Unidentifiable gas leaks give rise to explosions that are harmful to the employees working in the hazardous environment. There comes a need to install smart systems to accurately identify combustible, flammable and toxic gases along with detecting oxygen depletion in industry premises for improved safety.
In the automotive industries like oil and gas, hotels, and places where flammable gases are used in abundance, a gas detection system is a basic requirement for safety. An IoT powered gas detection solution uses gas sensors to identify the presence of toxic gases such as CO2, CO, NOx in the industrial facilities.
Especially, in the oil and gas industry where many gaseous products like propane, butane, and hydrogen are manufactured at a greater level. Hence, the chances of gas explosions are higher as these gases are easily combustible in the oxygen-rich environment. Apart from these, toxic gases like hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is produced during refining processes that might harm the workers’ health. Thus, it becomes a necessity to keep a real-time check on gas production. If these toxic gases are released untreated, their harmful contaminants result in air pollution and acid rains.
Why an IoT-powered Gas Monitoring Solution?
The Internet of Things is an advanced technology that works on multiple levels creating a smart network of sensor devices, equipment, and assets. These devices help provide valuable data for analysis and allow the industrialists to make better decisions. In a gas monitoring system, the gas detection sensors are installed strategically on different locations for real-time monitoring. These sensors then alert the managers via a centralized platform through live notifications when the gas is detected.
Huge industries, especially oil refineries are severely exposed to harmful explosions and human risks even with a slightest of the gas leak. Moreover, the expenses due to gas leakages are enormous. This ranges from the production loss in food industries to the infrastructure losses by flammable gas leaks including the healthcare costs to treat the patients injured by gas poisoning. In the USA alone, the treatment costs linked to carbon monoxide intoxication is over $1.3 billion and the death losses due to this are over 2000 per year. Hence, advanced level gas sensors or gas monitoring systems help the manufacturers to procure accurate and real-time information regarding accidental gas leaks.
The latest versions of gas sensors are powered with IoT concepts to create live alerts in case of a gas leak or toxic atmosphere. The Internet of Things further helps the industrialists to make better decisions and analyze the situations for enhanced productivity and less infrastructure damage due to gaseous explosions.
A gas monitoring solution not only detects toxic gases but also identifies changes in air quality. It can also be used commercially in in-house buildings to detect the presence of carbon dioxide and other combustible gases. An IoT-enabled gas monitoring system is designed specially to prevent explosions and fire disasters in the facilities and thus save human lives.
Applications and Benefits of Using Gas Sensors
A human nose has around 400 different types of scent receptors that enable us to smell approx. 1 trillion different odors. But still, most of us cannot identify the type of gas present in the atmosphere. Hence, there are different sensors to measure accurate gas concentration in the atmosphere. Gas detection sensors are most commonly used to develop an IoT-powered system and identify the variation of toxic gases around an industrial facility. It helps benefit the factories and refineries by keeping them safe against any unexpected threats like explosions. Let's talk more about the applications and benefits of a gas monitoring solution:
Applications:
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Harmful Gas Detection
The sensing of toxic gases such as H2S, Methane, and CO is of great importance in any industry to avoid unwanted leakage and consequences like poisoning or explosions. The presence of these gases can be easily detected in the industrial facilities and commercial buildings with the help of IoT-powered gas monitoring solution. Moreover, a gas detector or sensor device is a crucial part to carry out safe industrial operations. The sensor-enabled solution helps prevent the high risk of gas explosions and affecting any casualties within and outside the premises.
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Fire Hazard Prevention
The gas sensors help detect the concentration of the gases present in the atmosphere to avoid hazardous consequences like fire breakouts. Also, it is an imperative solution to keep the plant workers and equipment safe from fire hazards. It effectively detects the presence of hazardous gases like propane and methane and alerts the plant authorities, preventing the premises from unexpected ignition. Moreover, a gas monitoring solution uses gas analyzers to generate alerts regarding the temperature increase. This allows the management to take immediate actions to curb harmful fire explosions.
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Oxygen Level Measurement
Sensing the presence of gases is a necessity to conduct industrial operations as several pitmen had lost their lives due to lack of oxygen in the process of mining explorations. A sudden decrease in the oxygen levels can result in dizziness, brain damage, or even death among the workers working in mines or close-packed industrial premises. A gas monitoring system significantly benefits the industries by maintaining proper oxygen levels that reflect the optimal performance of your workers. This system also creates alerts in real-time about the decreasing oxygen levels, which gives enough time to take necessary measures to evacuate the facilities much before the health gets affected.
Benefits
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Get real-time alerts about the gaseous presence in the atmosphere
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Prevent fire hazards and explosions
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Supervise gas concentration levels
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Ensure worker’s health
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Real-time updates about leakages
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Cost-effective installation
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Data analytics for improved decisions
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Measure oxygen level accuracy
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Get immediate gas leak alerts
IoT networks are well-known for their low energy consumption and low power transmission, which allows the assets to operate for a longer duration and generate precise data information. An IoT-powered gas monitoring solution works through sensors that provide accurate data regarding the presence of toxic gases in the atmosphere. It is a very useful system to implement in the industries or plant facilities to avoid catastrophic explosions. With the help of a gas monitoring solution, you can successfully measure temperature and humidity in the atmosphere, which results in improved plant facilities and ensures employee health safety.