Sensors for Sensing Environmental Conditions in a Gold Mine - Case Study Example

Sensors for Sensing Environmental Conditions in a Gold Mine Name Institution Date Data on MicroSD chip Data collected from the goldmines is usually stored electronically in a microSD Chip. This is a digital method of storing the information that has been collected by the sensors. The data stored mainly includes temperature, humidity and toxicity. The digital cameras and most equipment used during the process of data collection can only read the information in the MicroSD chips (Nasution, et al, 2014). The microSD chips are widely used for information storage during exploration process. However, its use may not be effective based on the risk of data loss. The loss of data is a major problem when using the MicroSD cards. Measures should therefore, be put in place to prevent the loss of data. In case the data is lost, it can be recovered through the use of micro card recovery software. The data recovery tool is thus required when using the microSD cards in the gold mines. LM 35 temperature sensors Interfacing LM 35 temperature sensor is widely used in the gold mine for the purposes of determining the temperatures. LM 35 temperature sensor is a precision integrated circuit temperature sensor. The information collected from the sensor is usually stored automatically on a microSD chip which has been fitted on the device. The data stored can be accessed at any time in the microSD chip (Liu, et al, 2011). Optimal touch screen interface is also available which enables the sensor to interact with the microSD card. The sensor configuration requires logging to the microSD card in order to obtain the data stored. The data can also be logged automatically to the microSD card which enables the storage of data. Its output voltage is linearly proportional to the Celsius temperature. When using this sensor at the gold mine, calibration or trimming is not required due to accuracy reasons. LM 35 has a low output impedance, precise inherent calibration and linear output. This makes the interfacing process simple through readout and circuitry control. It has a low self-heating of less than 0.1 degrees Celsius in still air. At the gold mines, it can be operated efficiently at a temperature range between -55 to +150 degrees Celsius (Liu, et al, 2011). This makes it suitable for remote application including at the gold mines. It can operate from 4 to 30 volts and hence its suitability at the gold mine. The principal thermal path for carrying heat to the device is copper. Circuit diagram of LM 35 temperatures sensor Advantages of LM 35 temperature sensor The advantages of LM 35 make it suitable and effective for use at the gold mine. During the process of reading the results, the user is not required to subtract a large constant voltage from the output which is the case for the linear temperature sensors that is calibrated in Kelvin. This makes it easier for the users to obtain convenient centigrade scaling. Unlike the other sensors, external calibration or trimming for the purposes of accuracy is not required. This has positive impacts in terms of maintain high levels of accuracy. It can also be used effectively at the gold mine without frequent trimming and calibration. The power consumption is low as it can be used with single power supplies or with plus and minus power supplies. A perfect temperature sensor has to be precisely accurate. This is the case for LM 35 temperature sensor. The output of the sensor is conditioned and it responds instantly to any temperature changes (Mahmud, Alam & Ghosh, 2013). The basic physical properties of the sensor play an essential role in terms of enhancing its stability. It therefore has the potential of providing accurate results over a long period of time. This makes it suitable for use at the gold mine where stability is required. The ease of use is also a major advantage of LM 35 temperature sensor. LM 35 can therefore be effective in the provision of information about temperature that is required at the gold mine. MQ9 Toxicity sensor Interfacing MQ9 toxicity sensor is a semiconductor gas sensor that main detects the presence of carbon monoxide. It detects the presence of carbon monoxide at a concentration of 10 to 1,000ppm. It also has the potential of detecting the presence of combustible gas from 100 to 10,000 ppm. In order to record the data collected, the sensor is fitted with a microSD chip arduino. All the data collected is stored in the MicroSD chip and it can be accessed on real-time basis. The data logging capability of the sensor is through the use of the microSD chip. Logging is also required in order to access the data stored in the microSD chip (Yan & Rahayu, 2014). At the gold mines such toxic gases are present and they have the potential of causing environmental pollution. This is considering that excavation is carried out at the gold mines. The detection of the gases is also important in preventing poisoning or explosions at the gold mine. The sensor has the potential of operating at temperatures of between -10 to 50 degrees Celsius. During the operation, it can only consume 150Ma at 5V (Yan & Rahayu, 2014). In order for the sensor to function correctly, five volts across the heating pin has to be connected. The sensor has a simple analogue voltage interface which requires one analogue input pin from the microcontroller. The sensitivity of the sensor is set by a resistive load between the output pins and ground. Circuit diagram of MQ9 toxicity sensor Advantages The sensor can easily be incorporated into an alarm circuit which enables it to sound an alarm in case the amount of toxicity exceeds the minimum amount. This therefore plays an essential role in terms of providing an early warning to the people working at the gold mine. The ability to sound an alarm in advance ensures that the environment is protected by limiting the amount of pollutants. MQ9 toxicity sensor has an excellent sensitivity and quick response time (Mohamad, Hameed & Tapus, 2015). This ensures that the toxicity is detected on immediately. High sensitivity and quick response time is an indication of effectiveness and efficiency of the sensor. The conductivity of the sensor is also high and it therefore enables it to improve on its effectiveness in terms of detecting the toxic gases at the gold mines. It is highly sensitive to LPG and the natural gas. The natural gas is common at the gold mines and it is also toxic and may affect the people working at the mines. MQ9 sensor has a long life and high levels of accuracy. It can therefore be used at the gold mines for a long period of time with maximum efficiency. As compared to the analog sensors, it ability to retain the data is high. Conversions are not required since it is digital and hence making it effective. It is also easy to use and hence making it suitable for use at the gold mines. A lot of skills are not required when using the MQ9 toxicity sensor. It is reliable and its power consumption is only 150Ma at 5 V. SHT1 Humidity sensor Interfacing SHT1X is smart sensor that is mainly used for measuring humidity although it can also measure temperature. The communication is mainly based on the use of a two wire serial. The sensor interacts with arduino microSD chip which has been fitted on the device. This ensures that all the data is stored automatically. Depending on the memory size of the MicroSD chip, it can be replaced from time to time (Bazydło, Dąbrowski & Szewczyk, 2015). At the gold mine, it is preferable used for the purposes of measuring humidity as other sensors are used for measuring temperature. It has both the analogue as well as the digital interface. The microcontroller is used for reading the humidity values through a two wire digital series interface. As a result of the digital reading, it only requires minimal calculations. A simple scale and offset is the only mathematics that is required when using the SHT1X. The sensor is factory calibrated and it returns a relative humidity resolution of 0.03 percent (Bazydło, Dąbrowski & Szewczyk, 2015). This makes it more accurate as compared to the other sensors. The use of digital interface is one of the important features in the sensor that enhances the process of user interface. The operating range of temperature for the sensor is between -40 to +123 degrees Celsius. Circuit diagram of SHT1x sensor Advantages SHT1X addresses most of the challenges that is usually faced during the process of measuring humidity. This is due to the special features that is has including the digital interface. It power consumption levels is quite low and it typically 30µw. The low power consumption enables it to operate over a long period of time. The dimension of the sensor is 11 x 12.5 mm and it is relatively light. It therefore makes it effective and easy to use. Most of the readings are digital and hence its ease of use. The sensor has the potential of measuring humidity with a resolution of 0.03% (Nizhnik, Higuchi & Maenaka, 2011). It is therefore an indication of its accuracy. The high levels of accuracy make it more reliable in terms of measuring humidity as compared to the other sensors. The operating temperature range of the sensor is also useful in terms of ensuring that it is able to operate effectively in the gold mines. The sensor has a fully calibrated digital output which promotes its reliability and effectiveness when taking the readings. The digital calibrations eliminate the confusions and errors that are associated with the conversions when it comes to some of the humidity sensors. The level of errors when using the sensor is quite low and it contributes to its accuracy. The SHT1X humidity sensor is considered as a low cost sensor. However despite being low cost, it is quite effective and reliable. The scientific and electronic consideration in terms of measuring humidity is addressed when using the sensor and hence the high levels of accuracy. The concept of analog to digital interface is usually considered when using the sensor which improves on its reliability (Bazydło, Dąbrowski & Szewczyk, 2015). The problem of temperature compensation adjustment which is required for calculating dew point is eliminated through the use of the digital calibrations. The ability to provide real time response is also an advantage of the sensor. MICROSD Chip with arduino The MicroSD card is mainly used for the purposes of storing the data collected. When using the arduino board, communication between the micro controller and the SD chip utilizes an SPI. This requires digital pins 11, 12 and 13 (Nasution, et al, 2014). This is aimed at ensuring that the SD card is able to interact with the hardware. The data stored in the SD chip requires analysis which has to be carried out through the use of hardware. Different arduino pins require different pins for the purposes of ensuring that it functions effectively. The users therefore need to understand the functionality of the chip and the arduino board. It may be difficult to operate with the SD cards that have been used with other devices such as the camera. This is common with the SD chips that are used in the gold mines where the cameras are used to obtain images and other forms of data. Formatting is required in order to create a file or system that the arduino can read and write. However, it is important to ensure that the process is not carried out frequently as it reduces the lifespan of the SD card. In order to protect the SD card, an Arduino Ethernet shield is usually used. When using the shields, the pin is still required in order to ensure that it functions effectively. Some level of expertise is required when using the MicroSD chips with arduino. Circuit diagram of MICROSD Chip with arduino Most of the MicroSD cards have good SPI read performance. However, the main variation is in terms of SPI write performance. This is influenced by the ability of the card to manage the internal erase or remapping operations. Arduino cannot optimize writes to reduce or minimize the erase operations as it has limited RAM. The internal RAM is therefore an important aspect that has to be considered when dealing with the MicroSD cards. The size of the MicroSD cards is also an important factor that should be considered when handling the data collected from the gold mine. The microSD chip with arduino also has real time clock chip which is used for the purposes of monitoring data collection process. The arduino compatible boards usually utilize the shield for the purposes of providing motor controls, GPS, LCD, Ethernet and prototyping (Fatehnia, et al, 2016). A single shield or multiple shields can be used with the microSD chips. Different specifications have to be met when using the microSD cards. All the information with regards to the specifications is usually provided by the manufacturer. The shield features a serial communication interface which includes USB on some models which can be used for loading programs from the personal computers. References Liu, C. et al. (2011). The application of soil temperature measurement by LM35 temperature sensors. In Electronic and Mechanical Engineering and Information Technology (EMEIT), 2011 International Conference on (Vol. 4, pp. 1825-1828). IEEE. Mahmud, K., Alam, M. S., & Ghosh, R. (2013). Design of digital thermometer based on PIC16F77A single chip microcontroller. In Consumer Electronics, Communications and Networks (CECNet), 2013 3rd International Conference on (pp. 246-249). IEEE. Yan, H. H., & Rahayu, Y. (2014). Design and Development of Gas Leakage Monitoring System using Arduino and ZigBee. Proceeding of the Electrical Engineering Computer Science and Informatics, 1(1), 207-212. Mohamad, O. A., Hameed, R. T., & Tapus, N. (2015). Smart Home Security based on optimal wireless sensor network routing protocols. In Electronics, Computers and Artificial Intelligence (ECAI), 2015 7th International Conference on (pp. SSS-17). IEEE. Bazydło, P., Dąbrowski, S., & Szewczyk, R. (2015). Distributed Temperature and Humidity Measurement System Utilizing IQMESH Wireless Routing Algorithms. In Progress in Automation, Robotics and Measuring Techniques (pp. 1-9). Springer International Publishing. Nizhnik, O., Higuchi, K., & Maenaka, K. (2011). Self-calibrated humidity sensor in CMOS without post-processing. Sensors, 12(1), 226-232. Fatehnia, M. et al. (2016). Automating double ring infiltrometer with an Arduino microcontroller. Geoderma, 262, 133-139. Nasution, S. M. et al. (2014). Integration of kleptoware as keyboard keylogger for input recorder using teensy USB development board. In Telecommunication Systems Services and Applications (TSSA), 2014 8th International Conference on (pp. 1-5). Read More

This has positive impacts in terms of maintain high levels of accuracy. It can also be used effectively at the gold mine without frequent trimming and calibration. The power consumption is low as it can be used with single power supplies or with plus and minus power supplies. A perfect temperature sensor has to be precisely accurate. This is the case for LM 35 temperature sensor. The output of the sensor is conditioned and it responds instantly to any temperature changes (Mahmud, Alam & Ghosh, 2013).

The basic physical properties of the sensor play an essential role in terms of enhancing its stability. It therefore has the potential of providing accurate results over a long period of time. This makes it suitable for use at the gold mine where stability is required. The ease of use is also a major advantage of LM 35 temperature sensor. LM 35 can therefore be effective in the provision of information about temperature that is required at the gold mine. MQ9 Toxicity sensor Interfacing MQ9 toxicity sensor is a semiconductor gas sensor that main detects the presence of carbon monoxide.

It detects the presence of carbon monoxide at a concentration of 10 to 1,000ppm. It also has the potential of detecting the presence of combustible gas from 100 to 10,000 ppm. In order to record the data collected, the sensor is fitted with a microSD chip arduino. All the data collected is stored in the MicroSD chip and it can be accessed on real-time basis. The data logging capability of the sensor is through the use of the microSD chip. Logging is also required in order to access the data stored in the microSD chip (Yan & Rahayu, 2014).

At the gold mines such toxic gases are present and they have the potential of causing environmental pollution. This is considering that excavation is carried out at the gold mines. The detection of the gases is also important in preventing poisoning or explosions at the gold mine. The sensor has the potential of operating at temperatures of between -10 to 50 degrees Celsius. During the operation, it can only consume 150Ma at 5V (Yan & Rahayu, 2014). In order for the sensor to function correctly, five volts across the heating pin has to be connected.

The sensor has a simple analogue voltage interface which requires one analogue input pin from the microcontroller. The sensitivity of the sensor is set by a resistive load between the output pins and ground. Circuit diagram of MQ9 toxicity sensor Advantages The sensor can easily be incorporated into an alarm circuit which enables it to sound an alarm in case the amount of toxicity exceeds the minimum amount. This therefore plays an essential role in terms of providing an early warning to the people working at the gold mine.

The ability to sound an alarm in advance ensures that the environment is protected by limiting the amount of pollutants. MQ9 toxicity sensor has an excellent sensitivity and quick response time (Mohamad, Hameed & Tapus, 2015). This ensures that the toxicity is detected on immediately. High sensitivity and quick response time is an indication of effectiveness and efficiency of the sensor. The conductivity of the sensor is also high and it therefore enables it to improve on its effectiveness in terms of detecting the toxic gases at the gold mines.

It is highly sensitive to LPG and the natural gas. The natural gas is common at the gold mines and it is also toxic and may affect the people working at the mines. MQ9 sensor has a long life and high levels of accuracy. It can therefore be used at the gold mines for a long period of time with maximum efficiency. As compared to the analog sensors, it ability to retain the data is high. Conversions are not required since it is digital and hence making it effective. It is also easy to use and hence making it suitable for use at the gold mines.

A lot of skills are not required when using the MQ9 toxicity sensor. It is reliable and its power consumption is only 150Ma at 5 V. SHT1 Humidity sensor Interfacing SHT1X is smart sensor that is mainly used for measuring humidity although it can also measure temperature.

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