Optimization of soot deposition by high-temperature prepolarization of a resistive particulate matter sensor

For the purposes of the onboard diagnosis (OBD) of diesel particulate filters (DPFs) in diesel exhaust treatment systems, a particulate matter (PM) sensor is applied downstream from the DPFs to detect small amounts of diesel soot that passed through the filter. The state-of-the-art technology is a sensor based on the resistive measurement principle, i.e., charged soot particles are attracted by electrophoretic forces, deposited on an interdigital electrode (IDE) structure and conductive soot bridges that reduce the overall resistance are formed. This paper reports how the response time of a resistively working particulate matter sensor can be shortened up to 30 % by the optimization of soot deposition that is initiated by a change in the sensor operation strategy. The measurement voltage is applied for prepolarization during the sensor regeneration phase rather than during the cooling phase before the measurement is commonly done. Experiments were performed at diesel engine test benches to examine this context and simulations of the electric field above and below the IDE structure. The data are used to deduct a model, including the solid state chemistry of the sensor's ceramic materials, the effect of impurities on the electric field properties and the interconnection with the soot deposition, which defines the sensor's response.