How Do Carbon Monoxide Detectors Function?
How Carbon Monoxide Detectors Detect Carbon Monoxide When carbon monoxide is inhaled by a person, it begins to replace the oxygen stored in that person’s blood hemoglobin. A similar process has been recreated in a controlled environment for use in today’s carbon monoxide detectors. These detectors rely on biomimetic sensors, or sensors that imitate processes that occur in nature. Each carbon monoxide detector houses a small sensor chamber, and inside the sensor chamber there is a small container that holds a gel-like substance. This gel has been engineered to respond to the presence of carbon monoxide by changing colors. The sensor is calibrated to detect small changes in the color of the gel, and when a sudden or sustained increase in carbon monoxide is detected, the sensor triggers the alarm. How Carbon Monoxide Detectors Activate Alarms When the sensor detects a dangerous level of carbon monoxide, it sends an electronic signal through an electrical wire connected to an alarm siren.
