News
surPrIsInGly HIGH lEVEls OF CO2 lOGGEd wHEn trAVEllInG In an innovative use of gas sensors, Gas Sensing
Solutions (GSS) took a CO2 datalogger on a business trip from Scotland to Asia to see how
the levels of CO2 changed on different modes of transport throughout the journey. Surprised by how high levels were on occasions, GSS will be doing further investigations in other locations
to see how CO2 levels vary in the real world. The datalogger used measures CO2 concentration, air pressure and temperature
along with relative humidity every few minutes. It is a custom solution designed and built by GSS and uses one of its low power, ambient air, CozIR-A 5000 sensors. This low power consumption enabled the datalogger to record over a two-week period without needing a change of battery. The other sensors are an NXP MPL3115A2 pressure sensor and a Sensirion SHT21 temperature and humidity sensor. The graph shows how
the CO2 level in blue and the air pressure
level in green fluctuated throughout the journey.
It clearly shows increased levels of CO2 when there are a number of people in
a confined space with limited ventilation
to remove CO2 build up. The World Health Organisation guideline is that
CO2 levels should be below 1,000ppm, and ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning Engineers) says that CO2 at high concentrations of 5,000ppm can pose a health risk. The drop in air pressure on the graph shows the part of the journey that was in a plane. The train
journeys show particularly high levels of CO2, where CO2 levels built up to over 2,000ppm. Similar results are shown from the meeting room.
However, perhaps surprisingly the highest CO2 peaks were during the taxi journeys with two
passengers and a driver. This consistently produced levels in excess of the 5,000ppm health risk indicator mark - and, at one point of the journey, even peaked at 10,000ppm. This really shows the
high levels of CO2 that people can be exposed to while driving through a busy city. “Generally, people are still not aware of the
problems of high CO2 concentrations,” said Dr
dIstrIButOr sCOOPs ACCOlAdE At ElECtrOnICs
Industry AwArds
RS Components (RS) has been recognised in the Electronics Industry Awards 2018, winning in the Academic Support category. RS also received a ‘Highly Commended’ award in the Distributor of the Year category. The inaugural Electronics
Industry Awards, held at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham on Tuesday 25 September, featured an innovative scheme format whereby the winners are picked by the industry, rather than a judging panel. The Academic Support Award recognises a company that is
working with young people in education to encourage them into an engineering career. This can include going into schools and having apprenticeship schemes. Commenting on the win, Laura Giddings, education events manager for
RS, said: “We are of course thrilled to have won the Academic Support Award, which recognises dedication to promote the electronics sector to new and future engineers, inspiring them about a career in the industry. Nominated and judged by our peers and customers within the UK electronic industry, the achievement of this amazing accolade highlights our continuous commitment and efforts in STEM engagement and outreach.”
www.uk.rs-online.com 6
David Moodie, technical manager at GSS. “That drowsy sensation you often experience in a stuffy meeting room is caused by elevated levels
of CO2. The higher the level and the longer the exposure, the more apparent the effect is on the body. Travelling can often be tiring, leaving you feeling worn out. This real-world data shows how often you can be exposed to high levels of
CO2 without realising it - even in taxis and trains - and this could be a significant factor in how you feel. So, my advice is to open windows
whenever possible to let the CO2 out. Naturally that does not apply on planes!”
www.gassensing.co.uk
MEAsurEMEnt COMPAny OPEns uK suBsIdIAry
ESPI has created a new subsidiary – ESPI DPC UK – and opened a new office in the UK to bring its advanced technology to British precision manufacturers. Vincent Borgraeve has been appointed to lead the new division as director of ESPI DPC UK alongside his role as Northern European sales manager for the Group. ESPI’s Scanflash technology is able to make fast and accurate geometric
measurements and subsequent adjustments to machine tools on the shop floor. In less that ten seconds it can calculate the corrections required to the machine tools to achieve target-centred output. The machines push the boundaries of ‘traditional’ control devices and techniques to meet the ever more complex needs of machine tool operators in terms of repeatability, flexibility, responsiveness and ultimately productivity. Borgraeve says that in opening a dedicated UK business, ESPI can
capitalise on the interest already shown by British and Irish firms: “UK manufacturers are quick to embrace innovation and new technologies that improve productivity and, ultimately, their bottom line, “With the uncertainty of Brexit, production efficiency and
manufacturing competitiveness is high on the agenda, and measurement devices that can be used ‘on the line’, with minimal disruption or changeover times, will help give manufacturers the advantage they need. “The opening of a new office reflects our Group’s long-term
strategy of investing in key markets.”
www.espi.fr
October 2018 Instrumentation Monthly
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