An experimental evaluation of HVAC-grade carbon-dioxide sensors - Part 2: Performance test results

This is the second paper in a four-part series reporting on the test and evaluation of typical carbon-dioxide sensors used in building HVAC applications. Fifteen models of NDIR HVAC-grade CO₂ sensors were tested and evaluated to determine the accuracy, linearity, repeatability, and hysteresis of each sensor. This paper describes the performance of the sensors and provides a comparison with the manufacturers' specifications. The sensors were tested at 40% relative humidity, 73°F (22.8°C) temperature, 14.70 psia (101.35 kPa) pressure, and at five different CO₂ concentrations (400, 750, 1100, 1450, and 1800 ppm). The test results showed a wide variation in sensor performance among the various manufacturers and in some cases a wide variation among sensors of the same model. In all, 45 sensors were evaluated: three from each of the 15 models. Among the 15 models tested, eight models have a single-lamp, single-wavelength configuration, four models have a dual-lamp, single-wavelength configuration, and three models have a single-lamp, dual-wavelength configuration.