The most efficient way to measure high CO2 concentrations

Sensirion, the expert in environmental sensing, is proud to announce that the new STC31 CO2 sensor for measuring high CO2 concentrations is now available globally through Sensirion’s distribution network.

In certain applications high concentrations of CO2 need to be measured. One example is in food transportation. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has found that one third of all food is wasted. For fruits and vegetables, it is even more tremendous as 45% of all fresh products go to waste. All this totals in a yearly loss of $85 billion in the United States alone. In addition to the loss of the food, all resources (land, water, energy) required to produce this food are lost as well. The related greenhouse emissions are so immense, that it would be the world's 3rd largest emitter if it were its own country. On top of all that, these food losses have a major impact on the food security and hunger in the world’s poorest countries. To achieve a reduction of food waste it is crucial to consider the entire supply chain from farm to fork. Many fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, are transported and stored in a controlled atmosphere (CA) to preserve freshness. CA parameters are carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as humidity and temperature (RH/T). The exact conditions depend a lot on the exact commodity, with typically a low temperature, high humidity and CO2 concentration somewhere between 1% and 20%. Proper monitoring and controlling of the transportation conditions allows to prevent losses by proactive action and improve the quality of the supply chain. This is where Sensirion’s new STC31 CO2 sensor comes in.

The STC31 is a chip-sized gas concentration sensor for high range, accurate CO2 measurements designed for high-volume applications. The sensor is based on a revolutionized thermal conductivity measurement principle, which results in superior repeatability and long-term stability. This makes the STC31 the perfect choice for applications such as cold chain logistics where reliability is key. By relying on the thermal conductivity technology, the sensor offers an ultra-low power consumption, even compared to low-power optical sensors. This makes it the ideal choice for battery-operated applications, delivering top performance at an absolute minimal power budget.

The sensor features a digital I2C interface, which makes it easy to connect directly to a microprocessor. The accuracy is 0.5 vol%. and ±3% of measured value and the response time is faster than 1 second. The outstanding performance of these sensors is based on Sensirion’s patented CMOSens® Technology, which combines the sensor element, signal processing and digital calibration on a small CMOS chip. The well-proven CMOSens® Technology is perfectly suited for high-quality mass production and is the ideal choice for demanding and cost-sensitive OEM applications.

“Due to its ultra-low power consumption, ease of integration and unmatched price-performance-ratio the STC31 will enable many new applications when it comes to measure high CO2 concentrations”, says Johannes Goedejohann, Product Manager at Sensirion.

Learn more about the new STC31 sensor at: www.sensirion.com/stc31.