Robotics/unmanned systems

Advanced Multifunction Autonomous Robot for Gas Detection

This paper presents a robot integrated with a microcontroller that provides multiple functions to help with data logging, analysis, and reporting to identify hazards and improve safety protocols.

Robot.jpg
This robot was designed to detect gas leaks autonomously.
Source: Paper SPE 223203

Process safety management (PSM) objectives and targets should be directed by leading performance indicators. Determining what can go wrong and identifying risk controls is an important step for development and implementation of process safety indicators. This research aims to be a catalyst for the integration of PSM and embedded systems to achieve continual improvement and ensure safety.

The autonomous microcontroller-based robot presented here allows users to detect and monitor gas leaks, aiding PSM, especially in oil and gas fields. Several factors led to the production of this paper, including integration of PSM with software engineering. Other concepts include modernizing the components and tools used in the robot while introducing new ideas for continuous developments.

This paper considers robots as a mitigation barrier, a role accomplished by checking for the presence of unwanted gases, especially those related to oil and gas fields.

This paper presents engineering solutions for managing process safety through gas leak detection by programming embedded systems and providing all possible options when designing the robot so it can check for any unwanted gases, measure temperatures, and then send alerts and conduct necessary work to avoid harm.

SPE members can download the complete paper from SPE’s Health, Safety, Environment, and Sustainability Technical Discipline page for free from 18 to 31 December.

Find paper SPE 223203 on OnePetro here.