Performance Analysis for Commercially Available CO₂ Sensors

This paper describes the results for the first phase of a research program intended to investigate a popular ventilation control strategy known as demand-controlled ventilation (DCV). Before investigating various control strategies for DCV, an appropriate pollutant sensing device was necessary. Preliminarily, several commercial-grade CO₂ sensors from various manufacturers were qualitatively evaluated. The manufacturer with the “best” sensor was then identified. Twenty-nine CO₂ sensors from this manufacturer were calibrated using recommended calibration protocol. Sensor performance was evaluated for steady-state and transient conditions in a well-mixed environmental chamber. The results suggested the sensors had larger than expected variance and needed both steady-state and transient normalization before further studies could be conducted. This paper describes the experimental procedures, comparison of sensor performance, normalization procedure, and implications for DCV control.