Air quality sensor: types, specifications, features, manufacturers and owner reviews

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Air quality sensor: types, specifications, features, manufacturers and owner reviews
Air quality sensor: types, specifications, features, manufacturers and owner reviews

Video: Air quality sensor: types, specifications, features, manufacturers and owner reviews

Video: Air quality sensor: types, specifications, features, manufacturers and owner reviews
Video: Could The Atmotube Pro Be The Best Portable, Wearable Air Quality Sensor Out There?! 2024, April
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The level of human comfort and safety depends on the microclimate where people spend most of their lives, namely: at home, in the office and in the office. Atmospheric pollution, the reduction of green spaces, the use of synthetic materials worsen the composition and properties of the inhaled air mixture. In our country, there are regulatory documents that responsible owners of industries and companies must adhere to. In order to have an idea about the composition of the air mixture, devices and detectors have been developed that determine the state of the atmosphere for the presence of dust, the content of harmful substances, and the deviation of the air mixture from the standard characteristics.

Scope of gas analyzers

Illuminated air analyzers
Illuminated air analyzers

Very important applicationgas analyzers is to control the purity of the air in the offices of the building, which is understandable, because the owner of a small company, office or cinema will not be able to influence the city air. In the office, taking into account modern possibilities, it is possible to create an acceptable atmosphere by installing a ventilation system that will work in the right mode, taking into account the state of the air mixture, which allows you to create an optimal atmosphere in the office space. Sanitary standards establish special air characteristics, which include temperature, humidity, concentration of carbon dioxide, ozone, volatile organic compounds, smoke and dust. The efficiency and speed of reading depends on the accuracy of the air quality sensor. When there are many people in the building, the gas analyzer must quickly measure the state of the air mixture, on its commands, the supply of clean air must be more intensive. If there are few or no people at all, the feed should be reduced until it stops completely.

Indoor carbon dioxide analyzers

To assess air quality in megacities, sensors are hung on lighting poles
To assess air quality in megacities, sensors are hung on lighting poles

One of the main parameters that characterize the optimal composition of air is the concentration of carbon dioxide. When a person enters the office and notes that it is stuffy, this most likely indicates an increased content of carbon dioxide. When inhaling air, where the carbon dioxide content is higher than the recommended values, the body feels discomfort, the person feels tired, becomes inattentive andscattered. When a significant number of people are in the office, when they all exhale carbon dioxide, the room becomes stuffy, so the main criterion for a poor composition of the air mixture is the content of carbon dioxide in it, which indicates the need to ventilate the office. Tracking the content of carbon dioxide in the air allows you to control the state of the atmosphere in the building. To do this, air quality sensors are used that monitor the level of carbon dioxide, they are produced by various companies, there are many models that differ in price and characteristics, and various options for their placement are offered.

Room detectors

Home air quality analyzer
Home air quality analyzer

Carbon dioxide monitoring by Arduino room air quality sensors is based on the attenuation of infrared radiation when the amount of carbon dioxide increases. The measurement is carried out with an infrared analyzer. Room air analyzers provide the ability to individually adjust the supply of external air if necessary to refresh the office, ensure that the air condition meets the standards, reduce energy costs, since the supply is carried out at the right time. Many models of room air quality sensors are produced, and there are many types of wall-mounted devices. Of the room air monitoring detectors, two types are most commonly used:

  1. Carbon dioxide detector with relay output, ventilation system control buttons,LED indication.
  2. Detector without indication and control buttons. The analyzers show the content of carbon dioxide in the room, when its concentration is exceeded, the employee independently turns on the ventilation and provides an influx of clean external air. All detectors can measure the amount of carbon dioxide by monitoring the limits, the measurements usually have the following ranges:
  • From 0 to 0.02%.
  • 0 to 0.03%.
  • From 0 to 0.05%.
  • 0 to 0, 1%.

The received data is converted into active output signals to the monitor, it is possible to use an analog data output that carries information about the concentration of carbon dioxide. State standards regulate the permissible concentration of carbon dioxide in the air and the performance of the ventilation system, which depends on the number of people. According to the standard, one employee must have at least thirty cubic meters of fresh air per hour. The room air quality sensor must be installed in accordance with regulations at a distance of more than one meter from the permanent location of people, but no closer than one meter to the supply air.

Automatic sensors for ventilation

To automate the operation of the supply and cleaning system, air quality sensors for ventilation are used. These devices are connected to ventilation control devices and, if the parameters deviate from the specified ones, automatically regulate the oxygen supply. Automation of ventilation systems makes it possible to maintainthe condition of the air in the room at an optimal level, eliminates the human factor. Air quality sensors built into the ventilation also save energy, as air conditioners and ventilation systems do not work constantly, but only at the time set by the program. Analyzers can be connected to humidification or ozonation systems. The technology of the device is that through the relay the sensor turns on the ventilation system only when an excess of carbon dioxide concentration is noticed.

Gas analyzer SQA

Premium models of air quality analyzers have a touch panel
Premium models of air quality analyzers have a touch panel

In addition to carbon dioxide, other gases and smells can soar in the house. In order to monitor the quality of inhaled oxygen and the increase in the concentration of certain gases, gas analyzers were developed. They are able to control the characteristics of the air mixture. The SQA air quality sensor monitors the concentration of not a single element of the atmosphere, carbon dioxide or another single gas, it turns on ventilation when organic substances are detected that change the composition of the atmosphere depending on the parameters embedded in the device. After the office microclimate parameters reach the norm, and the air mixture acquires the necessary characteristics, the air supply from the outside will continue for some more time, set by the timer, up to twenty-five minutes. The control device can be set to the specified air parameters, if it deviates from them, it turns on the forced supply of the air mixture until the optimum is reached.composition.

Arduino Air Pollution Control Detector

The EPA has identified the top five air pollutants as nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and particulate matter. The Arduino Air Quality Sensor is an optimal and very cost-effective way to monitor air quality, it can detect pollution by major harmful agents other than sulfur dioxide. The device also has a particulate, humidity, temperature detector and a gas analyzer, which makes it possible to detect leaks and the presence of other combustible hydrocarbons in the air. Air quality sensors start ventilation automatically to clean the building. This occurs if there is an excess on any given parameter.

VOC air quality sensors

Analyzer readings can be transferred to a smartphone
Analyzer readings can be transferred to a smartphone

The abbreviation VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. The VOC air quality sensor evaluates the composition of the mixed air by the mixed gas analyzer. It monitors the concentration of the available mixture of gases. The analyzer determines the state of the air, allows you to quantify its saturation with various gases, cigarette smoke, gasoline vapors, solvents, paints. This sensor is self calibrated, controlled by a microprocessor, the excess concentration of harmful impurities is detected using a chemical sensing element that reacts with organic impurities of air pollutants, which leads to a change in itsconductivity. It is measured by instruments and converted into digital form. The sensitive chemical element is consumed during the operation of the device, its service life depends on the type of pollutants and their concentration.

KNX air condition detectors

Home air quality analyzer
Home air quality analyzer

KNX is an automated building maintenance system that is standardized and uses a single software. Automation of home management using the system allows significant energy savings, for example, the use of comprehensive building maintenance for ventilation control can provide energy savings of up to forty-five percent. When using the KNX system, air quality sensors control the ventilation of the entire building. Detectors for other functions, heating, blinds, lighting are also connected to the control devices of these systems. The essence of the microclimate control scheme in the building is to measure the air quality control sensors, fix the current readings and transfer them to the microclimate control system, which regulates the supply or interruption of the supply of fresh air to a particular room.

Pollen detection devices

Analyzer device for assessing the quality of oxygen in the room
Analyzer device for assessing the quality of oxygen in the room

There are now a range of indoor air quality sensors available that can detect the presence of pollen in the air. Such devices determine the degree of pollution of the atmosphere by particulate matter. Manufacturing companieshave developed and are implementing devices for determining the amount of dust and pollen, capable of distinguishing particles up to 2.5 microns in size using optical methods and using a laser beam. Particles of this size are considered serious and dangerous air pollutants, in Japan and China they are considered an important factor in the growth of diseases. Pollen and dust are especially dangerous for those suffering from asthma, chronic pneumonia, cardiovascular diseases during seasonal flowering of plants. The optical method consists in the fact that the light scattered from the particles is collected by a system of mirrors. Sensor developers believe that the device is able to distinguish dust particles from pollen by analyzing the characteristic features of scattered light. Detectors that use an optical method to control the concentration of dust and pollen in the air, show the amount of particles suspended in the air. The particulate matter laser laser beam device adopts the method of directing the laser beam into the air, and the amount of particulate matter suspended in the air is determined by the scattering of the returned beam.

Pollen Air Purifiers

Sensor on the window to assess air quality
Sensor on the window to assess air quality

People could not stop at determining the degree of pollution and developed devices for cleaning the air from impurities. Good inventions for air purification need to perform at least two tasks: to maintain the optimal condition of the air by ventilation, to clean it from suspended particles, as well as harmful gases. These appliances must be equipped with filters which mustcapture dust, pollen and other particulate contaminants. The principle of cleaning is to run the air mixture by the fan of the device through a set of filters, which allows for quick cleaning of large rooms.

Many models are equipped with carbon filters that trap most of the carcinogenic substances, gases, eliminate odors, tobacco smoke, sometimes models are additionally equipped with air ionizers. There are also air quality instruments with pollen sensors. According to the cleaning methods, the following types of cleaners can be distinguished:

  • Electrostatic cleaner cleans with ionized air. It effectively captures dust, soot and tobacco smoke. Equipping with an ozonator helps to regulate the number of microbes and bacteria. The device is easy to maintain, consumes little electricity, is inexpensive, does not require consumables, you only need to periodically remove the accumulated dust.
  • Cleaners with replaceable filters are very effective against dust. They are inexpensive, but filters need to be changed periodically.
  • Photocatalytic purifiers are considered the most effective, cleaning is done by decomposing a solid air substance under the action of ultraviolet rays and a catalyst. Effective also against odors and smoke. These devices do not require consumables, but are quite expensive.
  • Purifiers that use water to purify the air. This type of appliance usually combines both a humidifier and an air purifier.

Often manufacturer in one sensorair quality has to accommodate a whole combination of different cleaning methods, which increases the efficiency of the device. The choice of such a device should be made taking into account the area of \u200b\u200bthe house, the amount of dust, the presence of smokers, as well as the price and manufacturer. Man has invented many ways to detect pollutants and control the condition of indoor air, and more will be invented. However, nevertheless, one should not forget about the elementary, centuries-old methods of dealing with dust, dirt and odors, this is a systematic wet cleaning and dust removal.

In modern residential premises, complex automated control of the state of conditions of stay in office premises is used, which automatically allows you to respond to changes in the microclimate characteristics in buildings. But in old buildings, ventilation is rarely equipped with at least coarse filters to clean the incoming air from large dust particles. In order not to jeopardize the he alth of personnel, experts recommend installing local systems for maintaining the microclimate in the premises. The air quality switch sensor can help with this.

Reviews on gas analyzers

Many people in our country have already purchased devices that monitor the level of air pollution in a residential area. Customer reviews of gas analyzers say that they help maintain he alth. It is especially important to use these devices in large cities, where the level of air pollution often exceeds acceptable standards. Also, gas analyzers are praised by young parents seekingprotect your baby from the harmful effects of the environment.

Mommies on the forums leave mostly positive feedback about automatic air purifiers and gas analyzers. They emphasize that a child's weak body sometimes suffers greatly from dust and dirt in the apartment, which often leads to allergies.

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