CO Car Park Ventilation System: Smart Carbon Monoxide Detection & Automatic Fan Control
Carbon Monoxide (CO) detection and automatic ventilation are essential for maintaining a safer environment in enclosed and basement parking areas. Vehicle exhaust can cause CO levels to increase, particularly in enclosed car parks where natural ventilation is limited. A properly designed CO-based ventilation system can continuously monitor CO concentration and automatically operate exhaust fans according to programmed set points.
Complete Solution from Detection to Automation
At ALVI Automation India Pvt. Ltd. – GasAlarm, we provide integrated solutions combining MSR Electronic, Germany CO Gas Detection technology with PLC/HMI-based control and electrical starter panels for automated car park ventilation systems.
How Does a CO Car Park Ventilation System Work?
The system works as a continuous monitoring and automatic control loop:
MSR CO Detector → ALVI PLC/HMI Panel → Starter/VFD Panel → Exhaust Fans → Ventilation
1. CO Detection
MSR-GasAlarm CO sensor transmitters are installed at appropriate locations throughout the basement parking area on coloum heeight 1.5m-1.8m.
The detectors continuously monitor the CO concentration and transmit the measured signal to the control panel through the configured communication/output interface.
Depending on the system design, multiple detectors can be connected to a central monitoring and control system.
2. PLC & HMI Control Panel
The ALVI PLC Control Panel with HMI receives the detector signals and displays the status of individual sensors.
The HMI can provide information such as:
- AI – Sensor-wise CO concentration
- Alarm status
- First/second alarm indication
- Fan operating status
- Auto/Manual operation
- Basement or zone identification
- System fault/status indication
This gives facility and maintenance teams a centralized view of the parking ventilation system.
3. Automatic Fan Control
When the measured CO concentration reaches the programmed ventilation/alarm set point, the PLC generates the required control signal.
The signal is sent to the DOL starter or VFD starter panel, which operates the ventilation fans according to the system design.
With VFD-based systems, fan speed can be controlled according to the ventilation requirement, where applicable.
4. Exhaust & Fresh-Air Ventilation
The ventilation fans extract contaminated air from the basement and discharge it through the exhaust duct system, while fresh air is introduced through the designed fresh-air arrangement.
The objective is to maintain appropriate ventilation conditions while avoiding unnecessary continuous fan operation where automatic control is designed and permitted.
A typical installation can be configured as:
CO Sensor Transmitters
↓
4–20 mA / RS485 Communication
↓
ALVI PLC + HMI Control Panel
↓
Control Signal
↓
DOL / VFD Starter Panel
↓
Exhaust & Fresh-Air Fans
↓
Basement Ventilation
The system can also be designed for BMS integration, allowing relevant alarms, sensor values and equipment status to be monitored through the building management system.
Applications
Our CO detection and ventilation control solutions can be considered for:
- Basement car parks
- Shopping malls
- Hotels
- Hospitals
- Commercial buildings
- Residential towers
- Airports
- Office buildings
- Multiplexes
- Multi-level parking facilities
- Other enclosed vehicle parking areas
