4D-Cast

Fueling systems require special security measures, as all people on the area of a gas station could be affected by their volatile and highly explosive contents. To reduce these risks, special requirements concerning quality and safety of devices used on gas stations exist. Moreover, guarantees have to be given that these requirements are met throughout and even after the end of the lifetime of these devices.

Meeting these requirements forces the owners of gas stations to check  and maintain all devices regularly (by law). If maintenance is neglected, spilled gas might cause severe environmental damage, it might even contaminate earth and water.

Availability and value conserving handling of devices is another focus. High availability means better turnover. Value conserving handling results in a longer lifetime of devices and therefore lower re-investment costs.

This project aims at the development of an autonomous wireless sensor node which can be applied directly to devices that should be surveyed, due to its small size. Environmental parameters like temperature, movement or hazardous gas leaks can be measured and analysed right there. Only when a disturbance is detected, the gathered data is transmitted to a central unit. The biggest challenge of this project is the development of a robust sensor node that can be used under extreme conditions, including but not limited to danger of explosions, radio disturbances and concussions. Also, the nodes need to be able to survive for a long time, as it will not be possible to exchange nodes and/or batteries frequently.