Internet of Things revolutionizes the monitoring of air quality and gas emissions

Measuring air quality takes place at more industries and processes than one would think at the first hand. The public sector monitors urban ambient air for protecting human health. The oil refineries are required to measure benzene levels on the borders of their operating areas. The automotive industry tests evaporative emissions of new car models to mention a few.

– The regulatory requirements and industries’ gas measurement regulation goes hand in hand with what is possible to measure, begins Dr. Ismo Kauppinen, the CEO of Gasera Ltd.

Gasera’s measuring equipment enables ultimate performance gas analysis. In addition to changes in regulatory environment, the Internet of Things has a huge effect on the measurement processes in the future.  Due to the possibilities provided by IoT, the whole gas and air analysis scene is renewing rapidly at the moment.

– This is where Gasera comes to the picture: we are always seeking for things that are relevant, but that have not yet been done at the field of gas monitoring.

“We are always seeking for things that are relevant, but that have not yet been done at the field of gas monitoring”

According to Kauppinen, there are still several measuring processes where the samples are taken locally and then carried manually to the laboratory.  

It sounds laborious and feels outdated, at least after the new IoT-enabled model is implemented and the data is collected straight to a cloud service remotely. It is much more convenient to do further analysis from any location in real time. Once again manpower is released from physical work to brainwork.

Gasera’s team at the Air Quality & Emissions Show (AQE) 2017 in Telford, UK.

When information started to flow from the measuring points, Gasera started to develop automation and intelligence to the monitoring processes together with its customers.

– Industrial production utilizes often electrical transformers in maintaining production. By starting to measure the gases that have dissolved to the oil of the transformer we are able to prevent overheating and hence costly breaks in production, Kauppinen explains.

Rational is so self evident, that it’s no wonder that industrial maintenance has become a textbook example of the benefits of IoT. At the same time applying technology to the monitoring process can be even more than connecting “the thing” to the Internet.

The Gasera one shed measures multiple gases simultaneously.

For instance, when measuring the levels of toxic benzene in the surroundings of oil refineries, Gasera’s equipment is able to locate the direction of the emission according to the wind.

– Once again we invented something that had not been done before, Kauppinen smiles.    

“We discuss about issues like employee safety in production and indoor air quality which is a huge health issue in larger cities.”

Gasera already has agreement with key players at the American Oil industry. During Donald Trump’s reign it might come as a surprise for Europeans that the U.S. is the forerunner in environmental measurement regulation. The benefit of air and gas measurement is that the results are very concrete.

– We discuss about issues like employee safety in production and indoor air quality which is a huge health issue in larger cities. Naturally both sustainability and compliance are very important for companies as well. Our mission is to bring intelligence to the measurement processes to enable these values for our customers, Ismo Kauppinen concludes.

See Gasera’s web pages

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