An Application of IEEE 802.15.4TM for Locating and Monitoring Thermal Hotspot using High Directivity Mobile Sensor

Abstract

The rationale behind the project is to obtain a low cost alternative to thermal imaging cameras, for industries that require higher level of automation or may not afford them. A mobile device is built which is equipped with two temperature sensors that detect and locate local high temperature spot on a machine and alerts concerned personnel about the nature of problem. The process is completed in two stages, where in the first stage average temperature of the machine is obtained, in the second stage precise location of the hot-spot is found. Upon finding temperatures beyond set limits, the device alerts the controller with information regarding location of hot-spot and temperature. The proposed device finds application in environments that use temperature sensitive machines and require strict monitoring for fault conditions. In this project, we have investigated the advantages and effectiveness of IEEE 802.15.4 standard, for such a purpose. As it is evident, timely response and accurate control impose strict requirements of highly predictable and real-time behavior of overall system. Tests on timing performance of device revealed that it can locate a hotspot in less than a minute on a machine (while performing scan in angular area of 90° (horizontal) * 45° (vertical)). Moreover, the possibility of avoiding detailed scan due to high FOV sensor greatly improves performance in practical conditions.