subject: A Breakthrough In Carbon Dioxide Application Calls For Next Generation Gas Sensors [print this page] We have been using refrigeration and air conditioning technologies in a countless number of applications for decades now. Initially blissfully unaware of the CFCs these systems were releasing into the atmosphere, these destructive gases gnawed away at our ozone layer and contributed to widespread environmental damage. Ever since we eventually came to this realisation, industry research and development initiatives have been working towards developing safer and environmentally friendlier refrigeration technologies.
There has been much deliberation on which technologies will take the lead in the new "green" refrigeration era, it appears to be a tug of war between the Alliance for CO2 Solutions and the industrial chemical giants. Their contrasting views have been dubbed "The Cool War",as there is some debate in terms of determining the next generation refrigerant to be used as standard in the automotive industry. Consensus on which direction to take in this regard has not yet been reached but carbon-dioxide has proven to be one of the most practical natural refrigerant alternatives to halocarbon compounds. Although it was used in liquid form during the pioneering days of refrigeration, it was dismissed as inferior to Freon or CFC before the negative impacts of CFCs were discovered; the revival of CO2 and its significantly lower environmental risk factor could eventually be the key to reducing and virtually eliminating the use of environmentally damaging greenhouse gases in refrigeration. One of the few drawbacks of carbon-dioxide is the fact that it is a colourless and odourless gas that can potentially be harmful to humans in confined spaces - where it can reach levels that could induce suffocation. Although the move towards CO2 is an exciting new development in environmentally safer refrigerants, it has created the need for effective and reliable gas sensors, to provide an early warning of possible leaks or other problems that might be causing the carbon-dioxide levels to rise to dangerous levels. Global awareness of the potential dangers of gases used in refrigeration and other applications, have urged governments to implement stringent legislation regarding the careful monitoring of gases in domestic and industrial environments. Gas sensors are a legal requirement in many instances and failure to comply with these regulations is usually met with serious penalties.
While the detection of carbon-dioxide at room temperature has traditionally been quite straight forward, the new application of carbon dioxide at temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees warranted the introduction of new gas detection technology. Specially designed gas sensors have been developed with the addition of advanced infra red detection technology to withstand and operate under the extreme conditions posed by carbon dioxide at low temperatures. Components with these properties will prove to be a crucial and indispensable safety element in the recently reinvented field of carbon dioxide refrigeration technology.
In addition to the aforementioned requirements, Gas sensors need to be extremely reliable as any error can prove to be disastrous and potentially lethal. It is important to remember that the key to achieving the level of reliability expected from gas sensors, lies not only in the technology being used but also through proper maintenance and inspection of the sensors - as required by law and stipulated by the gas sensor manufacturer.
