Abstract

This research study is to design a solution for methane gas leaks from the NGV tank. Methane gas detection projects main idea is to implement security system for detecting leakage of gas in closed environment. In this project gas leakage is identified by using sensors which works only in closed environment. In present situation there are many cases related to gas leakage which cause innocent people lives and property damage. Implementing this application can be useful in vehicles that use Natural Gas which can save lives of people. The aim of this project is to monitor for Methane gas in Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) leakage to avoid fire accidents providing vehicle safety feature where security has been an important issue. The system detects the leakage of the NGV using gas sensor and alerts the consumer about the gas leakage by sending alarm notification. The proposed system uses the Android Smartphone feature of receiving data from Bluetooth module to alert the person about the gas leakage. When the system detects the Natural Gas concentration in the air exceeds the certain level then it immediately alert the consumer by sending notification to specified paired Android Smartphone and alert the people in the vehicle by activating the alarm which includes the LED, Buzzer simultaneously and display the message on LCD.

Natural Gas

The CNG/LNG (Compressed Natural Gas / Liquefied Natural Gas) it is a versatile source of energy that can be utilised in industries, commercial, power generation, residential and transportation. The high degree of awareness on protection the environmental and comparative low cost may lead to a greater use of natural gas. Today, NGV (Natural Gas Vehicles) demand as an energy source in Malaysia is high due to the huge reserve which enable long-term supply and a perfect substitute petroleum or diesel as a source of energy. It is a clean burning fuel that can reduce emission and considered as an alternative fuel for industrial and motor vehicles.

Natural Gas - naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon gas found in porous geologic formations. The primary component is methane.

Safety Concerns

There have been some safety concerns with the use of NGV including taxi driver. The weak link in the chain is the actual installation and high pressure line that runs next to the gas tank and underneath the car. This line can subject to damage and subsequent leaking.

            As it is known that detecting the present of methane gas is important as the gas is an explosive type of gas and also acts as an asphyxiant. The hazardous characteristic of this gas can cause harm to driver’s safety. For these reasons, it is important to demonstrate the use of Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth allows the development of wireless alarm and notification to ensure the methane gas level in vehicle is safe and within the grasp of the user's hand. Therefore, this project attempts to use the Bluetooth technology to obtain notification of gas detection. 

Week 1 of FYP 1

Date: 12/09/2013 (Thursday)

Title: FYP Briefing

- Briefing conducted in TTL 2

- The briefing is about to give some explanation for the students who are taking the final project for Diploma and Degree programmes. The briefing is about:

·         Introduction

·         Objectives

·         Credits and duration

·         Scope of projects

·         Title selection

·         Project Assessment

·         Presentation day

·         Submission date of project

Date: 14 – 15/09/2013 (Friday to Sunday)

Title: Surveying Topics

- As mentioned in the briefing, students may choose to either select the title proposed by the FYP supervisors or propose a project of their own interest.

- Applying for a title projects are available at http://fyp.bmi.unikl.edu.my/fyp/index.php. I have gone through the list and the synopsis to understand the requirements for the project title.

Week 2 of FYP 1

Date: 17/09/2013 (Tuesday)

Title: Selecting a supervisor

- Meets with the lecturer who had taught me the technical subject previously named Dr.Ahmad Sabry Mohamad.

-  After some discussion with him, he agreed to take me as one of his Final Year Project students.

- I also discussed with the supervisor on how to get the idea for my project title. Dr.Sabry has suggested a few project titles to be considered for my FYP.

- I have decided to make some research regarding the suggested projects.

Date: 21 – 22/09/2013 (Friday to Sunday)

Title: Surveying Topics

- From the meeting I have obtained several project titles that were suggested by my advisor.

- As students may choose to either select the title proposed by the FYP supervisors or propose a project of their own interest, I have made a further research on the suggested titles and other project titles.

Week 3 of FYP 1

Date: 23/09/2013 (Monday)

Title: Project titles confirmation

-After making some research on the internet, I have decided to choose my own title and completed a synopsis of what I plan to do. Therefore, before I proceed with the title I get an appointment with supervisor and explain the project to make sure the title meets the requirement for degree students.

- During discussion, I have brought along some literature review and show the innovativeness of my project ideas.

-My proposed title and synopsis are:-

Title: A Development of Smart Methane Gas Device for Vehicles

Importance of Natural Gas

The CNG/LNG (Compressed Natural Gas / Liquefied Natural Gas) it is a versatile source of energy that can be utilised in industries, commercial, power generation, residential and transportation. The high degree of awareness on protection the environmental and comparative low cost may lead to a greater use of natural gas. Today, NGV (Natural Gas Vehicles) demand as an energy source in Malaysia is high due to the huge reserve which enables long-term supply and a perfect substitute petroleum or diesel as a source of energy. It is a clean burning fuel that can reduce emission and considered as an alternative fuel for industrial and motor vehicles.

Natural Gas - naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon gas found in porous geologic formations. The primary component is methane.

Project Synopsis

The increasing used of NGV gives concern about the gas leaks to the surrounding. As it is known that detecting the present of methane gas is important as the gas is an explosive type of gas and also acts as an asphyxiant. The hazardous characteristic of this gas can cause harm to your safety. This project will be done by hardware (methane detection device) and software application (such as gsm, android, iphone, ect). 

Week 4 of FYP 1

Date: 30/09/2013 (Monday)

Title: Registering project title

- After Dr.Sabry willing to take my title and the topic suggested by my own meets the requirement, he sends my title using online FYP under his name to be registered. I should be able to check the application status online once the supervisor approved my application. The final title approved by my advisor is; A Development of Smart Methane Gas Device Detector for Vehicles

-  Once the project has been assigned to me, Dr.Sabry will set up the requirements of the project and I will have to meet the requirements. The supervisor will guide me in the project; recommend approaches, techniques and methods appropriate to achieve the project’s objectives.

Date: 04/10/2013 (Friday)

Title: Research and findings

- Doing a research about gas detection system and seeks information on how it works.

- I have gathered some useful information from the internets that use the same technology and idea with my project. The information provided can be a guideline for me to begin the progress.