JP2006275659A - Ion sensor and detector using it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ion sensor capable of easily arranging a detection part at a desired position and facilitating the arranging work of the detection part, and a detector using it. <P>SOLUTION: In the ion sensor for detecting the fluctuations of a current caused by the contact of ions with a sensitive part, a sensor body constituted of a metal wire is covered with an insulating material while exposing the midway part of the sensor body to set the exposed part of the sensor body as the sensitive part. This ion sensor is used to constitute the detector for detecting the ions produced by combustion or the ion current caused by the fluctuations of the ions produced by combustion. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ion sensor and a detector using the ion sensor.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ion sensors that detect current fluctuations caused by fluctuations in contact amount of ions to the sensing part or contact amounts of ions that contact the sensing part are known. In this ion sensor, a probe is composed of a metal body with an exposed end, the probe is arranged so that the sensitive part is located in a required detection area with the exposed part of the metal body as the sensitive part, and the probe Can detect a current fluctuation caused by the contact of ions with the sensitive part by applying a required voltage.

  Although such an ion sensor can be used for various applications, it has been proposed by the present inventor to use the above-described ion sensor in order to detect a combustion state in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

  In other words, ions are generated in the combustion chamber as a result of combustion, and the generation state of these ions is detected by an ion sensor, and specifically, between the cylinder block and the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine. By placing an ion sensor on the opening edge of the opening that communicates with the cylinder of the gasket that is attached to the sensor, the ion sensor is placed on the edge of the combustion chamber and the ion current is detected by the ion sensor. It is composed.

On the other hand, as a fire detection device that detects the occurrence of a fire, temperature detection means using optical fibers and imaging means using a surveillance camera etc. are provided, and the occurrence of fire is detected early by the temperature detection means However, it is known that a fire occurrence can be confirmed by an imaging means (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2004-162550 A JP 2004-152134 A

  However, the probe-type ion sensor described above requires that the probe be disposed close to the detection region in order to increase detection accuracy, and the ion sensor must be disposed carefully.

  In addition, when the above-described ion sensor is used to detect the combustion state in the internal combustion engine, only the detection of ions in the peripheral portion of the combustion chamber can be performed, and at any position such as the central portion of the combustion chamber. There is a problem that the combustion state of the gas cannot be detected directly and as accurately as possible by the ion current.

  Furthermore, the present inventor thought that an ion sensor could be applied instead of the temperature detection means in the fire detection device, but the introduction cost is high due to the difficulty of proper installation work of the probe type ion sensor. It was not realistic.

  In view of such a current situation, the present inventor has made the present invention by conducting research to develop an ion sensor that makes it possible to easily arrange the detection unit at a desired position and facilitate the arrangement work. In addition, the present inventors have invented a detector having high detection accuracy at low cost by using this ion sensor.

  In the ion sensor of the present invention, in the ion sensor for detecting current fluctuation caused by the contact of ions with the sensing part, the sensor body covered with an insulating material is exposed while exposing the middle part of the sensor body made of metal wire. The exposed part of was used as a sensitive part. Further, the present invention is also characterized in that a plurality of sensor bodies are provided and arranged in parallel to each other, or that a plurality of sensor bodies are provided and arranged in a lattice shape.

  The detector of the present invention is an ion sensor in which the exposed part of the sensor body is covered with an insulating material while exposing the middle part of the sensor body made of metal wire, and the ions generated as a result of combustion. Configured to detect.

  In addition, the detector of the present invention is an ion sensor in which the exposed part of the sensor body is covered with an insulating material while exposing the middle part of the sensor body made of metal wire, and is generated with combustion. The ion current due to the fluctuation of the ion was detected.

Furthermore, the detector of the present invention is also characterized by the following points. That is,
(1) The sensing part shall be installed in any one of wall materials, floor materials, ceiling materials, rugs, curtains and furniture to detect fire.
(2) The sensing part is positioned in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and detects the combustion state in the combustion chamber.
(3) The ion sensor is attached to a gasket attached to the internal combustion engine, and is provided across the opening facing the combustion chamber provided in the gasket.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the ion sensor for detecting the current fluctuation caused by the contact of the ions with the sensing part, the sensor part made of metal wire is covered with an insulating material while being exposed, and the sensor Since the exposed part of the body is a sensitive part, both sides of the sensitive part are covered with an insulating material, so that the ion sensor can be securely placed while placing the sensitive part at a predetermined position using this covered part. And it can be fixedly arranged very easily.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ion sensor according to the first aspect, a plurality of sensor bodies are provided and arranged in parallel to each other, whereby the detection accuracy of the ion sensor can be further improved.

  In the invention according to claim 3, in the ion sensor according to claim 1, the detection accuracy of the ion sensor can be further improved by providing a plurality of sensor bodies and arranging them in a lattice shape.

  In the invention according to claim 4, an ion sensor having the exposed part of the sensor body as a sensing part by covering with an insulating material while exposing the middle part of the sensor body made of a metal wire, is generated with combustion. By configuring the detector so as to detect ions, the sensitive part of the ion sensor can be reliably and extremely easily arranged at a predetermined position, and the accuracy of detection of ions in the detector can be improved.

  In the invention according to claim 5, an ion sensor having an exposed portion of the sensor body covered with an insulating material while exposing a middle portion of the sensor body made of a metal wire, is generated with combustion. By configuring the detector to detect the ion current caused by ion fluctuations, the sensor's sensitive part can be reliably and extremely easily placed at a predetermined position, and the detector can detect the ion current. Accuracy can be improved.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the detector according to the fourth or fifth aspect, the sensing part is incorporated in any one of a wall material, a floor material, a ceiling material, a rug, a curtain, and furniture. By detecting a fire, a low-cost fire detector can be provided.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the detector according to the fourth or fifth aspect, the sensing section is positioned in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, and the combustion state in the combustion chamber is detected, whereby the combustion chamber is detected. The sensor's sensitive part can be reliably placed at a position that could not be placed with a conventional ion sensor such as the central part of the sensor, and the combustion state information in the combustion chamber can be acquired more directly, resulting in higher accuracy. Combustion state information can be acquired.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the detector according to claim 7, wherein the detector is attached to a gasket attached to the internal combustion engine, and an ion sensor is provided across the opening facing the combustion chamber provided in the gasket. The sensitive part of the ion sensor can be arranged at a predetermined position very easily.

  In the ion sensor of the present invention and the detector using the ion sensor, the ion sensor is covered with an insulating material while exposing the middle part of the sensor body made of a metal wire, and the exposed part of the sensor body is used as a sensing part. It is what constitutes.

  Accordingly, since there are wire-shaped sensor bodies each coated with an insulating material on both sides of the sensing part, the ion sensor can be securely fixed and arranged at a predetermined position using this covering part, which is extremely easy. The sensing part can be positioned at a desired position.

  And the detection accuracy of an ion sensor can be improved by arrange | positioning multiple sensor bodies used as such an ion sensor substantially parallel mutually, or arrange | positioning a sensor body in a grid | lattice form.

  Such an ion sensor can detect ions generated by chemical ionization or thermal ionization due to combustion, or ion currents that are current fluctuations based on fluctuations of these ions. By using this ion sensor, A detector for detecting the combustion state can be configured.

  As a detector, the sensing part can be incorporated in any one of wall materials, floor materials, ceiling materials, rugs, curtains, furniture and used for fire detection, or placed in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. It can also be used for a combustion state detector that detects the combustion state.

  In particular, when the sensing part is arranged in the combustion chamber, an ion sensor is attached to a gasket attached to the internal combustion engine, and the opening facing the combustion chamber provided in the gasket is crossed to form a wire shape. By providing the ion sensor, the sensing part can be arranged very easily at a predetermined position in the combustion chamber, and since the ion sensor has a wire shape, the space occupied by the ion sensor can be made relatively small and the combustion state can be reduced. The possibility of having a big impact can be eliminated.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a combustion state detector that detects the combustion state of a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The combustion state detector includes an ion sensor 11 attached to a gasket 23 interposed between the cylinder block 21 and the cylinder head 22, a power source 12 for applying a predetermined voltage to the ion sensor 11, and a later-described A resistor 13 for generating a reference current for causing a current fluctuation in accordance with the contact of ions with the sensing part S of the ion sensor 11, and an amplifier 14 for amplifying an electric signal represented as a current fluctuation in the reference current; The signal processing unit 15 detects an electrical signal amplified by the amplifier 14 as an ion current signal.

  The ion sensor 11 is configured by covering a sensor body 11a made of a metal wire with an insulating material 11b, and exposing the sensor body 11a by not covering the sensor body 11a with an insulating material 11b to provide a sensing part S. ing.

  The sensor body 11a is a wire-shaped metal body, and in this embodiment, it is desirable to use a metal body having a high melting point by being exposed to a relatively high temperature state. For example, SUS-304 stainless steel or platinum is used. be able to.

  The insulating material 11b may be any material that can block contact with the outside of the sensor body 11a. However, in this embodiment, it is desirable to use a glass coating or the like because it is exposed to a relatively high temperature state. .

  The sensing part S is an exposed part of the sensor body 11a. When the sensor body 11a is covered with the insulating material 11b, the insulating material 11b is attached to the sensor body 11a without providing the insulating material 11b in the part where the sensing part S is formed. It is formed.

  The power source 12 is configured to apply a predetermined DC voltage to the ion sensor 11, and the resistor 13 is connected to the power source 12 and the other end of the resistor 13 is connected to the ground. Further, the cylinder block 21 and the cylinder The head 22 is connected to the ground to form a closed circuit, and the reference current is supplied by the resistor 13.

  In the present embodiment, a DC voltage of about −12 V is applied to the ion sensor 11 by the power source 12, and the reference current output from the power source 12 varies when the ions contact the sensing part S. The fluctuation component of the reference current is amplified by the amplifier 14 and input to the signal processing unit 15, and the signal processing unit 15 detects the ion current signal or the ion detection signal.

  In particular, in the combustion state detector, utilizing the fact that the ion current signal shows a unique waveform pattern according to the combustion state of the combustion chamber 25 surrounded by the cylinder block 21, the cylinder head 22 and the piston head 24, From the waveform pattern, the combustion state in the combustion chamber 25, that is, whether it is a normal combustion state, a combustion state where knocking is about to occur, or a misfire is detected, and this result is detected. By controlling the internal combustion engine based on this, it is possible to maintain a normal combustion state.

  Although the conventional ion sensor can detect the combustion state in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, the sensing part can be provided only substantially flush with the inner surface of the combustion chamber, and the combustion in the central portion of the combustion chamber Although the state could not be detected, in the ion sensor 11 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the ion sensor 11 can be disposed across the combustion chamber 25, and a spark plug (not shown) It is possible to detect the combustion state of the center portion of the combustion chamber that is directly below, and to detect the combustion state with higher accuracy.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, only one ion sensor 11 is provided so as to cross substantially the center of the opening 23a facing the combustion chamber 25 provided in the gasket 23, and the sensing part S is provided in the opening 23a. The present invention is not limited to the case where it is provided at a substantially central portion. If necessary, a plurality of ion sensors 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5 are provided as shown in FIG. The sensor units S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5 may be provided in parallel with each other at desired positions, or in parallel with each other along the first direction as shown in FIG. From a first ion sensor group including a plurality of first ion sensors 11 ′ provided and a plurality of second ion sensors 11 ″ provided in parallel to each other along a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The second ion sensor group may be provided, and the sensitive portions S ′ and S ″ may be provided at desired positions.

  By providing a plurality of ion sensors 11 in this way, it is possible to acquire combustion state two-dimensional data, particularly flame propagation information, and more detailed combustion state information.

  In particular, since the ion sensor 11 has a wire shape, the provision of the ion sensor 11 can suppress the disturbance of the combustion state as much as possible, and can provide highly accurate combustion state information.

  In FIG. 2, the gasket 23 has a donut shape for convenience of explanation, but the gasket 23 may have a predetermined shape in which an opening 23a having a desired size is provided at a predetermined position.

  When the ion sensor 11 is provided in the internal combustion engine, a large design change is made to the internal combustion engine by mounting the ion sensor 11 on the gasket 23 while traversing the opening 23a facing the combustion chamber 25 as shown in FIG. The ion sensor 11 can be mounted without any problem, and the ion sensor 11 can be securely fixed.

  In particular, the sensing part S of the ion sensor 11 is covered with the insulating material 12 on both sides, so that the ion sensor 11 can be disposed across the opening 23a of the gasket 23, so that the ion sensor 11 can be securely fixed and mounted. The sensing part S can be stably arranged at a desired position.

  As another embodiment, the above-described ion sensor can be used for a fire detector. Below, the specific example of a fire detector is demonstrated.

  FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a carpet-like fire detector 30. In this fire detector 30, an electrode sheet 32, an insulating sheet 33, and a surface layer sheet 34 are sequentially stacked on the upper surface of a bottom sheet 31 made of a predetermined sheet body to constitute a carpet. A plurality of ion sensors 35 are provided between the surface sheet 34 and the surface layer sheet 34, and these ion sensors 35 are connected to a control box 36 provided on the bottom sheet 31.

  The electrode sheet 32 may be composed of a metal film such as aluminum foil, may be a conductive sheet composed of conductive fibers, or a mesh sheet composed of metal wires. Also good. Alternatively, a sheet-like conductive sheet or a wire-like metal wire may be used instead of a sheet like the electrode sheet 32, and a predetermined voltage difference can be generated with the ion sensor 35. It only has to be.

  The electrode sheet 32 is also connected to the control box 36 by electric wiring (not shown) so that the electrode sheet 32 becomes a predetermined potential surface. The electrode sheet 32 is preferably grounded.

  The bottom sheet 31 may be any sheet body as long as it can support the electrode sheet 32, and may be a laminate of a plurality of types of sheet bodies.

  The insulating sheet 33 may be composed of any sheet body as long as it is an insulating sheet body that can inhibit conduction between the lower electrode sheet 32 and the ion sensor 35 disposed on the upper layer surface. A laminate of a plurality of types of sheet bodies may be used.

  The surface layer sheet 34 may be composed of any sheet body as long as it can protect the ion sensor 35 disposed on the lower layer side, and may be a laminate of a plurality of types of sheet bodies. The surface layer sheet is desirably made of a material that allows at least a gas containing ions detected by the ion sensor 35 to pass therethrough but does not allow water to pass therethrough.

  The ion sensor 35 is configured by covering a sensor body made of a metal wire with an insulating material, and by not covering a part of the sensor body with an insulating material, or a sensor body once coated with an insulating material. By removing a predetermined portion of the insulating material, the sensor body is exposed and the sensing part is provided at a predetermined position.

  The control box 36 to which each ion sensor 35 is connected is provided with a power source, a resistor, an amplifier, and a signal processing unit corresponding to the power source 12, resistor 13, amplifier 14, and signal processing unit 15 described above, and signal processing. The control part which emits a warning sound by detecting an ion detection signal or an ion current signal in the part is provided.

  In addition, the control box 36 is provided with a switching unit that is connected to a power source, a resistor, an amplifier, and a signal processing unit while sequentially switching a plurality of ion sensors 35, so that one set of power source, resistor, amplifier, and signal processing unit The processing of the plurality of ion sensors 35 can be executed. Therefore, the control box 36 can be configured compactly.

  Note that the control unit of the control box 36 does not emit a warning sound, but transmits a warning signal to a required server device using, for example, a wireless local area network (LAN) technology. It is also possible to send an abnormality notification mail to a mobile phone or the like.

  The carpet-like fire detector 30 described above is a local fire detection means, and as shown in FIG. 3, a fire caused by the stove 37 placed on the carpet-like fire detector 30 is provided. The occurrence can be detected promptly.

  That is, it is possible to detect a fire only by providing a fire detector incorporating an ion sensor in the vicinity of the cause of the fire, and the introduction cost of the fire detector can be greatly reduced.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a fire detector 40 configured by providing the above-described ion sensor on a wall surface. Like the carpet-like fire detector 30, an electrode is formed on the upper surface of a substrate 41 made of a predetermined plate. The layer 42, the insulating layer 43, and the wallpaper layer 44 are sequentially stacked to constitute a wall material, and a plurality of ion sensors 45 are provided between the insulating layer 43 and the wallpaper layer 44. It is configured to be connected to a control box 46 provided on the substrate 41.

  The electrode layer 42 is made of a metal body such as an aluminum foil or a copper plate, the insulating layer 43 is made of a desired heat insulating plate, and the wallpaper layer 44 is made of a sheet-like wallpaper having a required pattern. The electrode layer 42 is also connected to the control box 46 by electric wiring (not shown) so that the electrode layer 42 becomes a predetermined potential surface. The electrode layer 42 is preferably grounded.

  The ion sensor 45 is configured by covering a sensor body made of a metal wire with an insulating material, by not covering a part of the sensor body with an insulating material, or of a sensor body once coated with an insulating material. By removing a predetermined portion of the insulating material, the sensor body is exposed and the sensing part is provided at a predetermined position. In the present embodiment, ion sensors 45 are arranged on the surface of the insulating layer 43 in a lattice pattern.

  The control box 36 is provided with a required power source, a resistor, an amplifier, and a signal processing unit, and a control unit that emits a warning sound by detecting an ion detection signal or an ion current signal in the signal processing unit.

  Thus, by providing the fire detector 30 on the wall material, a functional wall material can be obtained. In particular, when a plurality of ion sensors 45 are embedded, it is possible to specify the fire position. When the ion sensor 45 is interlocked with the sprinkler, the fire position is specified when the fire is detected. It is possible to digest in a short time by controlling to discharge water toward the water, and it is possible to suppress unnecessary use of water.

  Fire detection using the built-in ion sensor described above is not limited to carpets and other rugs and wall materials, but can be applied to flooring materials, ceiling materials, furniture, etc. as well as wall materials. It can be applied to curtains and floor mats.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a fire detector 50 in which the above-described ion sensor is disposed in a tunnel. As described above, when an ion sensor is provided in a structure such as a tunnel to form the fire detector 50, a reference electrode body is embedded in advance at a predetermined position on the wall surface 51 of the structure, and the reference electrode body and a predetermined An ion sensor is provided separated by a distance, and this ion sensor is connected to a control box 56.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the first reference electrode line 52-1, the second reference electrode line 52-2, and the third reference electrode line 52 are used as the reference electrode body along the extending direction of the tunnel. -3 are arranged at predetermined intervals. Each of the reference electrode lines 52-1, 52-2, 52-3 is connected to the ground.

  The three ion sensors 53-1, 53-2, and 53-3 of the first ion sensor 53-1, the second ion sensor 53-2, and the third ion sensor 53-3 are connected to these reference electrodes. The first ion sensor 53-1 is arranged at a crossing point with the first reference electrode line 52-1 at a first sensing part. S5-1 is provided, the second ion sensor 53-2 is provided with a second sensing part S5-2 at the intersection with the second reference electrode line 52-2, and the third ion sensor 53-3 is provided with the third sensor A third sensing part S5-3 is provided at the intersection with the reference electrode line 52-3.

  Each ion sensor 53-1, 53-2, 53-3 and each reference electrode line 52-1, 52-2, 52-3 may be provided with a required space or an insulating material. They may be placed close together while being installed.

  In the control box 56 to which each ion sensor 53-1, 53-2, 53-3 is connected, the power source 12, resistor 13, amplifier 14 and signal processing unit 15 corresponding to the above power source 12, resistor 13, amplifier, signal A processing unit is provided. In addition, the control box 56 is provided with a switching unit for sequentially connecting a plurality of ion sensors 53-1, 53-2, 53-3 to be connected to a power source, a resistor, an amplifier, and a signal processing unit. The resistors, amplifiers, and signal processing units may be able to execute processing of the plurality of ion sensors 53-1, 53-2, and 53-3.

  Although FIG. 5 shows a set of ion sensors 53-1, 53-2, 53-3 connected to one control box 56, the ion sensors 53-1, 53-2, 53-3 and the control are shown. Multiple sets of boxes 56 are provided at predetermined intervals along the direction of tunnel extension, and the control boxes 56 of each set are connected in series and connected to the main controller (not shown). By detecting the signal or the ion current signal, the control box 56 to which the ion sensor is connected transmits a fire detection signal to the main control device.

  In the main control device, the location of the fire is identified based on the source of the fire detection signal, notification of the fire occurrence, and necessary traffic regulation are performed.

  The above-described fire detector 50 for a tunnel can be suitably used not only for a tunnel but also for a structure having a relatively large space such as an underground mall or a building.

  In addition, the above-mentioned reference electrode wire is suitably aerial, and the ion sensor is appropriately aerial so that, for example, the ion sensor can be stretched in the mountains where human management is inaccessible, enabling rapid detection of wildfires. A fire detector can be provided.

It is a schematic diagram of a combustion state detector using an ion sensor according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the mounting state of the ion sensor to a gasket. It is a schematic diagram of a carpet-like fire detector using the ion sensor according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of the fire detector which consists of wall materials using the ion sensor which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the fire detector for tunnels using the ion sensor which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

S Sensory part
11 Ion sensor
11a Sensor body
11b Insulation material
12 Power supply
13 Resistor
14 Amplifier
15 Signal processor
21 Cylinder block
22 Cylinder head
23 Gasket
23a opening

Claims (8)

In an ion sensor that detects current fluctuation caused by the contact of ions with the sensing part,
An ion sensor characterized in that a middle part of a sensor body made of a metal wire is covered with an insulating material while being exposed, and an exposed part of the sensor body is used as the sensing part.   The ion sensor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the sensor bodies are provided and arranged in parallel to each other.   The ion sensor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the sensor bodies are provided and arranged in a lattice pattern.   A detector that detects ions generated as a result of combustion with an ion sensor in which an exposed portion of the sensor body is covered with an insulating material while exposing a midway portion of the sensor body made of a metal wire.   An ion sensor in which the exposed part of the sensor body is covered with an insulating material while exposing the middle part of the sensor body made of metal wire, and the ions are caused by fluctuations of ions generated by combustion. A detector that detects current.   The detector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the sensing part is built in any one of a wall material, a floor material, a ceiling material, a rug, a curtain, and furniture to detect a fire. .   The detector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the sensing unit is positioned in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine and detects a combustion state in the combustion chamber.   The detector according to claim 7, wherein the ion sensor is attached to a gasket attached to the internal combustion engine and is provided across an opening facing the combustion chamber provided in the gasket.

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