FOOD SPOILAGE DETECTION IN REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS USING METHANE SENSORS

Neil Zen S. Caponpon1, Kevin M. Lim.2, Lester Jay H. Mondok3, and Mr. Enrique M. Manzano4

Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering De La Salle University, Manila 2401 Taft Ave., Malate, Manila 1004, Philippines

Student, neilzen12@yahoo.com Student, kevinlimus@yahoo.com 3 Student, lesterjay00@yahoo.com 4 Faculty Adviser, Enrique.manzano@dlsu.edu.ph

ABSTRACT

Food poisoning is a prevailing problem in our world today.[1] One of the factors that causes food poisoning is spoiled food products that are consumed by people. The research project aims to prevent food poisoning cases by detecting food spoilage in food stored in refrigeration systems. This is done by using highly sensitive methane gas sensors that are more commonly used for detecting gas leaks. Normally, people only realize that their food is dangerous to eat when they can smell the foul odor of

rotten food, which is not a reliable way of judging food. Bacteria can be present even without the rotten smell. The sensors are used to detect the methane gas that is produced when food spoils. When the methane level inside the refrigeration system increases, this indicates that there is food inside the refrigeration system that is spoiled.

When organic matter rots or spoils, there are different gases that are produced from this decomposition process. One of these gases is methane. Methane is a colorless and odorless gas that is flammable in the right concentrations. This dangerous flammability of methane has resulted in the continuing research into methane sensors with higher sensitivity and selectivity.

Key Words Food spoilage, Gas sensing, Methane sensor, Refrigeration system

I.

INTRODUCTION

Since there are a lot of cases of food poisoning around the world, it is only practical to find a way to lessen these incidents. [2] Lessening the incidents of food poisoning is a great help to society because it would lessen the expenses of the affected families and spare them of the grief sometimes brought by deaths due to food poisoning.

With the advancement of technology, sensors continue to

develop and achieve higher sensitivities to the parameters being measured. [3] These advancements make the research viable and allow the group to lessen the expense in producing the device and thus making it practical to implement in preventing food poisoning. It would also be practical to use the device because instead of testing each product one by one, it alerts the user if there is already food spoilage inside a refrigeration unit which is effectively testing a whole container of food.

Techniques in gas sensing

There are different types of approach when it comes to gas sensing. There are the oxide semiconductors, metal phthalocyanine, humidity, colorimetric methods, infrared, optical fiber, metal oxides semiconductor, surface acoustic wave and pattern recognition sensors[4]. Each one has its own characteristics and way of data acquisition of the gases and then providing an analog output.

The gas sensor used is a metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor because of its precision and applicability to the conditions presented in a refrigeration system. The cost of this sensor has been lowering because of the advancement in technology and cost effective marketing.

II. DESIGN OF THE DEVICE

The project is focused on the detection of the amount of methane inside the refrigeration system

represented in voltage level. The device would be wall mounted inside the refrigeration unit using a hook attached to the wall and the device hanging on the hook for easy detachment. The device consists of a methane sensor (TGS2611-C00 - Figaro Engineering Inc), microcontroller, a circuit to convert the change in conductance of the sensor to an output voltage, an LED to

serve as an alarm, and a digital meter (LCD) to show the measured level of methane inside the refrigeration unit and the level of methane that will trigger the alarm that is set by the user.

(Potentio

meter)

butane. Considering the intended application of the sensor by the group, the sensor s sensitivity to other gases will

START

Microcontr -oller

Digital Meter (LCD)

-Methane

Alarm (LED)

Display two input voltages 1.Reference voltage 2.Methane sensor

Methane Sensor

Fig. 1. Block diagram of device. The block diagram illustrats the different modules that are used in the device.

When the device is turned on, the methane sensor will change its conductivity according to the concentration of methane inside the refrigeration unit. The change in conductance will produce an output voltage that the microcontroller will read as the methane level inside the refrigeration unit. When the microcontroller determines that the level of methane is higher than what is programmed as the warning level, the microcontroller will activate the LED on top of the device to warn the user that the methane level is abnormally high, which means that there could be a spoiled food product inside the refrigeration unit. The warning level of methane can be changed by using a knob that adjusts the level of the warning level voltage manually using a potentiometer.

PIC Microcontroller

The PIC18F4550 microcontroller was used in implementing the group s desired functions. Features of the PIC18F4550 that are desirable for the group s implementation are a 10-bit A/D converter, 13 A/D channels, programmable with C++ coding via Micro C, and capable of operating in extreme temperatures (-40C to +85C). Fig. 2. Shows the program flow of the microcontroller.

Two ADC inputs, pins of the microcontroller will be used to convert the two input analog signals into digital signals that are recognizable by the microcontroller. Two output pins was configured as output ports and used to control the LCD module. One output pin is used to control the attached alarm system. Additionally, an oscillator (8Mhz) and capacitors (22pF) are connected to the microcontroller to provide a clock.

Sensitivity Characteristics of TGS2611 C00

Ideally, gas sensors only react to their target gases, but in reality they also are affected by what are called interference gases. The TGS2611 methane sensors are affected by the presence of Ethanol, Hydrogen, and Iso-

Yes

Deactivate Alarm

Compare the input

voltages (Is the reference voltage higher?)

No

Activate Alarm

Power off?

Yes

END

No

Fig. 2. Program flow of device. The flow chart shows how the microcontroller of the device will compare the gas level to a reference level.

not pose any problems due to the fact that the spoilage of food does not produce any of the interference gases.

Hardware design of device

As seen on Fig. 3. , the device will be rectangular in shape and made of tough plastic. The LCD, Potentiometer knob, and power switch will be located at the front panel of the casing. On the top panel will be the light emitting diode (LED) alarm, while on the bottom panel will be the methane sensor. The methane sensor is placed at the

bottom of the device to ensure the exposure of the sensor to the air circulating in the refrigerator. The potentiometer is used to vary the reference voltage of the device in order to set the alarm point that will trigger the LED alarm. The research does not include full integration of the device into a refrigerator so the LED is a sufficient indicator of the alarm being triggered. The group did not include a control for the LCD brightness to keep the device simple and to provide a cleaner look. Operation of the device is accomplished by leaving the device inside the refrigerator until the methane sensor stabilizes and then setting the reference voltage through the potentiometer which varies the point at which the device will trigger the LED alarm. The device can be run by batteries for testing purposes.

Fig. 4. Methane sensor reading with meat at 32C The figure illustrates the amount of methane being produced by meat inside the refrigerator.

Fig. 3. Hardware design of device. The figure shows the actual design of the food spoiling detecting device.

III. Analysis of Data and Results

The group tested the device by placing the device inside a refrigerator together with 20 grams of meat and tested them at different temperatures. First the group tested the sensor without any meat in the refrigerator. The sensor voltage settled to a stable level after approximately 400 seconds. The group tested the device for 24 hours and the

sensor voltage remained at this level. The initial spike in voltage is a result of the energizing of the sensor when it has been in an unenergized state for some time. This energizing is called the initial action [5]. This initial spike in voltage reading can cause undesired activation of the alarm. It can be avoided by setting the reference voltage to 5V. Initial readings within the time frame that the sensor is unstable should be disregarded. This sets the time to read a reliable sensor voltage at around 600 seconds or 10 minutes.

The group then tested the device with meat inside the refrigerator. The meat placed had the same volumes but was obtained from different sources. Fig. 4. showed that there is a recurring trend of the sensor voltage rising and then stabilizing at a certain level. The times at which they start to rise are different due to the fact that the production of methane is dependent on the amount of bacteria present in the meat. Any raw food product already has bacteria present in it. It is the fact that they are kept to a low population that our body is able to tolerate these bacteria. [19]The rising methane level inside the refrigerator is because of the multiplying of the bacteria in the spoiling meat.

The group also tested the device with two samples of uncontaminated meat and contaminated meat to further test the effect of the amount of bacteria present to the methane level being produced. The contaminated meat was meat that was bought by the group from the wet market. The contaminated meat was dropped on the floor

Fig. 5. Methane sensor reading with contaminated and uncontaminated meat. The figure illustrates the amount of methane being produced by meat with a lot of bacteria and one with less bacteria.

of the market and was handled by bare hands. The uncontaminated meat was bought by the group from a respectable meat shop and handled with plastic gloves. It can be seen from the figure that there is a clear disparity with the methane being produced by the contaminated meat and uncontaminated meat. As seen on Fig. 5. It was observed by the group that the methane level when the contaminated meat is placed inside the refrigerator starts to rise much earlier than the uncontaminated meat. This result supports the group s research that with more bacteria present in the meat, there is a faster production of methane due to faster multiplication of the bacteria.

Due to the sensitivity of the methane gas sensor to other gases like ethanol, hydrogen and iso-butane, the device cannot be accurately used in the presence of substances that emit these gases inside the refrigeration systems.

IV. CONCLUSION

The device was able to detect methane gas being produced by bacteria in spoiling meat. Although it was not able to accurately display the methane level, due to

variations in temperature and humidity in refrigeration systems, the main objective of the project was still met. In order to determine if food placed inside refrigeration systems is spoiling, the user has to set the reference voltage a certain quality higher than the stable reading of the device. It is up to the user at what level he wants to set the reference voltage, but in light of the data gathered, the group recommends a level 0.3V higher than the measured stable voltage. This reference voltage should be set 10 minutes after turning on the device. The device was found to be not suitable for applications where the refrigeration system is constantly opened, due to the fact that gases escape from the refrigerator and alter the device s readings. The device was also able to detect already spoiled food when it was placed inside the refrigeration system. The methane gas level at which the food starts to spoil wasn t accurately observed but it can be said that when the methane level inside the refrigeration system is rising, the food is starting to spoil. The group successfully programmed a PIC microcontroller to meet the project s objectives.

Recommendations for the project are the usage of higher sensitivity methane sensors that will surely be available in the future. Other recommendations from the group are integration into refrigeration systems so that the alarm system can be visible from the outside. Additionally, other methods of alarm are desirable, like buzzers or speakers. Other improvements include data storage in the microcontroller for easier testing.

In order to decrease the limitations of the group s device, the proponents recommend using a gas sensor that is solely sensitive methane so that the device can be used in the presence of other gases emitted by other products in the system. Also, filters or sensors for the interference gases are also recommended by the group so that if the other gases are present, the user can disregard the alarm if it is because of these interference gases. The group recommends that user s refer to the provided operation manual to set the reference voltage when there is more volume of meat in the system.

REFERENCES

[1]

Retrieved: Decemer 7, 2007, Food poisoning , Department of Health, Indiana state http://www.in.gov/isdh/21379.htm Retrieved: 1995-2004, UK, Reported Cases of Food Poisoning http://www.highfield.co.uk/docs/fpstats_report.htm Retrieved: Figaro Engineering Inc, Gas sensors http://www.figaro.co.jp/en/top.html M. Stobbe, P T Moseley, J. O. Norris and D. E. Williams Techniques and mechanisms in gas sensing ISBN 0-7503-00744 http://www.sciencedirect.com Retrieved: 2009, TGS2611 Datasheet , Figaro Engineering Inc. http://www.figaro.com provided by manufacturer.

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

N.S. Caponpon was born in Manila, Philippines on 1988. He is currently working toward his B. S. degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering at De La Salle University, Manila.

K.M. LIM was born in Novaliches, Philippines on 1988. He is currently working toward his B. S. degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering at De La Salle University, Manila.

L.H. Mondok was born in Mandaluyong, Philippines in June 9, 1988. He is currently working toward his B. S. degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering at De La Salle University, Manila.

E.M. Manzano has B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Philippines. He also has a M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering. His interests include Energy and Conducting polymers.

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