Development of Liquified Petroleum Gas Leak Detection System for Gas Stations

Abstract

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) plays a crucial role in the global energy supply due to its affordability, and relatively lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to other fossil fuels for cooking. However, gas leakages, particularly methane, presents significant safety, environmental, and economic risks. Gas stations, which serve as essential components in LPG distribution network, are prone to leaks caused by mechanical failures, corrosion, improper installation, and equipment malfunctions. In this research an LPG leak detection system has been developed and tested for leak and no-leak conditions. The system comprises a sensing unit, a control unit and a communication unit. The Atmega328P-PU which is the microcontroller processes the information from the MQ-5 methane sensor if there is a leak or not. This information is processed by the microcontroller and then is communicated to the personnel through the SIM800l module via a phone call in the event of a leak. The detection system has been configured with a gas concentration threshold of 270 ppm above which an alarm is triggered and communication established with an operator. Tests carried out on the system, under laboratory conditions, show that after 8 test trials each for leak and no-leak conditions, the system worked perfectively with 100% true positive and true negative respectively at a threshold of 270 ppm.