The Design of Air Contamination Detection

B.Hons, University of Sunderland, UK, 2011

INTERIM REPORT FOR FINAL YEAR PROJECT by

Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 SCM-003869

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of bachelor of engineering in Electrical and Electronics

School of Engineering SEGi UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, MALAYSIA 2010

Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

INTERIM REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
[6] DATASHEET OF MAX232 IC. ..........................................................................14

Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Background

This Final Year Project is about air contamination detector that will detect the quality of the surrounding air in a room. This detector using universal gas sensor that scanning the air quality surrounding the environment and will shows the air quality in three levels. The display of quality will be shown using Visual Basic in the form of bar graphs. The air quality levels shown in Visual Basic are, normal, caution, and dangerous. There are two gas sensors used in the project. The gas sensors continuously sense the air surround it and convert the information signals into electrical varying amplitude signals. These electrical varying signals will then read by PIC16F887 microcontroller at pin 2 and 3, which is port A of the microcontroller. Since the information received from sensors are in analogue form, therefore, the PIC16F887 will convert it into digital signals. With the programming written inside the microcontroller, the data will then send to output port which is pin 25 of microcontroller to pin 12 of MAX232. The data from MAX232 will then send out through pin 7 and 8 to DB9 female port. Finally, using the USB to COM port converter, the data would be able reach Visual Basic program. Using GUI commands from Visual Basic, the data of air levels can be shown in the form of bar graph. The microcontroller will take a high speed to read the data from sensors. How fast it can

Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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process is all depends on the clock signal. For example, if using default clock signal, the speed of microcontroller to process the data is 4MHz.

1.2

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the project is to:

Build an air detection circuit.

Build a microcontroller circuit that interface the air detection circuit with the computer.
Develop a GUI system to display amount of gas detected around the room.

1.3

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

This project will cover air sensor circuit design, PIC16F887 microcontroller interfacing circuit design and Visual Basic program to develop the GUI. Scope of the project

Air sensor design

circuit

PIC 16F887 microcontroller interfacing circuit design

Visual Basic Program

Figure 1 Scope of the project.

Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW

Figure 2 The expected outcome of the project.

Figure 2 shows the technical proposed block diagram to do the project on air quality detector. As seen from the block diagram, the power supply usually 5V DC is used to power up the sensors, PIC16F887 microcontroller and MAX232. The gas sensors sense the air freely and send information signals to PIC16F887, then MAX232 and final destination is Visual Basic. The flows of signal is from left to right and are in the form of DC signal and digital data signal. The ports of PIC 16F887 to read the sensor signal is port A (Pin2 and 3). The output port of PIC16F887 connected to MAX232 is port C which is pin
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25. Finally pin 12 of MAX232 represent input pin to received data send from PIC16F887 and pin 7 and 8 represents data transmission pins for MAX232. These pins also called output pins of MAX232. The final connection is DB9 COM port. Pin 2 and 3 of DB9 is used to received data from MAX232 whereas pin 5 is grounded.

The Visual Basic used in the project is Visual Basic 2008 version which makes the drawing GUI easy and fast implementation.

2.2 Air Pollution

Air contains small particles of dust and microorganisms. The microorganisms cannot be seen through our naked eye. The same thing is happen for dust or small particles. However, if the quantity of dust or small particle is increased, then we can feel existing of them. The following shows major factor that makes air pollution:

Releasing of chemical particles into air. Releasing of harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and CFC into atmosphere. Releasing of radioactive particles into air. Burning of jungle.
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Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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Many chemical industries produce harmful chemical substance and released it into air. The releasing of chemical substances is through the chimney. Those harmful chemical substances will convert into gases and hence pollute the air. The increasing of vehicles in a country also will lead to air pollution. Imagine that if each vehicle release 1 kg of carbon monoxide, then there are million of vehicles in that country, so the amount of carbon monoxide released will be multiplied of 1kg into million! The same thing is happen for radioactive particles. Some countries using nuclear power plant to generate electricity. If the toxic of small particles do not dispose properly, it will convert into gases and hence release into air. This will become air pollution. Burning of jungle is also one of the factor that can cause air pollution. The ash, dusk and smoke can block the view if the quantities released are huge. The burning of jungle is quite commonly seen in many equatorial countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. The burning of jungle is automatically due to hot sun and high temperature. If the rain is less, the climate become hot and dry, so there is a tendency for hot sun burn the vegetation in the jungle. Indonesia has breaking a record in south east Asia which producing air pollution due to burning out of jungle. Therefore, it is important to keep trace on air pollution and minimize it into desire level. Clean air will lead us live in healthier environment.

Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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2.3 Theory of Gas Sensor

Many gases sensors developed nowadays are using conductometric semiconductor metal oxide [1]. The used of this material make the cost lower and flexibility in production. Typical example of gas sensor that is commonly used by researchers, industrial people or even students is shown in Figure 3:

Figure 3 - Gas sensors. In the research, many metal oxides materials are found to have a property of detecting combustible, reducing or oxidizing gases by means of conductive measurements. The following oxides materials are example of materials that can response to gas by means of conductivity [2]:

1. Cr2O3 (Chromium Oxide) 2. Mn2O3 (Manganese (III) Oxide) 3. CO3O4 (Cobalt Oxide) 4. NiO (Nickel (II) Oxide) 5. CuO (Copper Oxide) 6. SrO (Strontium Oxide)

To build a gas sensor, it is depends upon the electronic structures of the oxide materials. The electronic structure will then determine the conductivity of current inside the oxide materials [3].
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There two structures of oxides that widely used in gas sensors design and construction due to their electronic structures. The two structures of oxides are: transition-metal oxide (Fe2O3, NiO and Cr2O3) and non transition metal oxides (Al2O3 and ZnO). Non transition metal oxides are not suitable for gas sensor applications. The transition metal oxides with d0 and d10 electronic configurations are found useful in gas sensor applications.

To sense the gas in atmosphere, the metal oxide should expose to the air. So, the air molecule will be absorbed by metal oxide and then its electrons will be extracted so that ions are formed on the surface of metal oxide. This ion will cause the change of conductivity of the metal oxide by upward band bending of electron voltage. When this is happen, it reduced the conductivity [4]. This is shown in Figure 4 for typical oxygen gas reacts with metal oxides [5]:

Figure 4 - Absorption of oxygen gas by metal oxide.

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How good the metal oxides can sense the gases are depends on chemical composition, surface modification by noble metal particles, Microstructure, humidity and temperature. The chemical composition is extremely important because this can determine the gas sensor adsorption ability, catalytic activity, sensitivity, thermodynamic stability and so on. To enhance sensitivity of gas sensor, composites of tin dioxide and zinc oxide can be added into the sensor. However, if the sensors added the mixtures of zinc oxide and indium oxide, then the sensitivity will be reduced. In most of the gas sensors manufacturing, the conduction of electricity can be determined by catalysis reactions when gas is detected. As a result, control of catalytic of gas sensors materials are the most commonly used method to detect the appearances of gas.

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Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3.1 GAS DETECTION CIRCUIT

Until now, the program code on PIC16F887 microcontroller has been written and tested on the circuit. Apart from this, the interfacing circuit and GUI also have been done up to date.

Figure 5 - Air detection and interfacing circuit.

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Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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Figure 6 shows the circuit of Figure 5 built on bread board:

Figure 6- Gas detection circuit and interfacing.

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3.2 PROBLEMS FACED

In this project, there are few problems were faced: 1. The coding of PIC16F887 to read the gas signal and interfacing. 2. The Visual Basic coding on GUI. 3. The stability and sensitivity of the gas sensor.

3.3 FUTURE WORK

In future, the project will be completely builds on PCB. This can ensure stability of operation. Apart from this, there is needed to improve the connection between computer and the interfacing circuit.

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Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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REFERENCES:
[1] Korotcenkov, G. Metal Oxides for solid-State Gas Sensors: What Determines Our Choice? Mater. Sci. Eng. B 2007, 139, 1-23. [2] Barsan, N.; Koziej, D.; Weimar, U. Metal Oxide-Based Gas Sensor Research: How to sense the gas? Sens. Actuat. B2007, 121, 18-25. [3] Batzill, M. Surface Science Studies of Gas Sensing Materials, Sensors 2006, 6, 1345 - 1366. [4] Park, C.O.; Akbar, S.A. Ceramics for Chemical Sensing. J. Mater. Sci 2003, 38, 4611 - 4637. [5] Moos, R.; Sahner, K.; Fleischer, M. U. Solid State Gas Sensor Research in Germany - A Status Report, Sensors 2009, 9, 4323 - 4365. [6] Datasheet of MAX232 IC. [7] Datasheet of DB9 port.

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Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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GANTT CHART:
Research Activity PIC program April 2011 study Experimental tests Interim submission report May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October Nov 2011 2011 Dec 2011

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Ali Nikfarjam UOS/200809 Air Quality Detector

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