KR102000712B1 - Apparatus and method to evaluate gas sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a gas sensor comprising: a chamber in which at least one gas sensor is mounted; A gas supply unit for supplying at least one gas having at least one concentration into the chamber; And an environment setting unit for setting an environment inside the chamber.

Description

[0001] Apparatus and method for evaluating gas sensors [0002]

The present invention relates to a gas sensor evaluating apparatus, and more particularly, to a gas sensor evaluating apparatus and method capable of evaluating the reliability of a gas sensor in accordance with environmental changes such as temperature and humidity.

Recently, the need for the detection of harmful gases in various environments has been greatly increased due to the increased interest in living environment pollution and health. Gas sensors, which have continued to evolve due to the demand for toxic and explosive gas detection, are now required to improve the quality of human life for health care, living environment monitoring, industrial safety, home appliances and smart home, defense and terrorism There is a lot of demand. Therefore, the gas sensor will be a means for disaster-free society implementation, which requires more accurate measurement and control of environmentally harmful gas.

As such gas sensors, semiconductor gas sensors, contact continuous gas sensors, and electro chemical gas sensors are widely used. The semiconductor type gas sensor uses a change in electrical conductivity due to adsorption and desorption between a gas and a solid, and the contact type combustion gas sensor is a method for converting a reaction heat (combustion heat) between a combustible gas and oxygen into an electrical signal. The electrochemical gas sensor is a sensor capable of measuring the change in ion concentration of an electrode and an electrolyte according to a reaction gas with a current or a voltage and detecting the type and concentration of the gas even at room temperature.

To obtain reliable measurement results of a gas sensor, the performance and characteristics of the gas sensor should be evaluated in an artificially set environment. Essential requirements for assessing the reliability of gas sensors include gas sensing and coherence assessment, temperature and humidity impact assessment, and long-term reliability assessment. A conventional apparatus for evaluating the reliability of a gas sensor is shown in Fig.

1, a conventional gas sensor evaluating apparatus comprises a furnace 11 capable of changing the temperature, a quartz tube 12 inserted in the furnace 11 and equipped with an inner central gas sensor 13, A gas supply port 14 provided outside the furnace 11 for injecting gas into the crystal tube 12, a power supply line 15 connected to the gas sensor 13, (16). Such a conventional gas sensor evaluating apparatus evaluates the performance of the gas sensor by injecting gas through the gas supply port 14 and measuring the sensor properties such as sensitivity and coherence with a meter connected to the power supply line 15. [

Such a conventional evaluation apparatus can evaluate the basic sensing characteristics of a gas sensor. However, it is difficult to evaluate the influence of humidity and low temperature, and it should be evaluated using a separate constant temperature and humidity device. However, when the constant temperature and humidity device is used, it is difficult to supply gas. Therefore, it is necessary to use a special device for gas supply or change the temperature and humidity without supplying gas, and then to observe the performance change of the gas sensor.

Further, in the above-described conventional evaluation device, the measurement value can be distorted by the influence of the electric field and the magnetic field generated in the heating element 16 of the gas sensor 13, and the correction tube 12 having a small radius There is a problem that it is difficult to place the additional measuring device in the vicinity of the gas sensor 13 in the correction tube 12. [

Korean Patent No. 10-1501345

The present invention provides a gas sensor evaluation apparatus and method capable of evaluating the reliability of a gas sensor.

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for evaluating a gas sensor capable of evaluating the reliability of a gas sensor according to changes in environment such as temperature, humidity, and the like.

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for evaluating a gas sensor capable of supplying various types and concentrations of gas into a space in which a gas sensor is mounted and evaluating the reliability of the gas sensor by variously changing environments such as temperature and humidity.

A gas sensor evaluating apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a chamber in which at least one gas sensor can be mounted; A gas supply unit for supplying at least one gas having at least one concentration into the chamber; And an environment setting unit for setting an environment inside the chamber.

A support provided inside the chamber for supporting the gas sensor, and a circulation unit for adjusting the distribution of the environment and the gas inside the chamber.

And a control unit for controlling the gas supply unit and the environment setting unit and evaluating the accuracy of the gas sensor.

The controller evaluates the accuracy of the gas sensor by comparing at least one of the type and the concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber with at least one of the concentration and the concentration of the gas measured by the gas sensor.

The controller evaluates the accuracy of the gas sensor in accordance with changes in the environment inside the chamber.

The environment setting unit includes at least one of a temperature control unit, a humidity control unit, and an exhaust unit that adjust temperature, humidity, and pressure inside the chamber, respectively.

The temperature controller adjusts the temperature inside the chamber to -20 ° C to 80 ° C, and the humidity controller adjusts the humidity inside the chamber to 10% to 90%.

The exhaust unit exhausts the gas supplied into the chamber.

And a measuring unit for measuring temperature, humidity and pressure inside the chamber.

The control unit controls the environment setting unit according to the measurement value of the measurement unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas sensor evaluation method comprising the steps of: mounting at least one gas sensor in a chamber; Setting an environment inside the chamber; Supplying at least one gas having at least one concentration into the chamber; And evaluating the accuracy of the gas sensor by comparing at least one of the type and the concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber with at least one of the concentration and the concentration of the gas measured by the gas sensor.

And the accuracy of the gas sensor is evaluated by changing at least one of the type and the concentration of the gas in a state where the environment inside the chamber is set.

At least one of the type and the concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber is fixed and the environment of the chamber is changed to evaluate the accuracy of the gas sensor.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, various types and concentrations of gases are supplied after mounting a gas sensor in a chamber provided with a predetermined space, and the performance and characteristics of the gas sensor, that is, reliability Can be evaluated. That is, the concentration and type of the gas in the chamber can be changed while the gas sensor is mounted in the chamber, and the temperature and humidity can be changed, and the reliability of the gas sensor can be evaluated in various ways. Therefore, it is possible to perform all three essential elements of the gas sensor evaluation, that is, the gas sensing and coherence evaluation, the temperature and humidity impact evaluation, and the long-term reliability evaluation using one evaluation device.

1 is a sectional view of a conventional gas sensor evaluating apparatus.
2 is a vertical sectional view of a gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a horizontal sectional view of a gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a configuration diagram of a gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a flow chart of a method of evaluating a gas sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is capable of other various forms of implementation, and that these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, It is provided to let you know completely.

2 is a vertical sectional view of a gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal plan view. 4 is a configuration diagram of a gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 4, a gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber 100 having a predetermined space therein, a support unit 200 provided inside the chamber 100 and supporting the gas sensor 200 A circulation unit 300 provided in the chamber 100 for circulating gas in the chamber 100 and a gas supply unit 400 for supplying gas into the chamber 100 and a gas supply unit A controller 500 for controlling the environment inside the chamber 100 and determining the measured value from the gas sensor mounted in the chamber 100 to evaluate the reliability, 600). The environment setting unit 500 includes a temperature control unit 510 for controlling the temperature inside the chamber 100, a humidity control unit 520 for adjusting the humidity inside the chamber 100, And an exhaust unit 530 for regulating the pressure of the exhaust gas and exhausting the gas inside the chamber 100.

One. chamber

The chamber 100 is provided with a predetermined space therein to keep it airtight. This chamber 100 includes a substantially circular bottom portion 110, a side wall portion 120 extending upwardly from the bottom portion 110, a cover (not shown) provided on the side wall portion 120 to face the bottom portion 110, 130). Accordingly, the chamber 100 may be provided in a substantially cylindrical shape according to the shape of the bottom 110 and the lid 130. Of course, the bottom portion 110 and the lid 130 may be provided in various shapes other than circular, and accordingly, the chamber 100 may be provided in various shapes other than the cylindrical shape. For example, the bottom portion 110 and the lid 130 may be provided in a rectangular shape, so that the chamber 100 may be provided with a hexahedron.

The bottom portion 110 may be provided in a plate shape having a predetermined thickness. In addition, a plurality of openings 111 to 117 may be formed in the bottom portion 110. For example, a plurality of openings 111 to 117 may be formed inwardly spaced apart from the rim of the bottom portion 110 by a predetermined distance. At this time, the plurality of openings 111 to 117 may be formed at regular intervals and may have the same size. However, at least one of the apertures 111 to 117 may be different in size and spacing. The openings 111 to 117 may be provided to connect the environment setting unit 500 for setting and controlling the environment inside the chamber 100 and the inside of the chamber 100 with the control unit 600. In addition, it may be provided to connect the inside of the chamber 100 with a control unit 600 for receiving a measurement value from a gas sensor by applying a power for driving the gas sensor. That is, a predetermined pipe may be inserted into the openings 111 to 117 so that the environment setting unit 500 and the inside of the chamber 100 are connected to the control unit 600. For example, the first opening 111 connected to the gas supply pipe of the gas supply unit 400, the second opening 112 connected to the cold / hot water supply pipe of the temperature control unit 510, the water supply pipe of the water supply unit 430, A fourth opening 114 connected to the control unit 600 for inputting power and measurement wires and an inner gas control unit for controlling the pressure in the chamber 100 and controlling the inner gas including gas and water vapor, A sixth opening 116 to which the temperature, humidity and pressure measuring instrument is mounted, a fifth opening 115 connected to the exhaust pipe of the exhausting unit 530 to be exhausted, a sixth opening 116 to which the temperature, (117).

The side wall part 120 may be provided at a predetermined height from the bottom part 110 to the upper side. The sidewall portion 120 may be formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape along the shape of the bottom portion 110. Here, the bottom portion 110 and the side wall portion 120 may be integrally manufactured or may be combined. For example, the bottom portion 110 and the side wall portion 120 can be integrated by welding, and the bottom portion 110 and the side wall portion 120 can be coupled using a coupling device such as a screw. When the bottom part 110 and the side wall part 120 are coupled to each other, a sealing member 151 such as an O-ring is preferably provided between the bottom part 110 and the side wall part 120 so that the inside of the chamber 100 is kept hermetic . On the other hand, at least one opening (not shown) may be formed in the side wall portion 120. That is, an opening for connecting the environment setting unit 500 and the control unit 600 to the chamber 100 may be formed in the bottom wall 110 as well as the side wall 120.

The cover 130 may be provided on the upper portion of the side wall portion 120 facing the bottom portion 110. The lid 130 is openable and closable when the lid 130 is closed, thereby preventing environmental changes inside the chamber 100. That is, it is preferable that the lid 130 keep the airtightness with the side wall part 120 so that the outflow and the inflow of the gas can be prevented, and the pressure, the temperature and the humidity inside the chamber 100 are not changed. This is important for a reliable evaluation of the gas sensor. A sealing means 152 such as rubber molding is provided on the lower surface of the lid 130 and between the lid 130 and the side wall 120 so that the lid 130 is closed The lid 130 and the side wall portion 120 are brought into close contact with each other to seal the inside of the chamber 100 from the outside. Also, since the sealing means 152 is provided, it is possible to prevent the upper surface of the side wall portion 120 and the lower surface of the lid 130 from being damaged due to an impact when the lid 130 is opened and closed. The lid 130 may be hinged to an upper portion of one side of the chamber 100, that is, a predetermined region above the side wall 120 to be opened and closed. That is, the lid 130 is fixed by the hinge 131 in one area on the upper side of the chamber 100, and the other area facing the lid 130 can be tightened by the tightening member 132 such as a screw. At this time, the user can open / close the lid 130 directly, and can automatically open / close using the opening / closing means. The opening and closing means for opening and closing the lid 130 can be driven by the control unit 600. As the opening and closing means, for example, a high-pressure cylinder or the like can be used.

Meanwhile, the lid 130 may be provided with a transmission window 140 at a portion where at least one area is opened and opened. For example, the lid 130 may have a substantially circular open area with a predetermined diameter at its center and a transparent window 140 at the open area. Therefore, the inside of the chamber 100 can be observed through the transmission window 140. A sealing member 153 such as an O-ring is provided between the lid 130 and the transmission window 140 to prevent the gas from flowing through the space between the lid 130 and the transmission window 140.

Meanwhile, the chamber 100 may be made rigid using iron or made of transparent acrylic material. For example, the bottom portion 110 and the side wall portion 120 may be made of stainless steel and the lid 130 may be made of a transparent acrylic material. In addition, when the transmission window 140 is provided between the lids 130, the lid 130 may be made of stainless steel and the transmission window 140 may be made of acrylic material.

2. Support

The support portion 200 is provided at the lower portion of the chamber 100 to support a gas sensor for evaluating reliability. The gas sensor may be provided in a predetermined space inside the chamber 100, for example, in the center of the chamber 100. For example, at a central portion between at least two directions orthogonal to each other in the horizontal direction and a vertical direction. However, the gas sensor may be provided in a predetermined space inside the chamber 100 as well as a central portion inside the chamber 100. Of course, the gas sensor may be provided on the bottom portion 110 inside the chamber 100. In order to position the gas sensor in a predetermined space inside the chamber 100, the support part 200 may be provided at a predetermined height from the bottom plate 110. The support part 200 may include a plurality of height parts 210 provided at a predetermined height from the bottom plate 110 and a plane part 220 provided on the plurality of height parts 210. [ The height portion 210 may be provided in at least two, for example, four columns. The height of the support portion 200 may be adjusted according to the height portion 210 so that the height portion 210 may be positioned at a height of about one half of the height of the chamber 100, The height of the sidewall 220 of the display unit 100 may be about 1/2 of the height of the sidewall 220. In addition, the planar portion 220 may be provided in a plate shape on the four height portions 210. Thus, the gas sensor can be positioned on the plane portion 220. On the other hand, one or more gas sensors may be provided on the support 200. That is, one or more gas sensors may be provided on the support 200. In addition, at least one support part 200 may be provided. That is, two or more support portions 200 may be provided in the chamber 100, and at least one gas sensor may be provided on each support portion 200. In addition, an apparatus, for example, a connector, for supplying power to the gas sensor and transmitting the measured value of the gas sensor to the outside may be provided on the support 200. That is, a connector connected to the control unit 600 may be provided on the support unit 200. A gas sensor is mounted on the connector provided in the support part 200 and power is supplied from the outside, that is, the control part 600, and the measured value of the gas sensor can be transmitted to the controller 600. [ Of course, when the gas sensor is driven by a battery or the like, a separate power line for receiving power from the controller 600 is not required.

3. Circulation part

The circulation unit 300 is provided inside the chamber 100 and circulates the inside of the chamber 100 to uniformly distribute the environment inside the chamber 100 as a whole. That is, the gas lamp is circulated using the circulation unit 300 in order to uniformly distribute at least one of the gas, the cold / hot water, and the steam supplied from the environment setting unit 500 in the chamber 100. For example, as the gas supplied from one region of the chamber 100 is different from the region where the gas is supplied, the concentration of the gas differs depending on the region, and thus the concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber 100 may vary from region to region. The measurement result of the gas sensor may vary depending on the measurement time and the like. Likewise, temperature and humidity also have a large difference in the area to be supplied and the area to be remote from the area. Accordingly, circulation of the inside of the chamber 100 by circulating the chamber 100 using the circulation unit 300 can prevent the deterioration of the reliability of the gas sensor. The circulation unit 300 may use a circulation fan driven by the outside, for example, the control unit 600.

4. Gas Supplier

The gas supply unit 400 supplies a predetermined gas into the chamber 100. The gas supply unit 400 may include a gas storage tank for storing a predetermined gas and a gas supply pipe for connecting between the gas storage tank and the chamber 100. Further, it may further include a valve and a mass flowmeter provided in a predetermined region of the gas supply pipe to control gas supply. Thus, the gas stored in the gas storage tank is supplied into the chamber 100 through the gas supply pipe, and the gas supply and supply amount can be controlled by the valve and the mass flow device. At this time, the valve and the mass flowmeter may be directly operated by the user or may be operated by the control unit 600. [ That is, the supply start and stop of the gas and the supply amount of the gas can be controlled by the control unit 600. Meanwhile, the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 400 may include an explosive gas, a toxic gas, an environmental gas, and the like sensed by the gas sensor. In addition, the gas may have a known concentration. That is, the gas of a predetermined concentration set by the user can be supplied after being stored in the gas supply unit 400. Of course, the concentration of the gas inside the chamber 100 may be controlled by controlling the supply amount of the gas using a valve and a mass flow device. By using the gas having a known concentration, it is possible to judge the accuracy of the gas sensor by comparing the concentration measured by the gas sensor with the known concentration. Further, the gas supply unit 400 can supply a plurality of known gases having different concentrations. To this end, the gas supply unit 400 may include a plurality of gas storage tanks each storing gas having different concentrations. Further, the gas supply unit 400 can supply a plurality of gases of different kinds. At this time, a plurality of gases of different kinds may have different concentrations. Of course, the gas supply unit 400 may simultaneously or sequentially supply two or more gases having different concentrations. Accordingly, the gas supply unit 400 may include a plurality of gas storage tanks for respectively storing them according to the type and concentration of the gas. At this time, a plurality of gas storage tanks may be connected to the chamber 100, or a tank storing a gas having a predetermined concentration may be connected to the chamber 100 before the test. Therefore, by using a plurality of gases having different concentrations or by using a plurality of gases having different concentrations, it is possible to determine the accuracy of the gas sensor with respect to a wide concentration range and kind. By using a plurality of gases having the same concentration, It is possible to confirm the repetitive reproducibility of the gas sensor.

On the other hand, when gas having different concentrations or different kinds of gas are continuously detected, the previously sensed gas may remain in the supply pipe or the like, and errors or errors may occur in the measured value of the gas sensor. That is, the gas supply unit 400 may further include a cleaning gas storage tank. Therefore, a cleaning gas can be supplied to the gas supply pipe to remove the gas supplied in the previous measurement, thereby minimizing a measurement error or error of the gas sensor due to the residual gas. To this end, the supply of the measurement gas is stopped, the exhaust gas is exhausted through the exhaust unit 530, and the cleaning gas is supplied during the exhaust to remove the gas remaining in the gas supply pipe and the chamber 100 have. Here, the cleaning gas may be an inert gas, and preferably nitrogen gas may be used.

5. Environment Setting section

The environment setting unit 500 may be provided to set various environments in the chamber 100 to evaluate the performance and characteristics of the gas sensor. The environment setting unit 500 includes a temperature adjusting unit 510 for adjusting the temperature inside the chamber 100, a humidity adjusting unit 520 for adjusting the humidity inside the chamber 100, And an exhaust part 530 for regulating the pressure and exhausting the gas inside the chamber 100. Although the environment setting unit 500 and the chamber 100 are shown as being connected by a solid line in the drawing, the environment setting unit 500 and the chamber 100 are connected through a predetermined pipe. Although the gas supply unit 400 and the control unit 600 described above are also indicated by solid lines in the drawings, the gas supply unit 400 is connected to the chamber 100 through a predetermined supply line, And the data line may be introduced into the chamber 100 directly through the opening or through the predetermined pipe.

5.1 Temperature Regulating section

The temperature control unit 510 may be provided to control the temperature inside the chamber 100. That is, in order to measure the accuracy of the gas sensor according to the temperature, the temperature controller 510 can change the temperature inside the chamber 100. The temperature controller 510 can adjust the temperature inside the chamber 100 to, for example, -20 ° C to 80 ° C. Therefore, the accuracy of the gas sensor can be measured in an image of 50 ° C or more or in a harsh environment below zero degrees. The temperature control unit 510 may include a storage tank for storing hot water or cold water, a supply pipe provided between the storage tank and the chamber 100 for supplying hot water or cold water, and hot water or cold water for circulating in the chamber 100 And a circulation pipe provided inside the chamber 100. That is, since the circulation pipe is provided inside the chamber 100, hot water or cold water can circulate in the chamber 100. The temperature regulator 510 may further include a circulation unit provided outside the chamber 100. Here, the circulation unit may be constituted by a pump or the like. Therefore, hot water or cold water stored in the storage tank may be supplied to the circulation pipe in the chamber 100 through the connection pipe, circulated in the chamber 100 through the circulation pipe, and then may be introduced into the storage tank. In the meantime, although the supply pipe is provided outside the chamber 100 and the circulation pipe is provided inside the chamber 100, the supply pipe and the circulation pipe may be connected to the same cuvette connected to the storage tank through the interior of the chamber 100, . The circulation of hot water or cold water from the storage tank through the interior of the chamber 100 to the storage tank is performed through the circulation unit. A circulation unit such as a pump may be used to circulate hot water or cold water stored in the storage tank to maintain the temperature inside the chamber 100 at a predetermined temperature. On the other hand, hot water and cold water can be mixed and circulated to maintain a desired temperature. For example, to increase the temperature inside the chamber 100, the amount of hot water can be increased more than the amount of cold water, and the amount of cold water can be increased more than the amount of hot water to lower the temperature inside the chamber 100. Also, the hot water connection pipe and the circulation pipe may be provided separately from the cold water connection pipe and the circulation pipe, and the hot water and the cold water may be circulated through one connection pipe and the circulation pipe. On the other hand, in this embodiment, hot water and cold water are used as the temperature lowering part 420, but the temperature can be adjusted by using gas. For example, the inside of the chamber 100 can be lowered to a subzero temperature by using a refrigerant such as Freon gas.

5.2 Humidity Regulating section

The humidity controller 520 supplies water vapor for controlling humidity inside the chamber 100. That is, in order to measure the accuracy of the gas sensor according to the humidity, the humidity controller 520 may change the humidity by supplying water vapor in the chamber 100. The humidity controller 520 may adjust the humidity inside the chamber 100 to 10% to 90% based on the relative humidity. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate the accuracy of the gas sensor by forming a harsh environment such as a high temperature and high humidity environment together with the temperature controller 510. The humidity adjusting unit 520 may include a water storage tank, a heating unit for heating the tank to generate water vapor, and a supply pipe for supplying water vapor into the chamber 100.

5.3 [0040]

The exhaust part 530 may be provided to regulate the pressure inside the chamber 100. In addition, the exhaust part 530 may be provided to exhaust gas and water vapor inside the chamber 100. That is, the exhaust unit 530 can exhaust the inside of the chamber 100 to maintain the inside of the chamber 100 in a vacuum state before the evaluation environment is formed, and supplies gas and water vapor into the chamber 100, The gas remaining in the chamber 100 can be exhausted. The exhaust portion 530 may include an exhaust pipe connected to at least one opening of the chamber 100 and an exhaust device connected to the exhaust pipe. At this time, a vacuum pump can be used as the evacuation apparatus, and thus the inside of the chamber 100 can be vacuum-sucked up to a predetermined reduced pressure atmosphere, for example, a pressure of 0.1 mTorr or less. At least one exhaust pipe and an opening connected to the exhaust pipe may be provided. In order to reduce the exhaust time, a plurality of exhaust pipes and a plurality of exhaust devices may be provided.

Although not shown, the environment setting unit 500 may include a temperature detection unit, a humidity detection unit, and a pressure detection unit for detecting temperature, humidity, and pressure inside the chamber 100. That is, when controlling the environment such as temperature, humidity and pressure inside the chamber 100 by using the temperature control unit 510, the humidity control unit 520 and the exhaust unit 530, And stops the temperature, humidity and pressure control when it is detected as the set value. For example, hot or cold water is supplied to the chamber 100 through the temperature controller 510 to control the temperature. The temperature detector detects the temperature of the chamber 100, The operation of the backside temperature control unit 510 is stopped to stop the temperature control. Similarly, the humidity detector and the pressure detector detect the humidity and the pressure inside the chamber 100 by using the humidity controller 520 and the exhaust unit 530, and when the humidity and the pressure are set, And the exhaust part 530 are stopped to stop the humidity and pressure control. The temperature, humidity, and pressure inside the chamber 100 can be determined by the controller 600 so that they can stop the adjustment, and the user can directly confirm and stop the operation.

6. Control section

The controller 600 supplies operating power of the gas sensor and receives the measured data from the gas sensor to evaluate the accuracy of the gas sensor. That is, the controller 600 is connected to the gas sensor through the power supply line to supply the driving power of the gas sensor, and is connected to the gas sensor through the data line to receive the measurement data of the gas sensor. The power supply line and the data line may have ten terminals, and more or less terminals may be used if necessary. For example, when the gas sensor is driven by a built-in power source such as a battery, a separate power line is not required. In addition, the control unit 600 can control the environment inside the chamber 100 by controlling the environment setting unit 500. [ That is, the control unit 600 may control at least one of the gas supply unit 400, the temperature control unit 510, the humidity control unit 520, and the exhaust unit 530 to control the internal environment of the chamber 100. The gas supply unit 400 may be driven in accordance with a control signal of the controller 600 to supply the same gas with different concentrations and may supply two or more kinds of gases having the same concentration or different concentrations into the chamber 100. The temperature controller 510 may be driven according to a control signal of the controller 600 to supply hot or cold water into the chamber 100. The humidity controller 520 may control the temperature of the chamber 100 according to a control signal of the controller 600 So that the steam can be supplied into the chamber 100. The exhaust unit 530 is driven according to the control signal of the controller 600 to adjust the pressure inside the chamber 100 to a predetermined pressure. In this case, the temperature measuring unit, the humidity measuring unit, and the pressure measuring unit measure the temperature, humidity and pressure inside the chamber 100 and provide the measured temperature, humidity, and pressure to the controller 600. The controller 600 checks the measurement result of the measuring unit, When the humidity and pressure are reached, their operation can be stopped. Thus, it is possible to determine the accuracy of the gas sensor by controlling the type and concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber 100, the humidity, the temperature, the pressure, and the like and comparing the measurement data of the gas sensor with the set value. That is, the controller 600 can determine the accuracy of the gas sensor by comparing the set value of the gas type and concentration with the actual measured value of the gas sensor. At this time, it is possible to judge the accuracy of the gas sensor in various environments by variously controlling the environment such as temperature, humidity, and pressure.

As described above, the gas sensor evaluating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a gas sensor mounted in a chamber provided with a predetermined space, and then various kinds and concentrations of gases are supplied, and temperature, humidity, The performance and characteristics of the sensor, that is, reliability can be evaluated. That is, the concentration and type of the gas in the chamber can be changed while the gas sensor is mounted in the chamber, and the temperature and humidity can be changed, and the reliability of the gas sensor can be evaluated in various ways. Therefore, it is possible to perform all three essential elements of the gas sensor evaluation, that is, the gas sensing and coherence evaluation, the temperature and humidity impact evaluation, and the long-term reliability evaluation using one evaluation device.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of evaluating a gas sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, at least one gas sensor is installed in the chamber 100, a step S200 of setting an environment such as temperature, humidity and pressure in the chamber 100, (S300) of supplying at least one gas having at least one concentration into the gas sensor 100 (S300), and comparing the measured data of the gas sensor with the set data to evaluate the accuracy of the gas sensor (S240) have. Here, the order of S200 and S300 may be changed. That is, after the gas is supplied to the chamber 100, the environment inside the chamber 100 may be adjusted. However, it is not desirable to regulate the pressure after the gas supply, because the gas supplied into the chamber 100 is discharged. A method of evaluating the gas sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below.

S100: The gas sensor is mounted on the support part 200 inside the chamber 100. That is, the lid 130 of the chamber 100 is opened and the gas sensor is mounted on the supporting part 200. A plurality of gas sensors may be mounted on one support 200, and at least one gas sensor may be mounted on the plurality of supports 200, respectively. At this time, a connector electrically connected to the outside of the chamber 100, for example, the control unit 600 is provided on the support unit 200, and the gas sensor can be connected to the external control unit 600 by attaching the gas sensor connector. Therefore, the gas sensor may be driven by receiving power from the outside or the measurement data of the gas sensor may be transmitted to the outside. When the gas sensor is correctly seated on the connector, the lid 130 is closed and pressurized by the tightening member, thereby keeping the inside of the chamber 100 air-tight.

S200: The environment setting unit 500 is used to adjust the environment inside the chamber 100. [ That is, the temperature, humidity, and pressure inside the chamber 100 are adjusted by using the temperature control unit 510, the humidity control unit 520, and the exhaust unit 530, respectively. Temperature, humidity and pressure can be controlled either sequentially or simultaneously. For example, temperature and humidity can be adjusted after adjusting the pressure inside the chamber 100. At this time, temperature, humidity and pressure control can be stopped according to the measurement results of the temperature measuring unit, the humidity measuring unit and the pressure measuring unit. That is, the temperature measuring unit, the humidity measuring unit, and the pressure measuring unit measure the temperature, humidity and pressure inside the chamber 100 and provide the measured temperature, humidity, and pressure to the controller 600. The controller 600 checks the measurement result of the measuring unit, When the humidity and pressure are reached, their operation can be stopped. On the other hand, the environmental control inside the chamber 100 can be variously set according to the evaluation items of the gas sensor. Therefore, temperature, humidity, pressure, etc. can be variously set during evaluation of the accuracy of the gas sensor.

S300: At least one gas having at least one concentration is supplied into the chamber (100). That is, a single gas may be supplied into the chamber 100, two or more gases may be supplied simultaneously and mixed in the chamber 100, or two or more gases may be sequentially supplied to be mixed in the chamber 100 have. Of course, two or more gases from the outside may be mixed and supplied into the chamber 100. In addition, one or more gases can be supplied in at least one concentration. That is, one gas may be supplied at various concentrations, or two or more gases may be supplied at various concentrations. By doing this, one gas sensor can be used to measure various types and concentrations of gas.

S400: In a set environment having a predetermined temperature, humidity and pressure, the gas sensor measures the type and concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber 100 and supplies it to the outside, for example, the control unit 600 or the user. The controller 600 can evaluate the accuracy of the gas sensor by comparing the type and concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber 100 with the type and concentration of the gas measured by the gas sensor. At this time, if a predetermined error is set and the data of the gas sensor is within the error range, it can be estimated that the gas sensor is correct.

On the other hand, it is possible to measure the gas concentration at the same environment by changing at least one of temperature, humidity and pressure after measuring the concentration of the gas in the set environment. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate the accuracy of the gas sensor in accordance with environmental changes such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and the like. In addition, it is possible to evaluate the accuracy of the gas sensor according to the kind and concentration change of the gas by changing the concentration and kind of the gas in the same environment. Thus, it is possible to measure various kinds and concentrations of gas in various environments for one gas sensor in this manner.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but may be embodied in various forms. In other words, the above-described embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of the present invention is complete, and those skilled in the art will fully understand the scope of the invention, and the scope of the present invention should be understood by the appended claims .

100: chamber 200: support
300: circulation part 400: gas supply part
500: environment setting unit 500:

Claims (13)

A chamber in which at least one gas sensor can be mounted;
A support provided inside the chamber for supporting at least one gas sensor;
A gas supply unit for supplying at least one gas having at least one concentration into the chamber; And
And an environment setting unit for setting an environment inside the chamber,
Wherein the chamber includes a bottom portion formed with a plurality of openings, a side wall portion provided at a predetermined height upward from the bottom portion, and a cover provided at an upper portion of the side wall portion facing the bottom portion,
A sealing means provided between the side wall portion and the lid, and a transmission window provided in one area of the lid,
Wherein the support portion includes a plurality of height portions provided at a predetermined height from a bottom portion and a flat portion provided on the plurality of height portions to support the gas sensor,
Wherein the gas supply unit and the environment setting unit are provided outside the chamber and connected to the inside of the chamber through the opening of the bottom,
Wherein the environment setting unit includes a temperature adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature inside the chamber and a humidity adjusting unit for adjusting the humidity inside the chamber to 10% to 90%.
The gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a circulation unit for evenly distributing the environment and the gas inside the chamber.
The gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a control section for controlling the gas supply section and the configuration section and evaluating the accuracy of the gas sensor.
The gas sensor according to claim 3, wherein the controller compares at least one of the kind and the concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber with at least one of the concentration and the concentration of the gas measured by the gas sensor, Evaluation device.
5. The gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit evaluates the accuracy of the gas sensor according to an environmental change in the chamber.
4. The gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the environment setting section further comprises an exhaust section for regulating a pressure inside the chamber.
7. The gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the temperature regulator adjusts the temperature inside the chamber from -20 deg. C to 80 deg.
7. The gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the exhaust unit exhausts the gas supplied into the chamber. 7. The gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a measurement section for measuring temperature, humidity and pressure inside the chamber.
The gas sensor evaluation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control section controls the environment setting section in accordance with a measurement value of the measurement section.
A chamber in which at least one gas sensor can be mounted;
A support provided inside the chamber for supporting at least one gas sensor;
A gas supply unit for supplying at least one gas having at least one concentration into the chamber; And
And an environment setting unit for setting an environment inside the chamber,
Wherein the chamber includes a bottom portion having a plurality of openings formed therein, a side wall portion provided at a predetermined height upward from the bottom portion, and a cover provided at an upper portion of the side wall portion facing the bottom portion,
A sealing means provided between the side wall portion and the lid, and a transmission window provided in one area of the lid,
Wherein the support portion includes a plurality of height portions provided at a predetermined height from a bottom portion and a flat portion provided on the plurality of height portions to support the gas sensor,
Wherein the gas supply unit and the environment setting unit are provided outside the chamber and connected to the inside of the chamber through the opening of the bottom,
Wherein the environment setting unit includes a humidity controller for adjusting the humidity inside the chamber to 10% to 90%, the method comprising:
Mounting at least one gas sensor within the chamber;
Setting an environment inside the chamber;
Supplying at least one gas having at least one concentration into the chamber; And
And evaluating the accuracy of the gas sensor by comparing at least one of the type and the concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber with at least one of the concentration and the concentration of the gas measured by the gas sensor.
12. The method of evaluating a gas sensor according to claim 11, wherein the accuracy of the gas sensor is evaluated by changing at least one of the type and the concentration of the gas while the environment inside the chamber is set.
The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the type and the concentration of the gas supplied into the chamber is fixed and the environment inside the chamber is changed to evaluate the accuracy of the gas sensor.

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