クアッドロータドローン水素センシング機構の立証

抄録

Hydrogen is expected to leak in a variety of situations, from production to consumption. In order to realize a hydrogen sensing system that is more flexible and quicker than conventional systems, we have proposed a new drone-based system for hydrogen sensing with a small thermal conductivity type hydrogen sensor. Initially, quad-rotor drones were thought to be unsuitable for hydrogen leak detection because hydrogen is pushed away from the drone by propeller downwash. However, recent CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis and smoke experiments have shown that hydrogen leak detection is possible even under the propeller downwash. In this study, we experimentally investigate the mechanism of hydrogen sensing by the quad-rotor drone. For this purpose, hydrogen leakage experiments were conducted and the path of hydrogen dispersion around the drone is measured by twenty hydrogen sensors installed on a lattice constructed around the drone. It became clear that the actual hydrogen was also pushed down by the descending airflow once, and then passed outside on the circulating airflow to reach the drone. With this result, drone sensing can be achieved more reliably.