Overview of the OPTO-EMI-SENSE project: Optical fibre sensor network for automotive emission monitoring

Abstract

An optical fibre based system has been developed which is capable of monitoring the presence of exhaust gas emissions and measuring their temperature on line in the exhaust system of a modern vehicle. There exists at present no commercial sensor, which is capable of providing online measurements of these exhaust gases as required by European legislation. The design of this sensor using low cost and compact optical components, which make it suitable for operation on board a vehicle, is discussed. The sensor is capable of detecting NO, NO2, SO2 to a minimum detection threshold of 5ppm, CO and HCs to a minimum threshold of 200 ppm, CO2 in the range 300 ppm to 20% and temperature from 0°C to 900°C. Results measured in the exhaust of a modern engine are presented for each of these parameters. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.