Ceramic-based chemical sensors, probes and field-tests in automobile engines

The monitoring and control of combustion-related emissions is a top priority in many industries. The major methods used to detect combustion gases fall short of practical applications for in-situ measurements in industrial environments involving high temperature and chemical contaminants. The real challenge is not only to develop highly sensitive and selective sensors, but to maintain long-term stability in such aggressive environments. This article presents an overview of a multidisciplinary research effort in ceramic-based chemical sensors, highlighting opportunities as well as challenges. The group of sensors (CO, NOx, O2, and CO2) selected for this article can, in general, be used to determine the state of combustion in a wide variety of applications. Fabrication of sensor probes and their field-test results in automobile engines are also presented.