A PROJECT REPORT

On

Gas Leakage Detection Sytsem

Submitted for the award of the Degree of

B.TECH
in

PETROLEUM ENGINEERING
by

RISHABH AGNIHOTRI(Reg no. 150507104)

NAMAN GOYAL(Reg No. 1401071051)

VINAY BANYAL(Reg No. 1505071003)

MAHARISHI VYAS(Reg no )
Under the Guidance of

Mr. DEEPAK VANJARI

ASST. PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

DIT UNIVERSITY
DEHRADUN , INDIA

APRIL 2018

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I feel much honored in presenting this dissertation report in such an authenticable form
of sheer endurance and continual efforts of inspiring excellence from various coordinating
factor of cooperation and sincere efforts drawn from all sources of knowledge. I express my
sincere gratitude to Mr. DEEPAK VANJARI who is the Assistant Professor in PETROLEUM
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, of DIT UNIVERSITY.

I wish to express my profound gratitude to Dr. Nitesh Kumar, Head of Petroleum

Department, DIT UNIVERSITY , for his support and providing all the facilities, which would
have made it possible for me to complete the dissertation report. The cooperation he gave is
greatly appreciated.
I extend my thanks to all classmates who have given their full cooperation and valuable
suggestion for my dissertation report work.(All text size 12, times new roman)

Place: DEHRADUN RISHABH AGNIHOTRI

NAMAN GOYAL

VINAY BANYAL

MAHARISHI VYAS

CONTENTS

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S.No TITLE PAGE No.

ABSTRACT 3

1. INTRODUCTION 4-8

1.1. OUTLINE OF THE PROJECT

1.2. LITERATURE REVIEW

1.3. PROBLEM DEFINITION

2. FIELD OF APPLICATIONS OF GAS DETECION 9

3. LEAKAGE DETECTON 11-13

3.1. TYPES

3.2. HYDROCARBON AND VOCS

3.3. CONSIDERATION FOR DETECTION

4. PROPOSED SYSTEM 14

5. CONCLUSION 20

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 ABSTRACT

A gas detector is a device that detects the presence of gases in an area, often as part of
a safety system. This type of equipment is used to detect a gas leak or other emissions and
can interface with a control system so a process can be automatically shut down. A gas
detector can sound an alarm to operators in the area where the leak is occurring, giving them
the opportunity to leave. This type of device is important because there are many gases that
can be harmful to organic life, such as humans or animals.
Gas detectors can be used to detect combustible, flammable and toxic gases,
and oxygen depletion. This type of device is used widely in industry and can be found in
locations, such as on oil rigs, to monitor manufacture processes and emerging technologies
such as photovoltaic. They may be used in firefighting.
Gas leak detection is the process of identifying potentially hazardous gas leaks by sensors.
These sensors usually employ an audible alarm to alert people when a dangerous gas has been
detected. Exposure to toxic gases can also occur in operations such as painting, fumigation,
fuel filling, construction, excavation of contaminated soils, landfill operations, entering
confined spaces, etc. Common sensors include combustible gas sensors, photoionization
detectors, infrared point sensors, ultrasonic sensors, electrochemical gas sensors,
and semiconductor sensors. More recently, infrared imaging sensors have come into use. All
of these sensors are used for a wide range of applications and can be found in industrial
plants, refineries, pharmaceutical manufacturing, fumigation facilities, paper pulp mills,
aircraft and shipbuilding facilities, hazmat operations, waste-water treatment facilities,
vehicles, indoor air quality testing and homes

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 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 OUTLINE OF THE PROJECT

“Gas leak Detection&monitoring system using arduino” is a project based on a

wireless communication to enhance man and machine safety in a petrochemical industry. In
today’s world petrochemical industry although being the largest process control industry it is
also highly prone to major fire and gas disasters. A petrochemical industry has excessively
high amount of crude oil stored within a confined area. Therefore presence of any external
source which can cause heat or fire would lead to a major disaster. Even the gas that are
present in petroleum refineries are hazardous.

The Bhopal gas tragedy, which claimed lives of nearly 3,787 people is one of the
major accidents due to gas leakage. And another instance, the Vishakhapatnam, HPCL
refinery tragedy claimed lives of 30 people. Though a gas and fire detection system was
present which is connected to the sensors using large number of wires that run from the
control room to various plant areas, during the fire the wire itself got damaged, so the
information did not reach the control room.

So in order to avoid any hazard due fire and gas leakage in a petrochemical industry
we have designed an integrated system which will monitor timely gas leakage in any area
around the plant using Arduino which is a wireless communication device. We have also
proposed a new system which monitors human density within the plant area. Therefore
Integrated plant safety monitor system based on arduino can realize workers attendance
registration, Real-time precise positioning, Dynamic gas concentration monitoring, Real-time
data transmission & Danger alarm. This project is focused on implementing the newly
designed integrated system in CPCL, Manali, Chennai.

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 Pipeline systems deteriorate progressively over time. Corrosion accelerates
progressively and long term deterioration increases the probability of failure (fatigue
cracking). Limiting regular inspecting activities to the "scrap" part of the pipelines only,
results ultimately into a pipeline system with questionable integrity. The confidence level in
integrity will drop below acceptance levels. Inspection of presently uninspected sections of
the pipeline system becomes a must. This project provides information on the "Gas leak
detection".

Pipelines are proven to be the safest way to transport and distribute Gases and
Liquids. Regular inspection is required to maintain that reputation. The larger part of the
pipelines system is accessible by In-Line Inspection Tools but this access is limited to the
section in between the launching and receiving traps only. Unfortunately, corrosion does not
have this limitation. The industry looks for means of inspecting these in-accessible pressure
holding piping systems, preferably, without interrupting the operations. It is a fact that
sufficiently reliable and accurate inspection results can only be obtained by direct pipe wall
contact/access. If that is not feasible from the outside, we have to go inside. Since modifying
pipeline systems for In-Line Inspection is mainly not practical,

A gas leak refers to a leak of natural gas or other gaseous product from
a pipeline or other containment into any area where the gas should not be present. Because a
small leak may gradually build up an explosive concentration of gas, leaks are very
dangerous.In addition to causing fire and explosion hazards, leaks can kill vegetation,
including large trees, and may release powerful greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.Robotics
is one of the fastest growing engineering fields of today. Robots are designed to remove the
human factor from labor intensive or dangerous work and also to act in inaccessible
environment. The use of robots is more common today than ever before and it is no longer
exclusively used by the heavy production industries. The inspection of pipes may be relevant
for improving security and efficiency in industrial plants. These specific operations as
inspection, maintenance, cleaning etc. are expensive, thus the application of the robots
appears to be one of the most attractive solutions. Pipelines which are tools for transporting
oils, gases and other fluids such as chemicals, have been employed as major utilities in a
number of countries for long time. Recently, many troubles occur in pipelines, and most of
them are caused by aging, corrosion, cracks, and mechanical damages from the third parties.
So, continuous activities for inspection, maintenance and repair are strongly demanded.

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1.2 LITERATURE REVIEW:

G.A.Arun Kumar, K.Rajasekhar, B.V.V.Satyanarayana, K.Suryanarayana

Murthy, 2012, “Implementation of Real time Detection of Gas leakage in

Industries using ARM7 &ZigBee”,September, pp 1-4.

In this Paper hardware for gas leakage detection and accurate location identification system
for the production safety in any risky Industries is proposed. The detection and location are
implemented based on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). However, formerly the system was
developed using Virtual Instrumentation. Based on ZIGBEE and ARM7, the system is easy to
be deployed and overcomes the shortcomings on current systems. Using number of nodes at
different places of risky areas, this system can detect the leakage of gas and immediately
sends the details of that location to the observer. It is used to improve the rescue quality and
shorten the time for rescue. Therefore it can compensate for the weaknesses of existing
systems.

Anusha, Dr. Shaik Meeravali, 2012 “Detection Of Gas Leak And Its Location
Using Wireless Sensors”, November, pp 1-8

The aim is to develop a gas leak detection and location system for the production safety in
Petrochemical Industry. The system is based on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN); it can
collect the data of monitoring sites wirelessly and sent to the computer to update values in
the location software. Consequently, it can give a real-time detective of the potential risk
area, collect the data of a leak accident and locate the leakage point. However the former
systems can not react in time, even cannot obtain data from an accident and locate
accurately. The paper has three parts, first, gives the overall system design, and then
provides the approaches on both hardware and software to achieve it.

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1.3 PROBLEM DEFINITION:

Increase in the complexity of process industry leads to increase in the number of

instruments to detect fire and leak. This increases the number of cables that run from
industrial sensors to the control station which leads to messy wiring. This also increases
the size of the duct. Troubleshooting the reduced insulation or any wire open is difficult
because it is a messy wiring and identifying the individual ca very difficult along the
duct. This also increases the project cost in terms of cable cost.

The fire and gas system is generally required to be independent of the control system. This is
consistent with the fire and gas system normally having a higher integrity requirement than
the control system. Some fire and gas systems have been integrated with emergency shut-
down systems. This remains a contentious point.

As already mentioned, no single company can supply all the ‘best in show’ products for
all the items described in this paper. There are therefore normally interfaces between different
suppliers. Minimizing interfaces, document sets and inspections can be achieved by procuring
all products from one source at the cost of reducing choice of initiating devices and possibly
increasing the initial purchase cost.

4-20mA interfaced devices are common, enabling standard or modified process control
interfaces to be used. Field interfaces for smoke detectors, heat detectors and manual call-
points are generally two wires with modifying components in the control system or
marshalling cabinets to allow a 4-20mA interface to be used. Any failure in the loop causes
the system to fail. Presently, the location of the personals working in the site is uncertain. In
case of a dangerous event, the Control station officers have to personally check the positions
of the workers in the particular sites. This calls for more effort and time.

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Chapter 2: FIELD OF APPLICATIONS OF GAS DETECION

2.1 Nuclear power plants:-

Nuclear power plants must place safety concerns on the highest level of priority
before other interests such as their business interests. Regular inspections of pipe systems need to be
carried out and robots from INSPECTOR SYSTEMS are widely used.

2.2 Conventional power plants:-

By taking advantage of the NDT inspection methods that our robots offer, defects and
faults can be avoided increasing the 'up and running' operational time of all kinds of pipe systems.
Worldwide, many power plants already use our robots to do just this.

2.3 Refineries:-

The mineral oil industry can benefit from improved supply, transportation, processing
and distribution of mineral oil as well as improved environmental protection. Our robots are helping
to do just this.

2.3 Chemical and petrochemical plant:-

It is of course vital to continually reduce the risks brought about by the manufacture,
transport and storage of chemicals. This means that the possible dangers need to be examined and the
necessary testing and inspections carried out in order to avoid or at least lessen and contain them.
The use of our robots has become obligatory in many well known companies.

2.4 Offshore:-

The technical demands of offshore rigs as well as safety and environmental

requirements are very high and strongly controlled. This means that there is an enormous amount of
required Non Destructive Testing inspections. Our robots are used worldwide in offshore
applications.

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2.5 Long distance city heating pipelines:-

Leakages in long distance heat conduits, caused through external corrosion, cause
energy and water losses resulting in damage to, among others, subterranean constructions.
Minimizing energy loss during the transport of heat from source to end user is one of the most
important requirements in order to exclude danger to people and the environment. Our robots help in
this important duty.

2.6 Food and drinks industries:-

The hygiene standard in the food and drinks industries is very high. The condition of
the individual pipe networks is therefore decidedly important. Inspection robots from INSPECTOR
SYSTEMS help to maintain and ensure this high level of hygiene.

2.7 Communal waste water pipe systems:-

Subterranean sewer systems have been responsible for the collection and transport of
waste water since planning and construction began in 1842. With the Republic of Germany most of
these sewage systems are owned by the cities and community districts. Regular inspection of the
roughly 445 km of public sewage systems is therefore a complex and cost intensive process.

2.8 Gas pipelines:-

Within Germany the total length of the natural gas pipeline network is something like 335 km. At the
moment it is run by 18 national companies and around 730 local ones. Robots from INSPECTOR
SYSTEMS are deployed for inspection and maintenance these flexible robots are well suited for
carrying out inspections on pipe systems, especially those that have a lot of bends, vertical sections
and pipe branches.These robots are mainly used in the nuclear power industry, refineries, chemical
plants, petrochemical plants, the offshore industry, gas pipelines, the beverage industry and all types
of pipe lines up to 500m long. Three drive elements provide a speed of up to 200 m/h in both
horizontal and vertical directions and allow for effortless bend taking.

EXISTING SYSTEM

2.1 DEFINITION

The existing system only detects the fire and gas leakage in certain important areas only. In
existing system, the fire and gas leaks are measured and the communication is through wires to the
control station. In case of faults like discontinuity in cables, damage to cable due to environmental
conditions may lead to loosing of vital information related to plant safety.

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 Increase in the complexity of process industry leads to increase in the number of instruments
to detect fire and leak. This increases the number of cables that run from industrial sensors to the
control station which leads to messy wiring. This also increases the size of the duct. Troubleshooting
the reduced insulation or any wire open is difficult because it is a messy wiring and identifying the
individual cable is very difficult along the duct. This also increases the project cost in terms of cable
cost.

2.2 FIELD VISIT

An F&G safety system continuously monitors for abnormal situations such as a fire, or
combustible or toxic gas release within the plant; and provides early warning and mitigation actions
to prevent escalation of the incident and protect the process or environment. By implementing an
integrated fire and gas strategy based on the latest automation technology, plants can meet their plant
safety and critical infrastructure protection requirements while ensuring operational and business
readiness at project start-up. Throughout the process industries, plant operators are faced with risks.
For example, a chemical facility normally has potential hazards ranging from raw material and
intermediate toxicity and reactivity, to energy release from chemical reactions, high temperatures,
high pressures, etc.

According to international standards, safety implementation is organized under a series of

protection layers, which include, at the base levels, plant design, process control systems, work
procedures, alarm systems and mechanical protection systems. The safety shutdown system is a
prevention safety layer, which takes automatic and independent action to prevent a hazardous
incident from occurring, and to protect personnel and plant equipment against potentially serious
harm. Conversely, the fire and gas system is a mitigation safety layer tasked with taking action to
reduce the consequences of a hazardous event after it has occurred. The F&G system is used for
automating emergency actions with a high-integrity safety and control solution to mitigate further
escalation. It is also important for recovering from abnormal situations quickly to resume full
production.

An industrial safety system is a countermeasure crucial in any hazardous plants such as oil
and gas plants and nuclear plants. They are used to protect human, plant, and environment in case the
process goes beyond the control margins. As the name suggests, these systems are not intended for
controlling the process itself but rather protection. Process control is performed by means of process
control systems (PCS) and is interlocked by the safety systems so that immediate actions are taken
should the process control systems fail.

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2.3 ICSS

Process control and safety systems are usually merged under one system, called Integrated
Control and Safety System (ICSS). Industrial safety systems typically use dedicated systems that are
SIL 2 certified at minimum; whereas control systems can start with SIL 1. SIL applies to both
hardware and software requirements such as cards, processors redundancy and voting functions. Fire
and gas detection systems are designed to mitigate unexpected events. Designers need to know what
is available in order to choose the correct systems for their plants.

The main objectives of the fire and gas system are to protect personnel, environment, and plant
(including equipment and structures). The FGS shall achieve these objectives by:

Detecting at an early stage, the presence of flammable gas,

Detecting at an early stage, the liquid spill (LPG and LNG),

Detecting incipient fire and the presence of fire,

Providing automatic and/or facilities for manual activation of the fire protection system as
required,

Initiating environmental changes to keep liquids below their flash point.

Initiating signals, both audible and visible as required, to warn of the detected hazards,

Initiating automatic shutdown of equipment and ventilation if 2 out of 2 or 2 out of 3

detectors are triggered, and the exhausting system.

2.4 LIMITATIONS OF EXISTING SYSTEM

The fire and gas system is generally required to be independent of the control system. This is
consistent with the fire and gas system normally having a higher integrity requirement than the
control system. Some fire and gas systems have been integrated with emergency shut-down systems.
This remains a contentious point.

As already mentioned, no single company can supply all the ‘best in show’ products for all the
items described in this paper. There are therefore normally interfaces between different suppliers.
Minimizing interfaces, document sets and inspections can be achieved by procuring all products

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from one source at the cost of reducing choice of initiating devices and possibly increasing the initial
purchase cost.

4-20mA interfaced devices are common, enabling standard or modified process control
interfaces to be used. Field interfaces for smoke detectors, heat detectors and manual call-points are
generally two wires with modifying components in the control system or marshalling cabinets to
allow a 4-20ma interface to be used. Any failure in the loop causes the system to fail. Presently, the
location of the personals working in the site is uncertain. In case of a dangerous event, the Control
station officers have to personally check the positions of the workers in the particular sites. This calls
for more effort and time.

2.5 FEASIBLE SOLUTION

To overcome these difficulties we implemented a portable device. This device can be fixed in
their helmet or jacket. To measure various parameters this device consists of sensors. They are Gas
sensor, Temperature sensor, Heart beat sensor, Pressure sensor.

These sensors in the portables device sense various parameters (gas, temperature, pressure)
continuously. And if the value exceeds the reference value, immediately it activates the relay driver
and produces an alarming sound. So it will be useful for the person to know about hazardous
situation.

Heart beat sensor, senses the workers heart beat continuously. If the person loses his/her
consciousness then this information is sensed by the sensor and it will be passed to the control room.

All the communications are done by wireless zigbee protocols, so that the informations will
be transmitted without any obstructions. The main advantage of zigbee is that it is a multimode
communication, so that the data’s are transmitted node by node.
..
A GPS is used in our project to track the location of the person during hazardous
conditions, so that he can be rescued immediately.

Finally, all the parameters are monitored using labVIEW software. It contains a
comprehensive set of tools for acquiring, analyzing, displaying, and storing data, as well as
tools to help you troubleshoot code you write.

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Chapter 3: LEAKAGE DETECTON

3,1 Types
Gas detectors can be classified according to the operation mechanism (semiconductors, oxidation,
catalytic, photoionization, infrared, etc.). Gas detectors come packaged into two main form factors:
portable devices and fixed gas detectors.
Portable detectors are used to monitor the atmosphere around personnel and are either hand-held or
worn on clothing or on a belt/harness. These gas detectors are usually battery operated. They
transmit warnings via audible and visible signals, such as alarms and flashing lights, when dangerous
levels of gas vapors are detected.
Fixed type gas detectors may be used for detection of one or more gas types. Fixed type detectors are
generally mounted near the process area of a plant or control room, or an area to be protected, such
as a residential bedroom. Generally, industrial sensors are installed on fixed type mild steel structures
and a cable connects the detectors to a SCADA system for continuous monitoring. A tripping
interlock can be activated for an emergency situation.
3.1.1 Electrochemical
Electrochemical gas detectors work by allowing gases to diffuse through a porous membrane to an
electrode where it is either chemically oxidized or reduced. The amount of current produced is
determined by how much of the gas is oxidized at the electrode indicating the concentration of the
gas. Manufactures can customize electrochemical gas detectors by changing the porous barrier to
allow for the detection of a certain gas concentration range. Also, since the diffusion barrier is a
physical/mechanical barrier, the detector tended to be more stable and reliable over the sensor's
duration and thus required less maintenance than other early detector technologies.
However, the sensors are subject to corrosive elements or chemical contamination and may last only
1–2 years before a replacement is required. Electrochemical gas detectors are used in a wide variety
of environments such as refineries, gas turbines, chemical plants, underground gas storage facilities,
and more.
3.1.2 Catalytic bead (pellistor)
Catalytic bead sensors are commonly used to measure combustible gases that present an explosion
hazard when concentrations are between the lower explosion limit (LEL) and upper explosion limit
(UEL). Active and reference beads containing platinum wire coils are situated on opposite arms of a
Wheatstone bridge circuit and electrically heated, up to a few hundred degrees C. The active bead
contains a catalyst that allows combustible compounds to oxidize, thereby heating the bead even
further and changing its electrical resistance. The resulting voltage difference between the active and
passive beads is proportional to the concentration of all combustible gases and vapors present. The
sampled gas enters the sensor through a sintered metal frit, which provides a barrier to prevent an
explosion when the instrument is carried into an atmosphere containing combustible gases. Pellistors
measure essentially all combustible gases, but they are more sensitive to smaller molecules that
diffuse through the sinter more quickly. The measureable concentration ranges are typically from a
few hundred ppm to a few volume percent. Such sensors are inexpensive and robust, but require a
minimum of a few percent oxygen in the atmosphere to be tested and they can be poisoned or
inhibited by compounds such as silicones, mineral acids, chlorinated organic compounds, and sulfur
compounds.
3.1.3 Photoionization
Photoionization detectors (PIDs) use a high-photon-energy UV lamp to ionize chemicals in the
sampled gas. If the compound has an ionization energy below that of the lamp photons, an electron
will be ejected, and the resulting current is proportional to the concentration of the compound.
Common lamp photon energies include 10.0 eV, 10.6 eV and 11.7 eV; the standard 10.6 eV lamp

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lasts for years, while the 11.7 eV lamp typically last only a few months and is used only when no
other option is available. A broad range of compounds can be detected at levels ranging from a few
ppb to several thousand ppm. Detectable compound classes in order of decreasing sensitivity include:
aromatics and alkyl iodides; olefins, sulfur compounds, amines, ketones, ethers, alkyl bromides and
silicate esters; organic esters, alcohols, aldehydes and alkanes; H2S, NH3, PH3 and organic acids.
There is no response to standard components of air or to mineral acids. Major advantages of PIDs are
their excellent sensitivity and simplicity of use; the main limitation is that measurements are not
compound-specific. Recently PIDs with pre-filter tubes have been introduced that enhance the
specificity for such compounds as benzene or butadiene. Fixed, hand-held and miniature clothing-
clipped PIDs are widely used for industrial hygiene, hazmat, and environmental monitoring.
3.1.4 Infrared point
Infrared (IR) point sensors use radiation passing through a known volume of gas; energy from the
sensor beam is absorbed at certain wavelengths, depending on the properties of the specific gas. For
example, carbon monoxide absorbs wavelengths of about 4.2-4.5 μm.The energy in this wavelength
is compared to a wavelength outside of the absorption range; the difference in energy between these
two wavelengths is proportional to the concentration of gas present
This type of sensor is advantageous because it does not have to be placed into the gas to detect it and
can be used for remote sensing. Infrared point sensors can be used to detect hydrocarbons and other
infrared active gases such as water vapor and carbon dioxide. IR sensors are commonly found in
waste-water treatment facilities, refineries, gas turbines, chemical plants, and other facilities where
flammable gases are present and the possibility of an explosion exists. The remote sensing capability
allows large volumes of space to be monitored.
Engine emissions are another area where IR sensors are being researched. The sensor would detect
high levels of carbon monoxide or other abnormal gases in vehicle exhaust and even be integrated
with vehicle electronic systems to notify drivers.
3.1.5 Infrared imaging
Infrared image sensors include active and passive systems. For active sensing, IR imaging sensors
typically scan a laser across the field of view of a scene and look for backscattered light at the
absorption line wavelength of a specific target gas. Passive IR imaging sensors measure spectral
changes at each pixel in an image and look for specific spectral signatures that indicate the presence
of target gases The types of compounds that can be imaged are the same as those that can be detected
with infrared point detectors, but the images may be helpful in identifying the source of a gas.
3.1.6 Semiconductor
Semiconductor sensors detect gases by a chemical reaction that takes place when the gas comes in
direct contact with the sensor. Tin dioxide is the most common material used in semiconductor
sensors, and the electrical resistance in the sensor is decreased when it comes in contact with the
monitored gas. The resistance of the tin dioxide is typically around 50 kΩ in air but can drop to
around 3.5 kΩ in the presence of 1% methane.This change in resistance is used to calculate the gas
concentration. Semiconductor sensors are commonly used to detect hydrogen, oxygen, alcohol
vapor, and harmful gases such as carbon monoxide. One of the most common uses for
semiconductor sensors is in carbon monoxide sensors. They are also used in breathalyzers.Because
the sensor must come in contact with the gas to detect it, semiconductor sensors work over a smaller
distance than infrared point or ultrasonic detectors.
3.1.7 Ultrasonic
Ultrasonic gas leak detectors are not gas detectors per se. They detect the acoustic emission created
when a pressured gas expands in a low pressure area through a small orifice (the leak). They use
acoustic sensors to detect changes in the background noise of its environment. Since most high-
pressure gas leaks generate sound in the ultrasonic range of 25 kHz to 10 MHz, the sensors are able
to easily distinguish these frequencies from background acoustic noise which occurs in the audible
range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz The ultrasonic gas leak detector then produces an alarm when there is an

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ultrasonic deviation from the normal condition of background noise. Ultrasonic gas leak detectors
cannot measure gas concentration, but the device is able to determine the leak rate of an escaping gas
because the ultrasonic sound level depends on the gas pressure and size of the leak.
Ultrasonic gas detectors are mainly used for remote sensing in outdoor environments where weather
conditions can easily dissipate escaping gas before allowing it to reach leak detectors that require
contact with the gas to detect it and sound an alarm. These detectors are commonly found on
offshore and onshore oil/gas platforms, gas compressor and metering stations, gas turbine power
plants, and other facilities that house a lot of outdoor pipeline.
3.1.8 Holographic
Holographic gas sensors use light reflection to detect changes in a polymer film matrix containing a
hologram. Since holograms reflect light at certain wavelengths, a change in their composition can
generate a colorful reflection indicating the presence of a gas molecule However, holographic
sensors require illumination sources such as white light or lasers, and an observer or CCD detector.

3.2 Hydrocarbons and VOCs

Detection of hydrocarbons can be based on the mixing properties of gaseous hydrocarbons – or
other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – and the sensing material incorporated in the sensor. The
selectivity and sensitivity depends on the molecular structure of the VOC and the concentration;
however, it is difficult to design a selective sensor for a single VOC. Many VOC sensors detect using
a fuel-cell method.
VOCs in the environment or certain atmospheres can be detected based on different principles and
interactions between the organic compounds and the sensor components. There are electronic devices
that can detect ppm concentrations despite not being particularly selective. Others can predict with
reasonable accuracy the molecular structure of the volatile organic compounds in the environment or
enclosed atmospheres and could be used as accurate monitors of the chemical fingerprint and further
as health monitoring devices.
Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) techniques are used to collect VOCs at low concentrations for
analysis.
Direct injection mass spectrometry techniques are frequently utilized for the rapid detection and
accurate quantification of VOCs. PTR-MS is among the methods that have been used most
extensively for the on-line analysis of biogenic and antropogenic VOCs. Recent PTR-MS
instruments based on time-of-flight mass spectrometry have been reported to reach detection
limits of 20 pptv after 100 ms and 750 ppqv after 1 min measurement (signal integration) time.
The mass resolution of these devices is between 7000 and 10,500 m/Δm, thus it is possible to
separate most common isobaric VOCs and quantify them independently.
3.3 Considerations for detection of hydrocarbon gases/risk control

 Methane is lighter than air (possibility of accumulation under roofs)

 Ethane is slightly heavier than air (possibility of pooling at ground levels/pits)
 Propane is heavier than air (possibility of pooling at ground levels/pits)
 Butane is heavier than air (possibility of pooling at ground levels/pits)

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 CHAPTER 4
PROPOSED SYSTEM

Grove - Gas Sensor(MQ2)

The Grove - Gas Sensor(MQ2) module is useful for gas leakage detection (home and industry). It is
suitable for detecting H2, LPG, CH4, CO, Alcohol, Smoke or Propane. Due to its high sensitivity

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and fast response time, measurement can be taken as soon as possible. The sensitivity of the sensor
can be adjusted by potentiometer.

Features

 Wide detecting scope

 Stable and long lifetime
 Fast response and High sensitivity

We have used a LPG gas sensor module to detect LPG Gas. When LPG gas leakage occurs, it
gives a HIGH pulse on its DO pin and arduino continuously reads its DO pin. When Arduino gets
a HIGH pulse from LPG Gas module it shows “LPG Gas Leakage Alert” message on 16x2 LCD
and activates buzzer which beeps again and again until the gas detector module doesn't sense the
gas in environment. When LPG gas detector module gives LOW pulse to arduino, then LCD
shows “No LPG Gas Leakage” message.

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Components Used

1. Arduino UNO R3
2. LPG Gas sensor Module
3. Buzzer
4. BC 547 Transistor
5. 16x2 LCD
6. 1K resistor
7. Bread board
8. 9 volt battery
9. Connecting wires

LPG Gas Sensor Module

This module contains a MQ3 sensor which actually detects LPG gas, a comparator (LM393) for
comparing MQ3 output voltage with reference voltage. It gives a HIGH output when LPG gas is
sensed. A potentiometer is also used for controlling sensitivity of gas sensing. This module is very
easy to interface with microcontrollers and arduino and easily available in market by name “LPG
Gas Sensor Module”. We can also build it by using LM358 or LM393 and MQ3.

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 Circuit Diagram and Description

As shown in the schematic diagram above, it contains Arduino board, LPG GAS Sensor Module,
buzzer and 16x2 LCD module. Arduino controls the whole process of this system like reading
LPG Gas sensor module output, sending message to LCD and activating buzzer. We can set
sensitivity of this sensor module by inbuilt potentiometer placed on it.

LPG gas sensor module's DO pin is directly connected to pin 18 (A4) of Arduino and Vcc and
GND are connected to Vcc and GND of arduino. LPG gas sensor module consist a MQ3 sensor
which detects LPG gas. This MQ3 sensor has a heater inside which needs some heater supply to
heat up and it may takes up to 15 minute to get ready for detecting LPG gas. And a comparator
circuit is used for converting Analog output of MQ3 in digital. A 16x2 LCD is connected with
arduino in 4-bit mode. Control pin RS, RW and En are directly connected to arduino pin 2, GND
and 3. And data pin D0-D7 are connected to 4, 5, 6, 7 of arduino. A buzzer is connected with
arduino pin number 13 through a NPN BC547 transistor having a 1 k resistor at its base.

Program Description

In programming we have used digital read function to read output of LPG gas sensor module and
then performed operation according to input.

For testing this project we have used a cigarette lighter which contains LPG gas.

Code:

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#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
LiquidCrystal lcd(3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7);
#define lpg_sensor 18
#define buzzer 13
void setup()
{
pinMode(lpg_sensor, INPUT);
pinMode(buzzer, OUTPUT);
lcd.begin(16, 2);
lcd.print("LPG Gas Detector");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print("Circuit Digest");
delay(2000);
}
void loop()
{
if(digitalRead(lpg_sensor))
{
digitalWrite(buzzer, HIGH);
lcd.clear();
lcd.print("LPG Gas Leakage");
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.print(" Alert ");
delay(400);
digitalWrite(buzzer, LOW);
delay(500);
}

else
{
digitalWrite(buzzer, LOW);
lcd.clear();
lcd.print(" No LPG Gas ");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print(" Leakage ");
delay(1000);
}
}

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Advantages of Gas Detection

4.1 Advantages

 The pipe inspection robot inspects situation inside the pipe which will be recorded and
displayed on the monitor screen, it also facilitates working personnel for effective
observation, detection, quick analysis and diagnosis.
 Save comprehensive investment, improve work efficiency, more accurate detection.
 Reduce the frequency of entering into the testing environment.
 Operating cost related to other method is low.
 Cost of manufacturing of this robot is relatively low.

4.2 Limitation of pipe inspection robot

 Pipe inspection robots have such limitations as their ability to turn in a T-shaped pipe or
move in a plug valve.
 Another drawback of earlier robots is that the friction between the pipe and the cables for
communication and power supply makes it difficult to move a long distance. A fiber optic
communication system can reduce the friction.
 This robot does not work in water.
 This robot works only in empty pipe.

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 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION & RESULT

5.1 SUMMARY

“Gas leak Deection” is a project based on to enhance man and machine safety in a petrochemical
industry. As petroleum industries are the largest process control industry it is also highly prone to
major fire and gas disasters. A petrochemical industry has excessively high amount of crude oil
stored within a confined area. Therefore presence of any external source which can cause heat or fire
would lead to a major disaster. Even the gas that are present in petroleum refineries are hazardous.
And another instance, the Vishakhapatnam, HPCL refinery tragedy claimed lives of 30 people.
Though a gas and fire detection system was present which is connected to the sensors using large
number of wires that run from the control room to various plant areas. But during the fire the wire
itself got damaged, so the information did not reach the control room. Therefore our system is
developed with the aim of overcoming the restrictions and disadvantages of the existing system. The
system we have designed is an integrated system which will monitor timely gas leakage in any area
around the plant using Arduino which is a wireless communication device. We have also proposed a
new system which monitors human density within the plant area. Therefore Integrated plant safety
monitor system based on Arduino can realize workers attendance registration, Real-time precise
positioning, Dynamic gas concentration monitoring, Real-time data transmission & Danger alarm.
This project is focused on implementing the newly designed integrated system in CPCL, Manali.

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5.2 CONCLUSION

“gas monitoring system using Arduino” is developed to enhance man and machine safety in a
petroleum refinery. The main objective of the project was early detection of gas leakage around the
plant area. With the detection of a gas leak the sensor present in the plant area as well as with the
plant area workers alerts the control room personnel. Therefore with this system even the human
density in the plant area was determined. We have also analyzed various wireless technologies and
various hardware and software approaches that can be implemented. After implementing this system
in CPCL, Manali it was found out to be more efficient than the previously existing system. And with
the introduction of Arduino the whole project cost was also reduced and human safety level was also
increased.

5.3 FUTURE SCOPE

In addition to the developed system, the system can be enhanced by adding a control element
which controls the gas leakage if it exceeds the specified upper explosive level for the various gases
in the plant area. This can be achieved by any gas leakage indication in any part of the plant alerts the
control room and then the control valve is shut off. Therefore preventing any hazard arising due to
gas leakage.

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REFRENCES:

Books

 Theory of Machine -Prof. R. S. Khurmi & Prof. J. K. Gupta.

 Automation production systems, and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing -
Prof. M. P. Groover

Links:

 http://www.ulcrobotics.com/products
 http://www.piacr.tk/Introduction to Pipe Inspection and Cleaning Robot
 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094114X06002254

 Jeffrey Wong,Haruo Noma,Kiyoshi Kogure, Ebrahim A. Soujeri,Harikrishnan

A. I, Rahim Rajan,Sumi M, “Design of a zigbee-based RFID network for
industry applications”, proceedings of the 2nd international conference on
Security of information and networks, 2009, pp. 111-116.

 Fabio Graziosi, Fortunato Santucci,Marco Di Renzo, Stefano Tennina,

“Locating zigbee nodes using the tis cc2431 location engine: a testbed latform
and new solutions for positioning estimation of wsns in dynamic indoor
environments”

 Fire and Gas System Engineering –Performance Based Methods for Process
Facilities , ISA manual, 2011
 MSA Gas detection hand book, 2008

 Protection Analysis Eric William Scharpf, The Instrumentation, Systems, and

Automation Society (May 1, 2002)Year of Publication: 2012

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