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What is an NDIR sensor?

April 16, 2023

A nondispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor is often used as a gas sensor to detect and measure gases in the atmosphere and their concentrations. NDIR sensors work on the principle of molecules absorbing infrared light and specific wavelengths, and air samples are collected in a tube and analyzed under a light source.

NDIR sensors are highly accurate and sensitive devices used in a wide range of applications where monitoring gases and their concentration is crucial. This includes industrial safety, environmental monitoring, and medical applications. In this blog post, we provide an overview of NDIR sensors and discuss their benefits and applications.

NDIR Sensors Working Principle

Some of the most common gases measured with NDIR sensors include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and sulphur dioxide. These gases can be lethal or explosive in high concentrations, so monitoring them is critical in many applications and environments. Gas sensors, such as NDIRs, require a sample chamber, an infrared detector, and an infrared light source.

The sample chamber is placed between the light source and the detector and contains the gas sample that needs to be analyzed. The light source emits an infrared light through the sample chamber and the detector reads how much light passes through. Gas molecules react with infrared radiation and the ratio of radiation energy to incident energy is depends on the gas concentration. The gas sensors measure the gas concentration by monitoring the decrease in transmitted infrared light.

Applications of NDIR Sensors

NDIR sensors can be used in almost every industry for a wide range of monitoring applications. They can be used in breathalyzers to measure blood alcohol levels, identify refrigerent leaks and monitor toxic gases in dangerous environments. In this section, we look at the environmental and industrial and medical applications of NDIR sensors.1

Environmental Monitoring

Monitoring gases is required in many environmental situations, such as monitoring emissions from industrial processes, measuring indoor air quality, and gas concentrations in ambient air. They are ideal because of their high sensitivity and accuracy, but can be impacted by humidity and temperatures, which may require corrective action.

Industrial Applications

In industrial settings, NDIR sensors play a crucial role in keeping personnel and environments safe from toxic or explosive gase as they are highly sensitive to target gases. For environments such as manufacturing plants, they are a cost-effective and reliable solution to ensure worker safety.

Medical Applications

Hospitals also use infrared sensors to monitor gas concentration levels in anesthsia machines to ensure patients are safe during operations.

Advantages of NDIR Sensors

There are a number of advantages to using NDIR sensors in gas monitoring applications. They are low maintenance solutions that offer long-life performance. Other advantages include the following:

  • Cost-efficient
  • High accuracy and sensitivity
  • High selectivity to target gases
  • Monitor a range of gases

Although NDIR sensors require a higher upfront cost, their advantages contribute to a lower life-time cost as they offer accurate and reliable gas monitoring over a long period of time. As technology advances, NDIR sensors will be developed further for more advanced monitoring applications.

Dexter Research Center

Dexter Research Center offers a wide selection of infrared gas and temperature detectors that provide a reliable, stable performance for longer. Our products have been used in environmental and industrial monitoring applications, hospital anesthetic monitoring and NASA space missions, and we continue to develop high-quality, reliable devices for clients around the world.

To learn more about NDIR sensors and their applications, contact a member of Dexter today!

References

azosensors.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=675

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