Development of Resistive-type IoT-Based Methane Gas Concentration Transmitter Using SnO2 Material

Many conventional sensors are used in industries since industrial methane sensing is critical. In the present case, a SnO2 layer is the sensing medium for methane that decreases its electrical resistance with increase in methane concentration. A Wheatstone bridge detects the decrease in resistance, thereby converting it to a suitable voltage. Since the environment where methane gas would be present is hazardous, electrical communication is impossible through a physical network. Instead, the authors have taken the help of the Internet of Things (IoT) for data communication purpose which has become much more feasible nowadays for communicating data in a hazardous environment. The mathematical relationship of the methane concentration with the transmitted current and voltage is found by theoretically analyzing the proposed methane sensor. The authors have tested the proposed system of methane concentration measurement experimentally. The paper presents the experimental results with reasonable accuracy, sensitivity, and linearity. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2022, The Institution of Engineers (India).