User manual - Vernier Software & Technology
Contents
1. CO Gas Sensor Order Code CO2 BTA The Vernier CO Gas Sensor measures gaseous carbon dioxide levels by monitoring the amount of infrared radiation absorbed by carbon dioxide molecules Very important Do not place the sensor directly into any liquid IT is intended only for measuring gaseous not aqueous CO concentration The sensor has two settings low range 0 10 000 ppm and high range 0 100 000 ppm Students can use the CO Gas Sensor to measure the change in carbon dioxide levels for a variety of systems including e A chamber containing small living things such as crickets worms or germinating seeds e A terrarium of plants undergoing respiration and photosynthesis cycles e A classroom e Anenclosed atmosphere containing sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide as CO scavengers e The chemical reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate e Carbon dioxide gas diffusing through a gas diffusion tube e Fermentation or respiration of sugars e Human respiration under various conditions at rest vs after exercise Inventory of Items Included with the CO Gas Sensor Check to be sure that each of these items is included with your CO Gas Sensor e CO Gas Sensor e 250 mL gas sampling bottle Nalgene bottle with lid e CO Gas Sensor booklet this booklet Collecting Data with the CO Gas Sensor This sensor can be used with the following interfaces to collect data e Vernier LabQuest 2 or ori2. Gas Sensor to take measurements of the atmosphere inside the BioChamber simultaneously Cleaning the Gas Sampling Bottle It is recommended that you wash the gas sampling bottles by hand If you do choose to wash the bottles in a dishwasher or labware washing machine the manufacturer recommends the following e Keep the dishwasher cycle time to a minimum e Use the plastics cycle and set the water temperature at 135 F 57 C or lower e Remove the labware as soon as possible after cooling is complete e Avoid excessive abrasion of plastics by covering metal spindles with soft material such as plastic tubing e Plastic labware should be weighted down and held in place with accessory racks Warranty Vernier warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of five years from the date of shipment to the customer This warranty does not cover damage to the product caused by abuse or improper use Vernier Measure Analyze Learn Vernier Software amp Technology 13979 S W Millikan Way e Beaverton OR 97005 2886 Toll Free 888 837 6437 e 503 277 2299 e FAX 503 277 2440 info vernier com e www vernier com Rev 5 3 2012 Logger Pro Logger Lite Vernier LabQuest 2 Vernier LabQuest Vernier LabQuest Mini Vernier LabPro Go Link Vernier EasyLink and other marks shown are our trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States TI Nspire CBL 2 and CBL TI GRAPH LINK and TI Connect are
3. cting the readings by keeping the sensor in the shade when used outdoors Very important Do not place the sensor tube directly into any liquid The sensor is intended only for measuring gaseous not aqueous CO concentration Only one CO gas Sensor can be connected to an interface at a time If the results of another adjacent location are desired it will require a second interface to operate that sensor Using two CO Gas Sensors connected simultaneously will invalidate both sets of data There is no algorithm or equation to clean up such data the experiment will need to be run again with the proper set up Specifications Measurement range of CO Gas Sensor Low range 0 to 10 000 ppm CO High range 0 to 100 000 ppm CO Typical Accuracy at standard pressure atm Low range 0 to 1 000 ppm 100 ppm 1 000 to 10 000 ppm 10 of reading High range 0 to 1 000 ppm 100 ppm 1 000 to 100 000 ppm 20 of reading Response time 95 of full scale reading in 120 seconds Warm up time 90 seconds Pressure effect 0 19 of reading mm of Hg from standard pressure While the CO Gas Sensor is warming up you will see the readings start near 0 ppm and then slowly increase to the CO level to which the sensor is exposed Output signal range 0 4 0 V Input potential 5 V 40 25 V Gas sampling mode diffusion Normal operating temperature range 25 C 5 C Operating humidity range 5 95 non condensing Storage temperature
4. ginal LabQuest as a standalone device or with a computer e Vernier LabQuest Mini with a computer e Vernier LabPro with a computer or TI graphing calculator e Vernier Go Link e Vernier SensorDAQ e CBL2 e TI Nspire Lab Cradle Here is the general procedure to follow when using the CO Gas Sensor 1 Connect the CO Gas Sensor to the interface 2 Start the data collection software 3 The software will identify the CO Gas Sensor and load a default data collection setup You are now ready to collect data Data Collection Software This sensor can be used with an interface and the following data collection software e Logger Pro 3 This computer program is used with LabQuest 2 LabQuest LabQuest Mini LabPro or Go Link e Logger Pro 2 This computer program is used with ULI or Serial Box Interface e Logger Lite This computer program is used with LabQuest 2 LabQuest LabQuest Mini LabPro or Go Link e LabQuest App This program is used when LabQuest 2 or LabQuest is used as a standalone device DataQuest Software for TI Nspire This calculator application for the TI Nspire can be used with the EasyLink or TI Nspire Lab Cradle EasyData App This calculator application for the TI 83 Plus and TI 84 Plus can be used with CBL 2 and LabPro We recommend version 2 0 or newer which can be downloaded from the Vernier web site ww vernier com easy easydata html and then transferred to the calculato
5. ll lt 100 ppm on Low Range lt 1000 ppm on High Range With good experimental design the variation in CO readings due to a temperature change will be negligible compared to the overall change in CO concentration If an entire experiment is to be conducted at a constant temperature you could improve the accuracy of the readings by calibrating the sensor at that temperature The sensor is designed to operate between 20 C and 30 C It can be used outside of this temperature range however the readings will be gt The carbon dioxide concentration in the Earth s atmosphere has steadily increased to an average level of 380 ppm in 2006 according to the Earth Institute at Columbia University Levels in your area may be slightly higher due to localized influences such as automobile or industrial emissions of carbon dioxide less accurate even if you calibrate the sensor at the lower or higher temperature This does not prohibit taking readings using incubation temperatures or outdoor readings at temperatures warmer or colder than the 20 to 30 C range Allow enough time for your CO Gas Sensor to stabilize at the desired operating temperatures More about Carbon Dioxide Concentration The average increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth s atmosphere has been well documented The graph below shows that the concentration increased from about 320 to over 380 ppm during the past 40 years Locally especially in urban areas i
6. mally Method One This method is the easiest to perform but it is also the least precise Simply place the sensor about 5 cm 2 inches away from the subject to be tested and collect readings while the subject gently blows on the sensor Method Two This method is much more precise than Method One but requires a BioChamber 250 order code BC 250 Blow into a BioChamber 250 to replace all the gas in the BioChamber with exhaled breath Immediately seal the side opening of the BioChamber with a size 6 stopper Place the CO Sensor in the other opening and then start the data collection Method Three This method is the most precise Use a bread bag or a produce bag scissors plastic drinking straw and twist tie Cut a small hole in the end of the bag the size of the CO sensor s tip Feed the sensor through the hole and use a twist tie to hold the bag in place so that no air can escape Use a utility clamp to connect the sensor to a ring stand Blow through the straw into the bread bag to inflate the bag Twist the bottom of the bag to close it off and start the data collection Accessories for the CO Gas Sensor In addition to the 250 mL gas sampling bottle that ships with the CO Gas Sensor the following accessories are available for purchase separately e BioChamber 250 order code BC 250 e BioChamber 2000 order code BC 2000 The BioChambers have two openings with grommets so that you can insert both the CO Gas Sensor and the O
7. r See the Vernier web site www vernier com calc software index html for more information on the App and Program Transfer Guidebook DataMate program Use DataMate with LabPro or CBL 2 and TI 73 TI 83 TI 84 TI 86 TI 89 and Voyage 200 calculators See the LabPro and CBL 2 Guidebooks for instructions on transferring DataMate to the calculator LabVIEW National Instruments LabVIEW software is a graphical programming language sold by National Instruments It is used with SensorDAQ and can be used with a number of other Vernier interfaces See www vernier com labview for more information NOTE Vernier products are designed for educational use Our products are not designed nor recommended for any industrial medical or commercial process such as life support patient diagnosis control of a manufacturing process or industrial testing of any kind Important Additional Information e This model CO Gas Sensor with two ranges introduced in March 2007 will auto ID correctly but will not be properly recognized by experiment files in versions of Logger Pro prior to 3 5 available in May 2007 Contact technical support for assistance if you need to use one of these files prior to the release of 3 5 Logger Pro 3 5 will be a free update for anyone who already owns a previous version of Logger Pro 3 If you are using Logger Pro 2 with either a ULI or SBI the sensor will not auto ID Open an experiment file for the CO Gas Sen
8. r in units of parts per million ppm e The calibration will be based on a sample of outside air having a carbon dioxide concentration of about 380 ppm If you cannot actually perform the calibration outside obtain outside air in the 250 mL collection bottle included with your sensor Either place it in the air outside your building long enough to ensure that its contents are replaced with fresh air or fill it to the brim with water take it outside and dump the water to ensure it is filled with fresh air While still outdoors insert the sensor into the gas sampling bottle containing fresh outside air You can now take the bottle and sensor to the location where the calibration is to be done either outside or back in the classroom e Connect the CO Gas Sensor to the data collection interface Start the data collection program Let the sensor warm up for at least 90 seconds e When the CO Gas Sensor has warmed up readings should have stabilized use a paper clip to press down the calibration button Release the button as soon as the red light starts to blink After about 30 seconds the reading should stabilize at a value of approximately 380 ppm 40 ppm If the reading is significantly lower or higher than 380 ppm simply press the button again to repeat the process Temperature Considerations The CO Gas Sensor is somewhat sensitive to temperature changes In most cases variations in CO readings due to temperature changes are sma
9. range 40 to 65 C Typical resolution 13 bit resolution SensorDAQ 0 to 10 000 ppm CO 1 5 ppm 0 to 100 000 ppm CO 15 ppm 12 bit resolution LabPro LabQuest 2 LabQuest LabQuest Mini Go Link or TI Nspire Lab Cradle 0 to 10 000 ppm CO 3 ppm 0 to 100 000 ppm CO 30 ppm 10 bit resolution CBL 2 0 to 10 000 ppm CO 12 ppm 0 to 100 000 ppm CO 120 ppm Stored calibration linear y bx a Low Range High Range a 0 a 0 b 2 500 b 25 000 How the CO Gas Sensor Works The Vernier CO Gas Sensor measures gaseous carbon dioxide levels in the range of 0 to 10 000 ppm low range setting or 0 to 100 000 ppm high range setting by monitoring the amount of infrared radiation absorbed by carbon dioxide molecules The sensor uses a small incandescent light bulb to generate infrared radiation IR The IR source is located at one end of the sensor s shaft At the other end of the shaft is an infrared sensor that measures how much radiation gets through the sample without being absorbed by the carbon dioxide molecules The detector measures infrared radiation in the narrow band centered at 4260 nm The greater the concentration of the absorbing gas in the sampling tube the less radiation will make it from the source through the sensor tube to the IR detector The temperature increase in the infrared sensor produces a voltage that is amplified and read by a Vernier interface CBL 2 or the TI Nspire Lab Cradle Carbon dioxide gas move
10. s in and out of the sensor tube by diffusion through the twenty vent holes in the sensor tube The CO Gas Sensor measures gaseous carbon dioxide concentration in units of parts per million or ppm In gaseous mixtures part per million refers to 1 part by volume in million volume units of the whole A concentration of 600 ppm for CO would simply mean that there are 600 L of CO gas for every 1 000 000 L of air or 0 6 mL of CO per 1 L of air As a comparison the level of carbon dioxide in the Earth s troposphere has gradually increased from 317 ppm in 1960 to current levels of nearly 380 ppm Exhaled human breath has a carbon dioxide concentration of about 50 000 ppm This sensor is equipped with circuitry that supports auto ID When used with LabQuest 2 LabQuest LabQuest Mini LabPro Go Link SensorDAQ TI Nspire Lab Cradle EasyLink or CBL 2 the data collection software identifies the sensor and uses pre defined parameters to configure an experiment appropriate to the recognized sensor Optional Calibration Procedure You should not have to perform a new calibration when using the CO Gas Sensor We have set the sensor to match our stored calibration before shipping it If you do find that you need to reset your CO Gas Sensor it can be reset using one known CO level Note This calibration method is different from the usual two point calibration performed with other Vernier sensors To reset the CO Gas Senso
11. sor in the Probes amp Sensors folder e Allow the CO Gas Sensor to warm up for about 90 seconds before collecting data e The CO Gas Sensor refreshes its reading every second but the changes in its measurements are so gradual that the recommended sampling rate is 4 seconds per sample or slower Gas must diffuse through the holes in the sensor tube before the sensor detects any changes in concentration Because diffusion of gases is a slow process there can be delays in the readings The sensor cannot take readings at a CO concentration higher than 10 000 ppm on the low setting and 100 000 ppm on the high setting If the sensor is reading at or near these maximum values the CO concentration may be exceeding the maximum value for the setting To collect data in a controlled environment we recommend that you use the 250 mL Nalgene collection bottle that is included with your sensor To collect data in a controlled environment and use with our O Gas Sensor we recommend purchasing either the BioChamber 250 250 mL capacity order code BC 250 or the BioChamber 2000 2 L capacity order code BC 2000 Each BioChamber has a second opening with a grommet so that you can insert two probes at once Because the sensor operates on the basis of reading IR radiation you should avoid using the sensor in direct sunlight as much as possible Even though the IR detector is shielded it is best to avoid the possibility of reflected light affe
12. t is not uncommon for this concentration to be above 380 ppm due to emissions from fossil fuel combustion The calibration value of 380 ppm for ambient outside air used with the CO Gas Sensor is very close to these values The ability of carbon dioxide to act as a greenhouse gas by absorbing increasing amounts of infrared radiation is a growing environmental concern Atmospheric CO2 Levels E 3804 a d D amp 360 D g 8 amp 3405 6 4 a 320 4 O BOO rrr rrr 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Year Increasing global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels Source Earth System Research Laboratory NOAA You can use the CO Gas Sensor within your classroom or other parts of your school building to demonstrate to students the increased levels of carbon dioxide that occur in confined spaces We often find that carbon dioxide levels within offices with several people will reach as high as 1000 to 1200 ppm CO You can use the sensor to show that levels are generally higher in lower regions of a room than in the upper reaches It is also possible to show the effect of turning on air conditioning room ventilation or simply opening a car window Measuring Human Respiration with the CO Sensor This new model of our CO Sensor introduced in April 2007 has two settings The high range setting 0 100 000 ppm can be used for measuring human respiration We recommend three methods of collecting CO readings while a person is breathing nor
13. trademarks of Texas Instruments All other marks not owned by us that appear herein are the property of their respective owners who may or may not be affiliated with connected to or sponsored by us om Printed on recycled paper ee
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