Automotive Carbon Monoxide Detector

The automotive carbon monoxide detector to prevent harmful gases including carbon monoxide from seeping into the passenger cabin. However, if there are leaks in the system or an engine is running and a vehicle is parked for prolonged periods of time carbon monoxide may be able to enter the cabin and cause poisoning. This is a significant problem as many people die each year from doing just this. A new type of sensor could be used in cars to help detect carbon monoxide leaking from the system and warn the driver and passengers of the danger.

Sniffing Out Danger: Carbon Monoxide Sniffers and Their Uses

This sensor is called a CO detector and it works like this. The device has a pair of electrodes submerged in an electrically conductive solution known as an electrolyte. When carbon monoxide passes through the electrodes it lowers the resistance of the electrolyte to electricity and causes an increase in current. This change in current tells the sensor that there is carbon monoxide present. The sensor can then activate an alarm or emit a light that will let the vehicle occupants know of a CO hazard.

The sensor can also communicate with other systems in the vehicle to take action to prevent the carbon monoxide from building up inside the vehicle. For example, a computing module in the detector can instruct a vehicle control unit to open one or more windows of the vehicle to vent the interior of the vehicle.