PSI and Nissan Motor Company Demonstrate Diode Laser-Based Sensing on Automobile Engines

(April 2004):Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and the Nissan Motor Company today announce the successful development and demonstration of near-IR Tunable Diode Laser (TDL) sensors applied to a production-type automobile engine. Using a compact fiber-optic probe inserted into the intake manifold of the engine, PSI's near-IR TDL sensor is being used to monitor transient fluctuations in the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system of Nissan engines. The EGR transients are detected by sensitive monitoring of the CO₂ concentration in the inlet air flow.

Initial tests show that the sensor provides continuous, reliable, and accurate measurements of the EGR gas with a 25 Hz bandwidth over the full range of engine operating conditions. Details of the sensor performance are planned for a poster presentation at the 30th International Combustion Symposium in Chicago, IL, during the last week of July, 2004.

This work is the first of a series of joint TDL engine sensor projects underway between the two companies.

For further information contact:

Dr. Mark Allen
Vice President, Photonics Enterprise
Physical Sciences Inc.
20 New England Business Center
Andover, MA 01810

Telephone: (978) 689-0003
Fax: (978) 689-3232
allen@psicorp.com

Mr. Takanari Matsuura
Manager, Measurement Development Group
Nissan Motor Company

t-matsuura@mail.nissan.co.jp