The methane sensor we will use is the MQ-4 sensor. This is a sensor that is sensitive to effects of methane.
Methane (CH4) is a colorless, odorless gas with a wide distribution in nature. Methane is known chiefly as being the principal component of natural gas, which is a mixture containing about 75% methane (CH4), 15% ethane (C2H6), and 5% other hydrocarbons, suh as propane (C3H8) and butane (CH4H10).
The principal use of methane is as a fuel. The combustion of methane is highly exothermic, meaning reactions create the release of a great deal of energy. The energy released by the combustion of methane, in the form of natural gas, is used directly to heat homes and commercial buildings. It is also used in the generation of electric power. During the past decade, natural gas accounted for about 1/5 of the total energy consumption worldwide and about 1/3 in the United States.
Much debate has been stirred on whether natural gas is more green, meaning better for the environment, than coal. This is because methane, when burned, emits less carbon dioxide than coal. Carbon dioxide, CO2, is a dangerous greenhouse gas. However, when unburned, when it is vented or leaked directly into the atmosphere, methane is far more potent than carbon dioxide. In terms of its contribution to global warming, it is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
Thus, methane is a powerful gas that can do a lot of good and potentially a lot of bad at the same time.
Therefore, it's a gas that's important to monitor.
And to do so, we need a methane sensor. So this is the device we will build in this project. OUr device will be able to detect the gas methane and tell us its concentration in the air.
Components Needed
• MQ-4 Methane Sensor
• Arduino
• LED