An oxygen sensor, or lambda sensor, is an electronic device that measures the
proportion of oxygen (O2) in the gas or liquid being analyzed. It was developed
by Robert Bosch GmbH during the late 1960s under supervision by Dr. Gόnter
Bauman. The original sensing element is made with a thimble-shaped zirconia ceramic
coated on both the exhaust and reference sides with a thin layer of platinum
and comes in both heated and unheated forms. The planar-style sensor entered
the market in 1998 (also pioneered by Robert Bosch GmbH) and significantly reduced
the mass of the ceramic sensing element as well as incorporating the heater
within the ceramic structure. This resulted in a sensor that both started operating
sooner and responded faster. The most common application is to measure the
exhaust gas concentration of oxygen for internal combustion engines in automobiles
and other vehicles.
|
