Rational design of hybrid sensor arrays combined synergistically with machine learning for rapid response to a hazardous gas leak environment in chemical plants

Abstract

Combinations of semiconductor metal oxide (SMO) sensors, electrochemical (EC) sensors, and photoionization detection (PID) sensors were used to discriminate chemical hazards on the basis of machine learning. Sensing data inputs were exploited in the form of either numerical or image data formats, and the classification of chemical hazards with high accuracy was achieved in both cases. Even a small amount of gas sensing or purging data (input for ∼30 s) input can be exploited in machine-learning-based gas discrimination. SMO sensors exhibit high performance even in a single-sensor mode, presumably because of the intrinsic cross-sensitivity of metal oxides, which is otherwise considered a major disadvantage of SMO sensors. EC sensors were enhanced through synergistic integration of sensor combinations with machine learning. For precision detection of multiple target analytes, a minimum number of sensors can be proposed for gas detection/discrimination by combining sensors with dissimilar operating principles. The Type I hybrid sensor combines one SMO sensor, one EC sensor, and one PID sensor and is used to identify NH3 gas mixed with sulfur compounds in simulations of NH3 gas leak accidents in chemical plants. The portable remote sensing module made with a Type I hybrid sensor and LTE module can identify mixed NH3 gas with a detection time of 60 s, demonstrating the potential of the proposed system to quickly respond to hazardous gas leak accidents and prevent additional damage to the environment.