Measuring the quality of the air is vital, especially in an industrial working environment. Depending on the nature of the work application and the manufacturing process, gas leaks happen under different circumstances. Also, there are hazardous, odorless and colorless gasses that cannot be easily detected. For the detecting presence of hazardous gasses in the air, special air measuring instruments are used.
Tracking the quality of the air is of utmost importance for a variety of industrial facilities, such as for example in manufacturing plants, oil refineries and in commercial vehicles as well. Regardless of the circumstances under which the air quality is being measured, the purpose of the air measurement instrument is to detect the presence and measure the concentration of dangerous gasses such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and more. Moreover, measuring the quality of the air includes measuring the concentration of oxygen, which is vital for ensuring safe working environment for people involved in the work operations.
There are different air measuring instrument types and models, which differ in several technical specifications. However, regardless of their purpose of use, most of the air measuring instruments share the same or similar working principle. In addition, here’s a short overview of the work of a typical air measuring instrument.
The Working Principle of an Air Measuring Instrument
Every air measuring instrument contains three different sensors: oxygen sensor; carbon monoxide sensor; and carbon dioxide sensor.
Oxygen Sensor - the oxygen sensor which is an electrochemical sensor is designed to measure the concentration of a toxic gas in a room. It works by either oxidizing or reducing the gas (that passes through an electrode) and displays the results. The average lifespan of this type of sensors is between one to two years.
Carbon Dioxide Sensor – Carbon dioxide is an odorless and colorless poisonous gas, which is detected by the carbon dioxide sensor. This is an infrared sensor which detects some of the most harmful gasses by transmitting a beam of infrared rays through the air. The concentration of carbon dioxide particles gets absorbed by the energy of the infrared rays, which enables the air measuring instrument to measure the concentration of this gas.
Carbon Monoxide Sensor – This sensor shares the same working principle as the aforementioned oxygen sensor, which means that it’s an electrochemical sensor too. The difference is only in the specific gas it can detect, or more specifically as its name implies it detects the presence of carbon monoxide, enabling the air measuring instrument to measure its concentration.
