Wireless sensor networks (WSN) have been adopted in various monitoring applications. However, due to the high power consumption of catalytic gas sensors, which enable reliable gas detection, there is a lack of real WSN deployments aimed at the monitoring of combustible gases. This work reports on the evaluation of a WSN deployed in a real operational boiler facility. The WSN consists of nine battery-powered wireless sensor nodes (with an onboard catalytic sensor) controlled by a network coordinator. In this safety critical environment our objective is twofold: (i) guarantee precise and fast sensor response, and (ii) deliver the sensed data from the sensor nodes to the network coordinator safely in case of methane leakage. We first describe the deployment of the WSN and then evaluate the catalytic sensor response under various conditions. Besides, we evaluate the wireless links using the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and link quality indicator (LQI) metrics. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that during 5 months of deployment the sensor nodes have been discharged for 22–27%.

In this work we share our experience in the deployment of a Wireless Gas Sensor Network (WGSN) in an operational boiler facility. Our setup is based on a state-of-the-art WGSN platform which ensures reliable gas detection and long–term operation of the network. We first describe the deployment of the network and then evaluate its wireless links using Received Signal Strenght Indicator (RSSI) and Link Quality Indicator (LQI) metrics.

This paper describes the development and the characterization of a wireless gas sensor network (WGSN) for the detection of combustible or explosive gases. The WGSN consists of a sensor node, a relay node, a network coordinator, and a wireless actuator. The sensor node attains early gas detection using an on board 2D semiconductor sensor. Because the sensor consumes a substantial amount of power, which negatively affects the node lifetime, we employ a pulse heating profile to achieve significant energy savings. The relay node receives and forwards traffic from sensor nodes towards the network coordinator and vice versa. When an emergency is detected, the network coordinator alarms an operator through the GSM/GPRS or Ethernet network, and may autonomously control the source of gas emission through the wireless actuator. Our experimental results demonstrate how to determine the optimal temperature of the sensor's sensitive layer for methane detection, show the response time of the sensor to various gases, and evaluate the power consumption of the sensor node. The demonstrated WGSN could be used for a wide range of gas monitoring applications.