Solar Based Automobile Exhaust Gas Emission Filtering System at High Density Traffic Area

ABSTRACT

The number of vehicles being used is increasing day by day as the population
increases, in turn the amount of pollutant gases in the environment also increases. Thus in
high traffic density area such as toll gates, traffic signal the concentration of these hazardous
gases will be more and these gases have a destructive effect on human health as well as on
the environment. The intended project deals with detection of the concentration of different
hazardous gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide using
temperature sensor and other respective electronic sensors. The concentration levels of these
hazardous gases are monitored and controlled using microcontroller. Whenever the range of
any hazardous gases level exceeds the maximum acceptable range a gas absorption system
will be introduced to suck the air then it will be processed. After the processing, a clean air
will be released to the environment. Finally the power for the proposed system is fed by using
solar energy.

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Solar Based Automobile Exhaust Gas Emission Filtering System at High Density Traffic Area

INTRODUCTION

Nearly one fourth of all Indians live in areas that don’t meet federal air quality
standards. Passenger vehicles and heavy-duty trucks are the main sources of this pollution,
which includes ozone and other smog-forming emissions.

Vehicles are a major pollution contributor, producing significant amounts of nitrogen

oxides, carbon monoxide, and other pollution. In 2013, transportation contributed more than
half of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, and almost a quarter of the hydrocarbons
emitted into our air.

Toll plazas are important components of highway infrastructure and play an important
role in highway operation management. Due to Vehicles spend a long time passing through
the toll plaza, including the process of slowing down, stopping to pay the toll
and accelerating away from the toll plaza.

When traffic is heavy, queues appear prior to the tollbooths. As a result, the health of
toll plaza workers is seriously threatened by their exposure to vehicle exhaust emissions. It
has been found that the incidence of upper respiratory tract diseases among toll plaza workers
is higher than those of other people, due to poor air quality caused by pollution. so it is very
important to monitor toll booth workers health.

This proposed system continuously check the air quality by using the sensor and
detect the hazardous components in the air, if it exceeded threshold level, the controller
automatically sucks the polluted air. Filters the polluted air by removing hazardous
components in the air. and filtered fresh air will be fed back to the system such that it will
maintain good health condition to toll booth workers and drivers near high traffic density
area.

Health Survey of Toll Booth Workers and Traffic Police

The prevalence of respiratory and other health problems in a cohort of highway toll
booth workers was surveyed by mailed questionnaire. In a low proportion of respondents
(43.2%), a high prevalence of central nervous system complaints (headaches, irritability, or
anxiety, and unusual tiredness), mucous membrane irritation (eye irritation, nasal congestion,
and dry throat), and musculoskeletal problems (joint and back pains) was found. We believe

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Solar Based Automobile Exhaust Gas Emission Filtering System at High Density Traffic Area

these symptoms are reflective of the acute irritant and central nervous system effects of
exposure to motor vehicle exhaust. The musculoskeletal complaints are likely the result of
bending, reaching, and leaning out of the toll booth. In a recent days health camp organized
for Traffic police personnel, to check for chest and lung diseases, doctors who conducted the
tests said around 25 per cent of the personnel had problems in their lung function. Lung
function tests showed anomalies in around 25 per cent of those tested. Most of them
complained of symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing, tightness or pain in the chest,
chronic cough and disturbed sleeping due to cough or wheezing.

Objective of the Project

The main objective of this project is to detect the hazardous gas components in the
environment air at high traffic densities like traffic signal and toll gates and filtering out those
hazardous gas components by using appropriate filtering system. if ingredients of air
pollution are above the maximum acceptable range it influences the sensor. Then sensor will
give results some voltage level output. Based on the sensor output pollutant air will be
sucked from the system filter will be get activated and the hazardous components in the gas
will be filtered out. Filtered air will be fed back to the system. Over this entire project will be
controlled by using solar energy.

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Solar Based Automobile Exhaust Gas Emission Filtering System at High Density Traffic Area

METHODOLOGY

Block Diagram and Description

The figure 3.1 shows the block diagram of the proposed system. It consists of
different sensors (carbon monoxide sensor, nitrogen oxide sensor, carbon di oxide sensor and
temperature sensor), microcontroller, displaying device, air suction system, filtering system
and solar panel with charging circuit etc.

Solar Panel with Charging Circuit

(Battery)

Carbon LCD display

monoxide
sensor
Air suction
Air Quality system

sensor

Micro controller
Carbon Filtering
dioxide sensor system

Temperature
sensor
Air blowing
System

Figure 3.1: Block Diagram of Proposed System.

3.1.1 Carbon Monoxide Sensor

Carbon monoxide detectors or Carbon monoxide sensors are used to sense the carbon
monoxide presence and to alarm if the threshold level of the carbon monoxide exceeds. These

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Solar Based Automobile Exhaust Gas Emission Filtering System at High Density Traffic Area

are designed to measure Carbon monoxide level over time and sound an alarm before
dangerous levels of Carbon monoxide accumulate in an environment giving peoples an
adequate warning to safely ventilate the area or to evacuate. In the following system
controlling capacity is given to microcontroller and it will activate the filtering system if
anything threshold level of the Carbon monoxide exceeds. The alarm functioning is not just a
level indicator but also a concentration time function. At lower concentration (e.g. 100 ppm)
the detector will not sound an alarm and at above threshold level (e.g. 400ppm) the sensor
will sound an alarm. This concentration time function is intended to mimic the uptake of
Carbon monoxide in the body while also preventing false alarm due to relatively common
source of carbon monoxide standard measuring circuit of Carbon monoxide sensor
components consists of two parts. One is heating circuit having time control function (the
high voltage and the low voltage work circularly). The second is the signal output circuit, it
can accurately responds to the changes in the surface resistance of the sensor.

3.1.2 Nitrogen Oxide Sensor

This is an active device that mainly detects the air quality in inputted air. If any
threshold level exceeding nitrogen level is observed in the environment such as in the areas
like traffic, tool gates etc. the sensor will indicates its presence and it will alarms and if its
level is exceed the threshold level the the sensor will transfer the control to microprocessor
and microprocessor is designed in such a way that it will activate the filtering system thus it
operates.

3.1.3 Carbon Dioxide Sensor

It is a simple gas sensor which monitors the Carbon dioxide level in the environment
and it will alarms when the minimum acceptable range of Carbon dioxide exceeds and also it
acts often as a part of safety system. The sensor monitors the input level of carbon dioxide
level with It’s threshold kept level.

3.1.4 Temperature Sensor

It can be stuck or established to a surface and its temperature will be within
around the range of 0.01˚C of the surface temperature.. When the temperature of the device
exceeds a user-defined temperature high then the output is active. The output will remains
active until the temperature drops below user defined temperature low. User defined
temperature settings are saved in non-volatile memory so it may be programmed prior to
insertion in a system.

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Solar Based Automobile Exhaust Gas Emission Filtering System at High Density Traffic Area

3.1.5 LCD Display

This is a display device that is mainly used to display the message on the screen. This
device operates on the principle that when the electric current is applied to the liquid crystal
molecule the molecule tends to untwist hence the display message is appeared on the screen.
The inputs to the display is the output from the microcontroller that is microcontroller will
sends the data to display that is observed by comparing sensors output and threshold output
set by user. The only function of this is to display the message send by the microcontroller
and also it acts as a device that helps the user to know about the status of the gas level thus by
converting the electrical signal into user understanding message.

3.1.6 Air Suction System

For filtering purpose this system sucks the air from the outer environment based on
the output from the microcontroller. This mainly includes air sucking fans and other devices
for air suction. This is controlled by the microcontroller.

3.1.7 Filtering system

This systems input is the sucked environment air and the output will be the fresh
purified air. This system is in series with the air suction system thus it is involved in filtering
of the air and removes the hazardous gas components in the sucked air and thus it will gives
the fresh purified air to the surrounding environment.

Summary
As a result of modernization and urbanization the number of vehicles being used is
increasing continuously. As a result of which the amount of hazardous gases in environment
is increasing and it is having an adverse effect on human health as well as on the
environment. The proposed system is intended to detect the concentration of different
hazardous gases present in the high traffic density area environment using the respective
electronic sensors and at the same time if the concentration of any hazardous gases in the
environment has exceeded their maximum acceptable value then the filtering system will be
turned on . The filtering system sucks hazardous gases from the environment free fresh air is
given back to surrounding environment. The filtering system will filter the hazardous gases
from the environment and filtered air given back to the environment.

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Solar Based Automobile Exhaust Gas Emission Filtering System at High Density Traffic Area

REFERENCES

[1] Qi Wang, Tiandong Guo “Portable vehicular electronic nose system for
detection of automobileexhaust” 2010 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference
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[2] The Effect of Air Pollution on Human Health in China: A Macro Evaluation Zhigang
Chen; Xianjin Huang; Qing Wang2009 3rd International Conference on Bioinformatics
and Biomedical EngineeringYear: 2009 DOI: 10.1109/ICBBE.2009.5163594

[3] Environmental Effects of Vehicle Exhausts, Global and Local Effects– A Comparison
between Gasoline and Diesel by LU JIE

[4] Tejashree S.Lohar, Prof.G.K.Andurkar,” Air Pollution Monitoring & Control System For
Vehicles”, International Journal on Recent and Innovation Trends in Computing and
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[5] Anita kulkarni,T. Ravi Teja “Automated System for Air Pollution Detection and Control
in Vehicles”, International Journal of Advanced Research in Electrical, Electronics and
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September 2014

[6] Kaustubh P. Ghodke T.E “Diesel Vehicle Emission Controltechniques for Upcoming
Indian Emission Legislation” International Refereed Journal of Engineering and Science
(IRJES) ISSN (Online) 2319-183X, (Print) 2319-1821 Volume 2, Issue 6 (June 2013), PP.
31-41

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