P.O. Box 26, FIN-00421 Helsinki, FINLAND Tel: +358 9 894 91 Fax: +358 9 8949 2485 Email: [email protected] www.vaisala.com 1 (3) / TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION ® Vaisala CARBOCAP Carbon Effects of CO2 Dioxide Sensors: Typical atmospheric CO2 concentration is 350-450 ppm. VAisALA CARBOCAP® CArbon DioXide Sensors : DECEMBER 2009 CO2 is a non-toxic and non-flammable gas. However, it What is CO2? doesn't support life and exposure to elevated CO2 concentrations can induce a risk to life. The effects of CO2 What is CO2? This document describes the properties of concentrations on people are summarized in Table 1. carbon dioxide (CO2) and presents ideal gas Table 1. Effect of CO concentrations on people. laThisw, u documentnit conver sdescribesion and g athes d ipropertieslution theo rofy 2 Concentration Effect tocarbon suppo rdioxidet gas sa m(COpli2n)g and issu presentses in CO 2ideal gas 350-450 ppm Typical atmospheric mlaw,eas uunitrem conversionents. and gas dilution theory to 600-800 ppm Acceptable indoor air quality 1000 ppm Tolerable indoor air quality support gas sampling issues in 5000 ppm Average exposure limit over 8 hours CO measurements. 600-30 000 ppm Concern, short exposure only Wh2at is CO2? 3-8% Increased respiration and headache above 10% Nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness above 20% Rapid unconsciousness, death Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless gas consisting of one What is CO2? carbon and two oxygen atoms. CO2 exists in gas state Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless gas consisting of one above -78.5°C and in solid state (dry ice) below -78.5°C. carbon and two oxygen atoms. CO2 exists in gas state To ensure the safety of the people in facilities having a CaboveO2 ch a-78.5nges °Cfro andm s oinli dsolid to g astates by (drysubli mice)ati belowon. -78.5 °C. potential risk for CO2 leakage, CO2 transmitters should be CO changes from solid to gas by sublimation. 2 installed as close to the potential leakage points as In nature, plants use CO in photosynthesis, where CO and In nature, plants use CO2 i2n photosynthesis, where CO2 2 possible. CO2 is heavier than air, therefore it sinks and water are combined using sun light as energy to produce and water are combined using sun light as energy to pools low to the ground, displacing the oxygen. The CO2 sugars (and oxygen). The reaction can be written in a produce sugars (and oxygen). The reaction can be written general form: transmitter installations should always be based on risk in a general form: assessment. photosynthesis Physical properties of CO2 6 CO2 + 6 H2O C 6H12O6 + 6O2 CO2 absorbs light in the infrared (IR) region, see Figure 1. respiration This absorption can be utilized to measure volumetric In fact, CO2 is introduced in the greenhouse air to maintain ® concentration of CO2. Vaisala CARBOCAP is utilizing pInla nfact,t gro COwth2 ,is s iintroducednce plants g inro wthe u pgreenhouse to 50% fas tairer i nto maintain plant growth, since plants grow up to 50 % faster in this absorption in the silicon-based non-dispersive infrared elevated CO2 concentrations. The opposite reaction to elevated CO concentrations. The opposite reaction to CO sensors. photosynthesi2s, respiration, takes place in all living 2 photosynthesis, respiration, takes place in all living oorganisms.rganisms. In addition to its vital role in photosynthesis, respiration 100 In addition to its vital role in photosynthesis, respiration 90 and carbon cycle, CO2 has many industrial applications. 80 aSolidnd ca randbon liquidcycle, COCO2 2are ha sused man yin i nrefrigerationdustrial appl iandcati ocooling.ns. In beverage industry, CO gives the fizz to the drinks and ) 70 Solid 2 % and liquid CO are used in refrigeration and cooling. 2 ( prevents bacterial and fungal growth in soft drinks, beer N 60 O In beverage industry, CO2 gives the fizz to the drinks and I S S and wine. CO2 is an environmentally friendly propellant I 50 prevents bacterial and fungal growth in soft drinks, beer M S in aerosols and due to its unreactive nature it is used N 40 CO 370 ppm A 2 and wine. CO2 is an environmentally friendly propellant in R as an inert gas in various processes, packaging and T 30 H2O 5600 ppm afireeros extinguishers,ols and due to itots umentionnreactiv somee natu rapplications.e it is used as CO an is 2 20 CO 2900 ppm H O inproducedert gas in inva rcombustionious process processeses, packag iofng carbon and fir econtaining 2 CH 6100 ppm 10 4 CO2 ematerial.xtinguish ers, to mention some applications. CO2 is CH4 CO 0 produced in combustion processes of carbon containing 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 WAVELENGTH (nm) material. Figure 1. IR absorption of some gases. Table 1. Effect of CO concentrations on people. Effects of CO2 2 Typical atmospheric CO 2 Concentration Effect concentration is 350-450 ppm. CO 2 350-450 ppm Typical atmospheric is a non-toxic and non-flammable 600-800 ppm Acceptable indoor air quality gas. However, it doesn’t support 1000 ppm Tolerable indoor air quality life and exposure to elevated CO 2 5000 ppm Average exposure limit over 8 hours concentrations can induce a risk to 600-30 000 ppm Concern, short exposure only life. The effects of CO concentrations 2 3-8% Increased respiration and headache on people are summarized in Table 1. above 10% Nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness To ensure the safety of the people above 20% Rapid unconsciousness, death in facilities having a potential risk for CO2 leakage, CO2 transmitters should be installed as close to the potential leakage points as possible. CO2 is heavier than air, therefore it sinks and pools low to the ground, displacing the oxygen. The CO2 transmitter installations should always be based on risk assessment. Physical properties of CO2 CO2 absorbs light in the infrared (IR) region, see Figure 1. This absorption can be utilized to measure volumetric concentration of CO2. Vaisala CARBOCAP® is utilizing this absorption in the silicon-based non- dispersive infrared CO2 sensors. This IR absorption of CO2 is partly responsible for the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a property of any planetary atmosphere, which results in the temperature of the planet surface being higher than without the atmosphere. Any gas absorbing sun light causes greenhouse effect, the Figure 1. IR absorption of some gases. most important greenhouse gases on planet earth being water vapor, CO2 and methane, all absorbing in the IR region. Some physical properties of CO are 2 Table 2. Physical properties of CO2. collected to Table 2. CO2 Physical Properties Ideal gas law Molecular weight 44.01 g/mol 3 Ideal gas law is an equation Gas density (1013 bar, 15°C) 1.87 kg/m 3 describing the state of a hypothetical Solid density 1562 kg/m ideal gas. The ideal gas law relates Specific gravity (air = 1) (1.013 bar, 21 °C) 1.521 3 the state of a certain amount of Volume of 1 kg of dry ice in gas phase 0.518 m gas to its pressure, volume, and Critical temperature and pressure 31 °C, 73.825 bar temperature according to the Triple point temperature and pressure -56.6 °C, 5.185 bar equation: Sublimation point -78.5 °C pV= nRT Table 3. Reading of a 1 000 ppm concentration (SATP) in different where temperature and pressure conditions. p = pressure [Pa] Temperature (°C) 3 V = volume of the gas [m ] -20 -10 0 10 20 25 30 40 50 60 n = amount of gas [mol] 700 814 783 754 728 703 691 680 658 638 618 R = universal gas constant 800 930 895 862 832 803 790 777 752 729 707 (= 8.3145 J/mol K) 900 1046 1007 970 936 904 888 874 846 820 795 T = temperature [K] 1000 1163 1119 1078 1039 1004 987 971 940 911 883 1013 1178 1133 1092 1053 1017 1000 983 952 923 895 Ideal gas is a hypothetical gas having 1100 1279 1230 1185 1143 1104 1086 1068 1034 1002 972 pressure (hPa) pressure zero volume identical particles with 1200 1395 1342 1293 1247 1205 1185 1165 1128 1093 1060 no intermolecular forces. The ideal 1300 1512 1454 1401 1351 1305 1283 1262 1222 1184 1148 gas atoms or molecules are assumed to undergo elastic collisions with the This density formula can be used to container walls. In reality, gases do Table 3 shows how the reading of a calculate how the gas sensor reading not behave exactly like ideal gases, 1 000 ppm (at SATP) concentration changes as a function of t and p. but this approximation is often good changes with t and p according to The data can also be used to correct enough to describe real gases. ideal gas law. the gas sensor reading for t and p Most gas sensors give out a signal variations. proportional to the molecular density (molecules/cm3), even though the reading is expressed Table 4. Unit conversion tables for pressure, temperature, length in ppm units. Changing p and/or T and flow rate. changes the molecular density of the gas according to the ideal gas Pressure law. This is seen in the sensor ppm reading. In exact terms this is an To bar psi torr kPa atm error in the measurement, since the From concentration of the gas (in ppm bar 1 14.5 750 100 0.987 units) doesn’t change with varying psi 0.0690 1 51.7 689 0.0680 temperature and pressure. torr 0.00133 0.0193 1 0.1330 0.00132 The ideal gas law can be used to kPa 0.0100 0.0015 7.5188 1 0.00987 calculate the (molecular) density of a gas at given t and p, when the density Temperature at Standard Ambient Temperature K (Kelvin) °C + 273.15 and Pressure (SATP) conditions is F (Fahrenheit) (°C + 17.78) x 1.8 known.