sensor (16) according to claim 5, characterized in that in the beam path of the beam splitter (38) outgoing

Temperature radiation (14) is a wavelength-selective optical filter (52) between the beam splitter (38) and the second focusing optical element (48) is arranged, which is less transparent to the laser light (10) than for the first spot (22) outgoing temperature radiation (14).

7. Particle sensor (16) according to one of the preceding claims and the alternative of claim 1, wherein the radiation-sensitive surface of the detector (26) in the beam path of the second spot (40) focused temperature radiation (14) behind the second spot (40). is located, characterized in that the second spot (40) in the opening of a pinhole (42), which is arranged in the beam path of the temperature radiation between the beam splitter and the detector.

8. Particle sensor (16) according to claim 7, characterized in that

between the pinhole (42) and the detector (26) a third optical element (53) in the beam path of the temperature radiation (14) is arranged, the temperature radiation (14) emanating from the pinhole aperture parallelized, and that in the further beam path of the temperature radiation (14) a fourth optical element (54) is arranged which focuses the thermal radiation (14), which is parallelized by the third optical element (53), onto the detector (26).

9. Particle sensor (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical device (36) has a further optical element (44) in the beam path of the laser light (10) between the laser module (18) and the beam splitter (38 ) and is arranged to parallelize laser light (10) emanating from the laser module (18) and to direct it onto the beam splitter (38).

10. Particle sensor (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laser is a semiconductor laser element, in particular a laser diode.

1 1. Particle sensor (16) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized

in that the beam splitter (38) is a polarizing beam splitter, and in that the polarizing beam splitter is oriented so as to be maximally transparent to the incident laser light (10) having a predetermined polarization direction.

12. Particle sensor (16) according to claim 1 1, characterized in that the beam splitter (38) is a dichroic mirror. is polarizing beam splitter, and that the polarizing beam splitter is oriented so that it is maximally transparent to the incident, a predetermined polarization direction having laser light (10).

13. Particle sensor (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laser module (18) is adapted to emit laser light (10) with wavelengths below 500 nm, in particular 405 nm, 450 nm or 465 nm and that the wavelength-selective optical filter (52) is adapted to attenuate or even block light having wavelengths below 500 nm.

14. Particle sensor (16) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized by a first part (16.1) adapted to be exposed to a measuring gas and a second part (16.2) not to be exposed to the measuring gas, which contains the optical components of the particle sensor (16), both parts being replaced by one for the Measuring gas impermeable partition (16.3) are separated.

15. Particle sensor (16) according to claim 14, characterized in that in the partition in the beam path of the laser light (10), a window (34) is mounted, both for the laser light (10) and for the first spot (22) outgoing Radiation (14) is permeable.

16, particle sensor (16) according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that it comprises an arrangement of an outer protective tube (28) and an inner protective tube (30), both having a general cylindrical shape or prism shape, that the protective tubes are arranged coaxially , wherein the axes of the cylinder or prism shapes parallel to

Direction of irradiation of the laser light (10) are aligned and the first spot (22) inside the inner protective tube (30) that the outer protective tube (28) at its end facing the laser module (18) protrudes beyond the inner protective tube (30) and in that the inner protective tube (30) projects beyond the outer protective tube (28) at the opposite end.