Carbon Monoxide Sensors for Vehicles: Detection of Toxic CO Gas
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Carbon Monoxide Sensors for Vehicles: Detection of Toxic CO Gas

In recent years, the number of motor vehicles in China has increased sharply, and the problems associated with motor vehicle operation have become increasingly prominent. Strengthening the management of motor vehicles and attaching importance to motor vehicle technical inspection have become an important issue urgently to be studied and solved by the whole society, especially by public security traffic management departments. This also provides a good opportunity for the development of motor vehicle technical inspection in China.
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With the development of China's automotive testing equipment market, the application and research and development of related core production technologies will surely become the focus of attention of enterprises in the industry. Understanding the R&D trends, process equipment, technical applications and trends of core technologies for automotive testing equipment production at home and abroad is crucial for enterprises to improve product technical specifications and enhance market competitiveness.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an inorganic compound in the air. Under normal conditions, carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is slightly soluble in water, with a melting point of -199℃ and a boiling point of -191.5℃. The gas density under standard conditions is 1.25g/L, which is very close to the air density (1.293g/L under standard conditions) — this is one of the factors that easily lead to gas poisoning. It is a neutral gas.
Notes for Carbon Monoxide Detection

  1. Hopcalite oxidant is mainly composed of manganese oxide and copper oxide. Its function is to oxidize carbon monoxide in the air into carbon dioxide for instrument zero adjustment. The oxidation efficiency of this oxidant should reach 100% below 100℃. To ensure its oxidation efficiency, it should be kept dry during use and storage.

  2. The main performance indicators of the carbon monoxide infrared gas analyzer are as follows:

    • Measuring range: Two ranges of 0–30 ppm and 0–100 ppm

    • Reproducibility: ≤±0.5% of full scale

    • Zero drift: ≤±2% of full scale per 4h

    • Span drift: ≤±2% of full scale per 4h

    • Linear deviation: ≤±1.5% of full scale

    • Warm-up time: 30 min

    • Carbon dioxide interference: 500 ppm CO₂ ≤±2% of full scale

    • Pump flow rate: Approximately 500 ml/min

    • Response time: Time for pointer to reach 90% of full scale < 15 s

  3. Non-analyte components in ambient air, such as methane, carbon dioxide and water vapor, can affect the determination results. However, the interference of the above non-analyte components can be largely eliminated by using a tandem infrared detector.

  4. Since water vapor causes interference, air samples should be dried through a rubber tube before being introduced into the instrument for determination.

  5. The instrument can perform continuous determination. Connect the air to be measured to the instrument with a polytetrafluoroethylene tube and connect a recorder to monitor the changes of carbon monoxide concentration in the air for 24 hours or for a long period.

  6. After the instrument is started, it must be fully preheated and stabilized for more than 1 hour before sample determination; otherwise, the accuracy of the determination results will be affected.

  7. The lower detection limit of this method is 1 ppm.

Shenzhen Wuliang Sensor Technology Co., Ltd. recommends a carbon monoxide sensor for carbon monoxide detection in vehicles.
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