Infineon, MCI Provide CO2 Sensors to 11 Schools
Infineon and the MCI are providing the CO2 sensor kits free of charge to eleven technical teaching institutions in Carinthia and Tyrol to use state-of-the-art technology to draw attention to the need for timely ventilation in the classroom.
Five Higher Technical Schools (Höhere Technische Lehranstalten, HTLs) in Carinthia and six in Tyrol has received high-precision CO2 sensors from Infineon Technologies Austria AG and MCI in Innsbruck.
The teams of students will use them to build CO2 alarm lights to indicate the necessity for ventilation thus reducing the risk of infection.
“With our initiative, we want to support the young talents in their technology education and enable a healthy learning atmosphere in the classroom,” said Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Austria. “The students, as well as the teachers, are actively involved, they can combine the knowledge of several subjects – from electronics, computer science to physics – and link this to health-related topics. This encourages participation, strengthens team spirit and creates digital solutions with a benefit for the entire school.”
“We have created an easy-to-use system solution in our innovation lab, the ‘Emerging Applications Lab’, which is run jointly with Infineon, and it is already in use in twelve lecture halls in Innsbruck,” said MCI Rector Andreas Altmann. “Another 50 lecture hall systems are in preparation. With the display of the CO2 value, we have an objective benchmark for the energy-efficient supply of fresh air, can ventilate according to demand and avoid unnecessary energy losses, especially during the winter season. We are happy to pass on this developer and user know-how to the schools.”
A total of 300 classrooms will be equipped.
Infineon and the MCI are providing the CO2 sensor kits free of charge to eleven technical teaching institutions in Carinthia and Tyrol to use state-of-the-art technology to draw attention to the need for timely ventilation in the classroom.
At the heart of the CO2 sensor is an Infineon module based on XENSIV PAS technology. It measures the CO2 content precisely, reliably and continuously. In addition, other parameters such as temperature, humidity and air pressure are measured.
As soon as a threshold value is exceeded, an alarm can be triggered via a CO2 alarm light.
According to the Austrian Ministry of the Environment, the CO2 concentration in classrooms should not exceed an average of 1,000 ppm (parts per million, i.e. 0.1 percent by volume).
Since the concentration of aerosols through which the virus is transmitted correlates with the concentration of CO2, the CO2 sensor can help ensure that people can meet in safe indoor conditions – whether in the office, at school, or home.
