A first-principles model of the zirconia oxygen sensor

Zirconia oxygen sensors are used extensively to monitor the air-to-fuel ratio of internal combustion engines. The basic physical and chemical processes involved in the sensing operation have been examined in detail to develop a first-principles model whose results agree well with experiments. Additionally, a wide variety of response is predicted from the model, depending upon the gas mixture, the electrode material, the reactivities of the gases, etc. The analysis ir; helpful in providing insight and design guidance in optimizing sensor operation for specific applications. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.