Chemical Spill Alert System

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for providing a chemical spill warning. [Solution] One embodiment is a chemical spill warning method that detects the leakage of a chemical substance in a monitoring area and issues an alarm, the method including the steps of sensing external environmental information using an environmental information collecting sensor, acquiring data on the chemical substance using a chemical substance detection device, predicting a diffusion pattern of the chemical substance based on the environmental information, detecting chemical substance information based on the chemical substance data, and issuing an alarm based on at least one of the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance and the chemical substance information.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for providing a chemical spill warning. [Background technology]

[0002] Core processes in cutting-edge industries such as the semiconductor and display industries require the use of a wide variety of hazardous gases, including acidic gases such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and nitric acid, as well as basic gases such as ammonia and amines.

[0003] In recent years, chemical accidents such as the leakage of high concentrations of harmful gases or harmful chemicals have frequently occurred at various types of industrial sites.

[0004] Due to the problems caused by the leakage of such hazardous chemicals, laws such as the Environmental Conservation Act stipulate that self-testing or having someone else test various environmental pollutants is mandatory, and in some cases, there is even a requirement to test environmental pollutants on-site in real time.

[0005] However, there are problems with chemical accidents not being recognized or communicated properly, which increases the damage caused by the accidents, and with insufficient information about chemical accidents or information not being communicated properly, which makes it difficult to respond to chemical accidents quickly.

[0006] In order to minimize the damage caused by chemical spills and enable a rapid response, research is needed on an alarm system that would notify the surrounding area if chemicals harmful to the human body leak from an industrial site or if chemicals exceeding standard levels leak. Without such research, it may be difficult to monitor the diffusion pattern of spilled chemicals in real time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0058081 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a method and system for providing a chemical spill alert.

[0009] Also, various embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for issuing a chemical spill warning based on at least one of a diffusion pattern of a chemical substance and chemical substance information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] One embodiment provides a chemical spill warning method for detecting a chemical spill in a monitoring area and issuing an warning, the method including the steps of sensing external environmental information using an environmental information collection sensor, acquiring data on the chemical substance using a chemical substance detection device, predicting a diffusion pattern of the chemical substance based on the environmental information, detecting chemical substance information based on the chemical substance data, and issuing an warning based on at least one of the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance and the chemical substance information.

[0011] In another aspect, the step of issuing an alarm can issue an alarm consisting of at least one of sound, lighting, and vibration based on a leakage condition determined by at least one of the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance and the chemical substance information.

[0012] In another aspect, the step of detecting chemical substance information can detect chemical substance information including at least one of a type and a concentration of the chemical substance.

[0013] In another aspect, the step of issuing an alarm may include issuing a first alarm if it is determined that the detected chemical is not included in a pre-established list of permitted chemicals to be spilled.

[0014] In another aspect, in the step of issuing an alarm, if it is determined that the diffusion range of the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance not included in the list of permitted spill chemical substances is outside the range of a predetermined standard diffusion pattern, a second alarm different from the first alarm can be issued.

[0015] In another aspect, the first alarm can include at least one of one type of sound and one color of light, and the second alarm can include at least one of a different type of sound and color of light than the first alarm.

[0016] In another embodiment, the extent of the diffusion pattern can include at least one of the diffusion rate and diffusion extent of a chemical.

[0017] One embodiment provides a chemical spill warning system that is installed at a location away from a monitoring area where a chemical substance leaks and detects the leakage of the chemical substance and issues an alarm, the chemical spill warning system including: a chemical substance detection device that acquires data on the chemical substance leaking in the monitoring area; an environmental information collection sensor that senses external environmental information; a memory that stores one or more programs including instructions, and a processor that executes the programs to predict a diffusion pattern of the chemical substance based on the environmental information, detects chemical substance information based on the chemical substance data, and generates an alarm control signal based on at least one of the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance and the chemical substance information; and an alarm device that issues an alarm corresponding to the alarm control signal transmitted from the controller.

[0018] In other embodiments, the alert may include at least one of a sound, a light, and a vibration based on a spill status determined by at least one of the chemical diffusion pattern and the chemical information.

[0019] In another embodiment, the chemical substance information may include at least one of the type and concentration of the chemical substance.

[0020] In another aspect, the processor can determine whether the detected chemical is included in a list of permitted spill chemicals stored in the memory, and if the detected chemical is not included in the list of permitted spill chemicals, generate and transmit a first alarm control signal to the alarm device instructing the alarm device to issue a first alarm.

[0021] In another aspect, the processor can generate and transmit a second alarm control signal to the alarm device instructing the alarm device to issue a second alarm different from the first alarm if the diffusion range of the diffusion pattern of the chemical not included in the spill-allowed chemical list falls outside the range of the reference diffusion pattern stored in the memory.

[0022] In another aspect, the first alarm can include at least one of one type of sound and one color of light, and the second alarm can include at least one of a different type of sound and color of light than the first alarm.

[0023] In another embodiment, the extent of the diffusion pattern can include at least one of the diffusion rate and diffusion extent of a chemical.

[0024] In another embodiment, the chemical spill warning system may further include an image camera for capturing images of external objects.

[0025] In another aspect, the processor can identify the chemical spill area through analysis of the image of the monitoring area captured by the image camera, and control the attitude of the chemical detection device so that the chemical detection device moves toward the identified chemical spill area.

[0026] In another aspect, the processor can identify multiple target detection areas based on three-dimensional spatial modeling data of the monitoring area, and determine the posture of the image camera to capture any two of the multiple target detection areas so that they do not overlap. Effect of the Invention

[0027] Various embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for providing a chemical spill alert.

[0028] Also, various embodiments of the present invention may provide a method and system for issuing a chemical spill warning based on at least one of a diffusion pattern of a chemical substance and chemical substance information.

[0029] In addition, various embodiments of the present invention can provide a chemical spill warning method and system that issues various types of warnings based on environmental information such as wind direction, wind speed, and temperature collected via an environmental information collection sensor and chemical information such as the type and concentration of chemicals detected via a chemical detection device.

[0030] In addition, the chemical spill warning method and system according to various embodiments of the present invention can quickly issue a warning to notify of the leakage of hazardous chemicals at industrial sites, thereby minimizing human damage caused by chemical spills.

[0031] In addition, various embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for providing a chemical spill warning that issues a more accurate warning by using chemical data acquired based on images in which multiple target detection areas do not overlap.

[0032] In addition, various embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for providing a chemical spill warning that issues a more accurate warning by correcting a predicted result of a first diffusion pattern of a chemical in a first target detection area based on a second diffusion pattern of the chemical in a second target detection area adjacent to the first target detection area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a chemical spill monitoring system according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a chemical spill alert providing system according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a chemical spill warning system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a monitoring area of ​​the chemical spill warning system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a controller. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart of a method for providing a chemical spill alert according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an alarm data set in which various alarm control signals are matched with various chemical spill conditions stored in memory. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining how an image camera in one embodiment identifies a chemical spill area. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart of a method for providing a chemical spill warning according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart of a method for providing a chemical spill warning according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram for explaining a step of photographing a first target detection area and a second target detection area. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a step of determining a first attitude of the image camera. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart of a method for providing a chemical spill warning according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 14] 14 is a flowchart for explaining a step of correcting the prediction result of the first diffusion pattern in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a step of correcting the prediction result of the first diffusion pattern in FIG. 14. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] The present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. The effects and features of the present invention and the method of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and can be embodied in various forms. In the following embodiments, terms such as "first" and "second" are used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component, not for the purpose of limitation. In addition, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, terms such as "include" or "have" mean that a feature or component described in the specification exists, and do not exclude in advance the possibility that one or more other features or components may be added. In addition, in the drawings, the size of the components is exaggerated or reduced for the convenience of explanation. For example, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description with reference to the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] -Chemical Spill Monitoring System

[0037] FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of an exemplary configuration of a chemical spill monitoring system 1 according to one embodiment.

[0038] 1, a chemical spill monitoring system 1 according to one embodiment may include a central server 10 that manages the process of monitoring chemical spills, a computing device 20 that performs calculations necessary for providing a chemical spill alert, and a chemical spill alert providing system 30 that is capable of detecting chemicals and providing a chemical spill alert. The central server 10, the computing device 20, and the chemical spill alert providing system 30 may communicate with each other via a network.

[0039] In detail, the network refers to a connection structure that enables information exchange between each node such as a central server 10, a computing device 20, and a chemical spill warning system 30. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, a 3GPP (registered trademark, 3rd Generation Partnership Project) network, a LTE (Long Term Evolution) network, a WIMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access) network, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a PAN (Personal Area Network), a Bluetooth (registered trademark) network, a satellite broadcasting network, an analog broadcasting network, and a DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) network.

[0040] Chemical spill monitoring system 1 may also further include at least one fixed sensor (not shown) and at least one fixed camera (not shown).

[0041] The at least one fixed sensor may include at least one of a wind direction sensor, a wind speed sensor, and a temperature sensor installed around the monitoring target (e.g., a chemical substance processing device, a chemical substance processing plant, etc.). However, the at least one fixed sensor is not limited thereto, and may include various types of sensors other than the above examples.

[0042] The at least one fixed camera may include at least one of a thermal imaging camera, an RGB camera, and a depth camera installed around the monitoring target, but is not limited thereto, and the at least one fixed camera may include various types of cameras other than the above examples.

[0043] The central server 10 processes various physical parameters and image-related data for the monitoring target collected by at least one fixed sensor and at least one fixed camera installed around the monitoring target, and the chemical spill warning system 30, to calculate and store information on a predicted spill point where a chemical is expected to have spilled. However, without being limited thereto, a separate computing device 20 or the chemical spill warning system 30 may directly process various physical parameters and image-related data for the monitoring target to perform a process of monitoring a chemical spill.

[0044] For example, the central server 10 or the computing device 20 can detect the presence or absence of a chemical spill based on an image (thermal image or RGB image) of the surroundings of the monitored object captured by at least one fixed camera. In this case, the central server 10 or the computing device 20 can detect the presence or absence of a chemical spill using a deep learning method based on the image of the surroundings of the monitored object.

[0045] The central server 10 or computing device 20 can also calculate the diffusion pattern of the spilled chemical based on data on wind direction, wind speed, temperature and images of the surroundings of the monitored object, and can trace back this diffusion pattern to generate data on the initial expected spill location of the chemical. The data on the initial expected spill location generated by the central server 10 or computing device 20 is transmitted to the chemical spill warning system 30 via the network.

[0046] The chemical spill warning system 30 can issue various warnings to users based on various data from the central server 10 or the computing device 20, or based on at least one of environmental information such as wind direction, wind speed, temperature, and chemical information sensed independently.

[0047] The manner in which chemical spill alert system 30 provides different alerts in response to different spill conditions is described below with reference to Figures 5-15.

[0048] -Chemical spill warning system

[0049] Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a chemical spill warning system 30 according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining an exemplary configuration of the chemical spill warning system 30 according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining a monitoring area MA of the chemical spill warning system 30. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the controller 100.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 2, a chemical spill warning system 30 according to an embodiment may include a controller 100, a chemical detection device 110, an environmental information collecting sensor 120, and an alarm device .

[0051] The controller 100 can generate various alarm control signals based on various data sensed by the chemical detection device 110 and the environmental information gathering sensor 120.

[0052] The alarm device 130 can issue various alarms to the user in response to an alarm control signal transmitted from the controller 100 .

[0053] In addition, the chemical spill warning system 30 may further include an image camera 140 for capturing an image of an external object.

[0054] The controller 100 can control the operations of the chemical substance detection device 110, the environmental information collection sensor 120, the alarm device 130, and the image camera 140. In detail, the controller 100 can control the chemical substance detection device 110 and the environmental information collection sensor 120 so that chemical substance information is detected and environmental information is sensed.

[0055] In addition, the controller 100 can control the attitude of the chemical substance detection device 110 and the environmental information gathering sensor 120 .

[0056] Furthermore, the controller 100 can generate an alarm control signal for controlling the alarm device 130 based on at least one of the chemical substance information and the environmental information.

[0057] The chemical substance detection device 110 can detect minute chemical substances in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state at a long distance. More specifically, the chemical substance detection device 110 can detect the type and concentration of solid, liquid, or gaseous chemical substances dispersed in the air.

[0058] For example, the chemical detection device 110 can detect minute chemical substances in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state at a long distance using an analysis device that applies the FT-IR method. Also, the chemical detection device 110 can further include a thermal imaging camera and can detect the characteristics of the chemical substances based on an image captured by the thermal imaging camera.

[0059] However, without being limited thereto, chemical substance detection device 110 can detect chemical substances at long distances using various types of devices other than an analytical device that applies the FT-IR method and a thermal imaging camera.

[0060] The chemical information detected by the chemical detection device 110 is used to generate an alarm control signal for controlling the alarm device 130 .

[0061] The environmental information gathering sensor 120 may include at least one of a wind speed sensor, a wind direction sensor, and a temperature sensor.

[0062] The environmental information collecting sensor 120 can sense surrounding environment information such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, etc. The surrounding environment information sensed by the environmental information collecting sensor 120 is used to predict the diffusion pattern of the spilled chemical substance.

[0063] The alarm device 130 can issue an alarm consisting of at least one of a sound, a light, and a vibration in response to an alarm control signal transmitted from the controller 100. For example, the alarm device 130 can include at least one of a speaker, a light device, and a vibration device.

[0064] Various leakage states of the chemical substance are determined based on at least one of the chemical substance information detected by the chemical substance detection device 110 and the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance predicted based on the surrounding environment information sensed by the environment information collection sensor 120. The alarm device 130 can issue various types of alarms corresponding to various leakage states.

[0065] For example, the alarm device 130 may provide a first alarm corresponding to a first spill condition of a chemical, provide a second alarm corresponding to a second spill condition different from the first spill condition, and issue a third alarm corresponding to a third spill condition different from the first and second spill conditions.

[0066] Here, the first alarm, the second alarm, and the third alarm are issued as alarms different from each other. For example, the first alarm includes at least one of one type of sound and one color of lighting, the second alarm includes at least one of one type of sound and one color of lighting different from the first alarm, and the third alarm includes at least one of one type of sound and one color of lighting different from the first alarm and the second alarm.

[0067] In this way, the alarm device 130 issues different alarms according to the leakage status of different chemical substances, which has the advantage that the user can quickly recognize various situations and take appropriate countermeasures, thereby preventing the escalation of accidents caused by chemical substances that are harmful to the human body.

[0068] The image camera 140 can capture an image of an external object. The image camera 140 can include at least one of a thermal imaging camera and an RGB camera.

[0069] The image camera 140 can obtain image information of a sensing target by sensing an optical signal output from a light source and reflected by the sensing target. In this specification, the image camera 140 can include a light source, a pixel array, and an optical sensing circuit. The light source can include a plurality of light emitting elements (e.g., Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL), LED, etc.) that output an optical signal of a specific wavelength band. The pixel array includes a plurality of pixels, and each pixel can include a plurality of optical sensing elements (e.g., photodiodes, etc.) and a color filter (e.g., RGB filter).

[0070] The image camera 140 may also include a depth camera, which may be referred to as a distance sensor, such as a LiDAR device.

[0071] The image camera 140 may have a single camera structure including at least one of a thermal imaging camera and an RGB camera and a depth camera, which has the advantage of achieving a compact form factor for the image camera 140.

[0072] The images captured by the image camera 140 are used to detect the spill of chemicals. More specifically, the images captured in real time by the image camera 140 can be analyzed to determine whether or not there is a spill of chemicals.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 3, the chemical spill warning system 30 according to an embodiment may include a main housing 70 in which a controller 100, an environmental information collecting sensor 120, and an image camera 140 are installed.

[0074] The main housing 70 provides an internal space in which the controller 100, the environmental information collecting sensor 120, and the image camera 140 are installed, and can prevent the controller 100, the environmental information collecting sensor 120, and the image camera 140 from being damaged by an external impact. In this case, a sensing unit of the environmental information collecting sensor 120 and a lens unit of the image camera 140 may be configured to be exposed to the outside of the main housing 70.

[0075] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the environmental information collecting sensor 120 and the image camera 140 may be provided outside the main housing 70.

[0076] A fixing frame 80 is provided at the bottom of the main housing 70. The fixing frame 80 is configured to be fixed to a location where the chemical spill warning system 30 is to be installed.

[0077] For example, the fixed frame 80 may be embodied in a tripod shape including a first leg 81, a second leg 82, and a third leg 83. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the fixed frame 80 may be embodied in various shapes other than a tripod shape.

[0078] A chemical substance detection device 110 is provided on the main housing 70. A first tilting part 90 is provided between the main housing 70 and the chemical substance detection device 110.

[0079] The chemical substance detection device 110 is connected to the main housing 70 via a first tilting part 90, and the attitude of the chemical substance detection device 110 is changed by controlling the driving of the first tilting part 90. For example, the chemical substance detection device 110 can rotate up, down, left, and right as the first tilting part 90 is driven.

[0080] Meanwhile, a second tilting part 91 is provided between the fixed frame 80 and the main housing 70. The main housing 70 is connected to the fixed frame 80 via the second tilting part 91, and the attitude of the main housing 70 is changed by controlling the driving of the second tilting part 91. For example, the main housing 70 can rotate up, down, left and right as the second tilting part 91 is driven.

[0081] The alarm device 130 is connected to the chemical detection device 110. For example, the alarm device 130 may be provided at the bottom of the chemical detection device 110.

[0082] However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the alarm device 130 may be provided separately from the chemical detection device 110 without being connected thereto. For example, the alarm device 130 may be provided inside the main housing 70 or outside the main housing 70.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 4, the chemical spill warning system 30 is fixed at a particular location and is capable of observing a monitoring area MA that is spaced a predetermined distance apart.

[0084] For example, the chemical spill warning system 30 can capture images of the monitoring area MA in real time using the image camera 140, and detect chemical substance information for the monitoring area MA using the chemical substance detection device 110. Here, the monitoring area MA can be various types of industrial sites where chemical substances are leaked, such as semiconductor factories.

[0085] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the controller 100.

[0086] 5, the controller 100 may include a processor 101, a memory 102, a main input unit 103, and a communication unit 104. The controller 100 may further include the main input unit 103 connected to the processor 101.

[0087] The memory 102 stores one or more programs including instruction words. The one or more programs are executed by the processor 101.

[0088] The processor 101 can perform a preset operation based on an input signal input from the main input unit 103. The main input unit 103 is installed on the main housing 70. The main input unit 103 may be a button-type or dial-type input device, but is not limited to this. The power on / off of the controller 100 is controlled via the main input unit 103.

[0089] The communication unit 104 can communicate with the processor 101, the chemical substance detection device 110, the environmental information collecting sensor 120, the alarm device 130, and the image camera 140 using methods such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, RFID, WLAN, and Wibro. For example, data on chemical substances acquired by the chemical substance detection device 110, data on environmental information sensed by the environmental information collecting sensor 120, and data on images captured by the image camera 140 are transmitted to the communication unit 104.

[0090] The communication unit 104 may also communicate with external devices to transmit and receive data, for example, with the central server 10 and the computing device 20.

[0091] The processor 101 executes a program stored in the memory to generate an alarm control signal based on various data received from the chemical substance detection device 110, the environmental information collection sensor 120, and the image camera 140. A method in which the processor 101 generates the alarm control signal and causes the alarm device 130 to issue an alarm will be described below with reference to Figures 6 to 15.

[0092] -Method of providing chemical spill alerts

[0093] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method for providing a chemical spill warning (S100) according to an embodiment. Figure 7 is for explaining a warning data set 40 in which various chemical spill conditions stored in memory 102 are matched with various warning control signals. Figure 8 is for explaining an image camera 140 identifying a chemical spill area according to an embodiment.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 6, a method for providing a chemical spill warning (S100) according to one embodiment is a method for providing a chemical spill warning using a chemical spill monitoring system 1 including a chemical spill warning system 30.

[0095] The method for providing a chemical spill warning (S100) may include a step of sensing external environmental information (S110), a step of acquiring chemical substance data (S120), a step of predicting a diffusion pattern of the chemical substance (S130), a step of detecting chemical substance information (S140), and a step of issuing a warning (S150).

[0096] In the step of sensing external environmental information (S110), the controller 100 may sense environmental information external to the chemical spill warning system 30 using the environmental information collecting sensor 120. Here, the environmental information may include information related to at least one of wind speed, wind direction, and temperature sensed using the environmental information collecting sensor 120.

[0097] In the step (S120) of acquiring data on chemical substances, the controller 100 can acquire data on chemical substances using the chemical substance detection device 110. The chemical substance detection device 110 can acquire data on chemical substances flowing out within the monitoring area at a position separated from the monitoring area.

[0098] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 8, in the step of acquiring chemical substance data (S120), the processor 101 can identify chemical substance spill areas 51, 52 through analysis of the image 50 of the monitoring area captured by the image camera 140.

[0099] For example, the processor 101 can use an artificial neural network to identify a first chemical outflow area 51 and a second chemical outflow area 52 based on an image 50 of the monitoring area. Here, the first chemical outflow area 51 and the second chemical outflow area 52 are areas that include outlets through which the chemicals are discharged.

[0100] The processor 101 can control the attitude of the chemical detection device 110 so that the chemical detection device 110 faces the outflow area 51 of the first chemical substance and the outflow area 52 of the second chemical substance. This allows more precise acquisition of data on the chemical substance in the area where the chemical substance is outflowed.

[0101] In the step of predicting the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance (S130), the processor 101 can predict the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance leaking within the monitoring area based on the environmental information.

[0102] In particular, the processor 101 can use information on wind speed, wind direction, and / or temperature to calculate the diffusion pattern of the chemical and can back-trace the diffusion pattern to calculate the coordinates of the expected release point of the chemical.

[0103] In this case, the processor 101 may use an artificial neural network (ANN) to calculate the chemical diffusion pattern and the coordinates of the expected spill points.

[0104] Here, the artificial neural network (ANN) may include a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), or a generative adversarial network (GAN), and may be implemented within the processor 101 or as a separate processor outside the processor 101.

[0105] In the step of detecting chemical substance information (S140), the processor 101 can detect the chemical substance information based on the data of the chemical substance. For example, the chemical substance information may be information on at least one of the type and concentration of the chemical substance.

[0106] In the step of issuing an alarm (S150), the processor 101 can issue an alarm based on at least one of the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance and the chemical substance information.

[0107] In detail, the processor 101 can generate various alarm control signals based on an alarm data set 40 in which various chemical spill conditions set based on at least one of a chemical diffusion pattern and chemical information are matched with various alarm control signals.

[0108] The alarm control signal generated by the processor 101 is transmitted to the alarm device 130 via the communication unit 104, thereby enabling the alarm device 130 to issue various types of alarms.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 7, in the case of a first state in which a spill-permitted chemical included in a list of spill-permitted chemicals pre-set and stored in memory 102 is detected and the diffusion pattern of the spill-permitted chemical is determined to exceed the range of the reference diffusion pattern, the processor 101 can generate a first alarm control signal.

[0110] In addition, in a second state in which a non-spillage chemical that is not included in the spillage permitted chemical list is detected and the diffusion pattern of the non-spillage chemical is determined to be within the range of the reference diffusion pattern, the processor 101 can generate a second alarm control signal.

[0111] Here, the range of the diffusion pattern may include at least one of the diffusion rate and diffusion range of the chemical substance.

[0112] Furthermore, in the event of a third condition in which a non-spillage chemical not included in the spillage permitted chemical list is detected and the diffusion pattern of the non-spillage chemical is determined to exceed the range of the reference diffusion pattern, the processor 101 may generate a third alarm control signal.

[0113] In this way, by issuing different alarms according to the leakage status of different chemical substances, the user can quickly recognize various situations and take appropriate countermeasures, thereby having the advantage of being able to prevent the escalation of accidents caused by chemical substances that are harmful to the human body.

[0114] FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a method for providing a chemical spill warning (S200) according to another embodiment.

[0115] Steps S210, S220, S230, and S240 of the method for providing a chemical spill warning (S200) of FIG. 9 are substantially the same as steps S110, S120, S130, and S140 of the method for providing a chemical spill warning (S100) of FIG.

[0116] In the explanation of FIG. 9, the contents that overlap with FIG. 10 will be omitted.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 9, the method for providing a chemical spill warning (S200) may include a step of sensing external environmental information (S210), a step of acquiring chemical substance data (S220), a step of predicting a diffusion pattern of the chemical substance (S230), a step of detecting chemical substance information (S240), a step of determining whether the detected chemical substance is included in the list of chemical substances permitted to be spilled (S250), a step of issuing a first warning (S260), a step of determining whether the range of the diffusion pattern of the detected chemical substance falls outside the range of a reference diffusion pattern (S270), and a step of issuing a second warning (S280).

[0118] In the step (S250) of determining whether the detected chemical substance is included in the list of permitted spillage chemical substances, the processor 101 can determine whether the detected chemical substance is included in the list of permitted spillage chemical substances that is preset and stored in the memory 102. The chemical substances included in the list of permitted spillage chemical substances are chemical substances that are commonly spilled at the industrial site and are harmful to the human body.

[0119] If it is determined that the detected chemical is included in the list of allowed spill chemicals, the processor 101 may again return to step S210.

[0120] If it is determined that the detected chemical is not included in the list of allowed spill chemicals, the processor 101 may perform step S250.

[0121] In issuing a first alarm (S260), the processor 101 may generate a first alarm control signal corresponding to a condition in which a chemical not included in the spill allowed chemical list has been detected.

[0122] The first alarm control signal is transmitted to the alarm device 130, thereby enabling the alarm device 130 to issue a first alarm corresponding to the first alarm control signal.

[0123] For example, the first alarm may include at least one of a type of sound and a color of light.

[0124] In a step (S270) of determining whether the range of the diffusion pattern of the detected chemical falls outside the range of the reference diffusion pattern, the processor 101 can determine whether the diffusion range of the diffusion pattern of a chemical not included in the list of permitted spill chemicals falls outside the range of a predetermined reference diffusion pattern.

[0125] Here, the range of the diffusion pattern may include at least one of the diffusion rate and diffusion range of the chemical substance.

[0126] For example, it can be determined whether the diffusion rate and diffusion range of the chemical substance calculated based on the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance predicted in step S230 falls outside the range of a reference diffusion pattern preset and stored in memory 102. The range of the reference diffusion pattern may be preset by a user or updated in real time by server 10 or computing device 20.

[0127] If it is determined that the diffusion range of the diffusion pattern of a chemical not included in the spill-allowed chemical list does not fall outside the range of a preset reference diffusion pattern, execution of the chemical spill warning providing method of processor 101 can be terminated.

[0128] When it is determined that the diffusion range of the diffusion pattern of a chemical substance not included in the list of permitted spill chemical substances is outside the range of the preset reference diffusion pattern, the processor 101 can perform step S280.

[0129] In the step of issuing a second alarm (S280), the processor 101 can generate a second alarm control signal corresponding to a state in which the diffusion range of the diffusion pattern of a chemical not included in the spill-allowed chemical list falls outside the range of a preset reference diffusion pattern.

[0130] The second alarm control signal is transmitted to the alarm device 130, thereby enabling the alarm device 130 to issue a second alarm corresponding to the second alarm control signal.

[0131] For example, the second alarm may include a different type of sound and / or color of light than the first alarm.

[0132] Fig. 10 is a flow chart of a method for providing a chemical spill warning (S300) according to yet another embodiment. Fig. 11 is for explaining a step of photographing a first target detection area a1 and a second target detection area a2. Fig. 12 is for explaining a step of determining a first attitude of the image camera 140.

[0133] Steps S370, S371, S380, and S381 in FIG. 10 are substantially the same as steps S250, S260, S270, and S280, respectively, in the method for providing a chemical spill warning (S200) in FIG.

[0134] In the explanation of FIG. 10, the contents that overlap with FIG. 9 will be omitted.

[0135] As shown in FIG. 10, the method for providing a chemical spill warning (S300) may include a step of identifying a plurality of target detection areas (S310), a step of photographing an arbitrary first target detection area a1 and a second target detection area a2 among the plurality of target detection areas (S320), a step of determining a first attitude of the image camera 140 for photographing the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2 so as not to overlap (S330), a step of determining a second attitude of the chemical detection device 110 (S340), a step of detecting chemical information for the first target detection area and the second target detection area (S350), a step of predicting a diffusion pattern of the chemical substance (S360), a step of determining whether the detected chemical substance is included in the list of chemical substances permitted to be spilled (S370), a step of issuing a first warning (S371), a step of determining whether the range of the diffusion pattern of the detected chemical substance falls outside the range of a reference diffusion pattern (S380), and a step of issuing a second warning (S381).

[0136] In the step of identifying a plurality of target detection regions (S310), the processor 101 may identify a plurality of target detection regions based on three-dimensional spatial modeling data of the monitoring area.

[0137] For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the processor 101 can use an artificial neural network to identify multiple target detection areas a1, a2, a3 where chemicals are leaking based on three-dimensional spatial modeling data for the monitoring area provided by the central server 10 or computing device 20.

[0138] Here, the first target detection area a1 is the entrance of the first outlet k1, the second target detection area a2 is the entrance of the second outlet k2, and the third target detection area a3 is the entrance of the third outlet k3.

[0139] In the step (S320) of photographing any first target detection area a1 and second target detection area a2 among the plurality of target detection areas, the processor 101 may cause the image camera 140 to photograph the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2. In this case, the processor 101 may control the operation of the second tilting unit 91 to cause the image camera 140 to photograph the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2 in various attitudes.

[0140] 12(a), the image camera 140 can capture an image of the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2 overlapping each other. Therefore, although the chemical substance is actually discharged from the second outlet k2, the image camera 140 can capture an image in which the chemical substance appears to be discharged from the first outlet k1 located in front of the second outlet k2.

[0141] This allows the processor 101 to control the operation of the first tilting unit 90 so that the chemical substance detection device 110 faces the first outlet k1 in order to obtain data on the chemical substance for the first outlet k1, thereby controlling the attitude of the chemical substance detection device 110.

[0142] In this case, since detection of chemical substances is performed for the first outlet k1 from which no chemical substances are actually discharged, the accuracy of the method of providing an alarm based on chemical substance information may decrease.

[0143] In a step (S330) of determining a first attitude of the image camera 140 that captures the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2 so that they do not overlap, the processor 101 can determine a first attitude of the image camera 140 that captures the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2 so that they do not overlap, during the process of capturing the monitoring area while changing the attitude of the image camera 140 in real time.

[0144] For example, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the processor 101 can change the attitude of the image camera 140 in real time so that the image camera 140 can capture an image in which the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2 do not overlap.

[0145] In the step of determining the second attitude of the chemical substance detection device 110 (S340), the processor 101 can determine the second attitude of the chemical substance detection device 110 based on the first attitude of the image camera 140.

[0146] Here, the second attitude is an attitude in which chemical substance detection device 110 faces second target detection region a2 into which the chemical substance actually flows out.

[0147] For example, the attitude of the chemical detection device 110 can be changed by analyzing an image captured by the image camera 140 in a first attitude in which the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2 do not overlap, and controlling the operation of the first tilting unit 90 so that the chemical detection device 110 moves toward the second target detection area a2, which is identified as the point where the chemical substance is leaking.

[0148] In a step (S350) of detecting chemical substance information for the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2, the processor 101 can operate the chemical substance detection device 110 to obtain chemical substance data for the first target detection area a1 and the second target detection area a2.

[0149] In the step of predicting a diffusion pattern of a chemical substance (S360), the processor 101 can sense external environmental information using the environmental information collecting sensor 120 and predict a diffusion pattern of the chemical substance based on the environmental information.

[0150] In this way, the processor 101 can change the attitude of the image camera 140 and the chemical detection device 110 to detect leaking chemicals in a state where any first target detection area a1 and any second target detection area a2 among the multiple target detection areas do not overlap, and can issue an appropriate alarm accordingly.

[0151] Fig. 13 is a flowchart of a method for providing a chemical spill warning according to yet another embodiment (S400). Fig. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the step (S440) of correcting the prediction result of the first diffusion pattern in Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a flowchart for explaining the step (S440) of correcting the prediction result of the first diffusion pattern in Fig. 14.

[0152] Steps S450, S460, S470, and S480 in FIG. 13 are substantially the same as steps S250, S260, S270, and S280 in the method for providing a chemical spill warning (S200) in FIG. 9, respectively.

[0153] In explaining FIG. 13, the contents overlapping with FIG. 9 will be omitted.

[0154] As shown in FIG. 13, the method for providing a chemical spill warning (S400) may include a step of identifying a plurality of target detection areas (S410), a step of acquiring data of a first chemical for a first target detection area a4 (S420), a step of predicting a first diffusion pattern of the chemical leaking in the first target detection area a4 (S430), a step of correcting the predicted result of the first diffusion pattern (S440), a step of determining whether the detected chemical is included in the list of permitted chemicals to be spilled (S450), a step of issuing a first warning (S460), a step of determining whether the range of the diffusion pattern of the detected chemical falls outside the range of a reference diffusion pattern (S470), and a step of issuing a second warning (S480).

[0155] In the step of identifying a plurality of target detection regions (S410), the processor 101 may identify a plurality of target detection regions based on three-dimensional spatial modeling data of the monitoring area.

[0156] For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the processor 101 can use an artificial neural network to identify multiple target detection areas a4, a5, a6, a7, and a8 where chemicals are leaking based on three-dimensional spatial modeling data for the monitoring area provided by the central server 10 or computing device 20.

[0157] Here, the first target detection area a4 is the entrance to the first exhaust outlet k4, the second target detection area a5 is the entrance to the second exhaust outlet k5, the third target detection area a6 is the entrance to the third exhaust outlet k6, the fourth target detection area a7 is the entrance to the fourth exhaust outlet k7, and the fifth target detection area a8 is the entrance to the fifth exhaust outlet k8.

[0158] In a step (S420) of acquiring data on a first chemical substance for the first target detection area a4, the processor 101 can control the chemical substance detection device 110 to acquire data on a chemical substance for any first target detection area a4 among the multiple target detection areas a4, a5, a6, a7, and a8.

[0159] In a step (S430) of predicting a first diffusion pattern of the chemical substance flowing out in the first target detection area a4, the processor 101 controls the environmental information collection sensor 120 to sense external environmental information, and predicts the first diffusion pattern of the chemical substance flowing out in the first target detection area a4 based on the environmental information.

[0160] In this case, the external environmental information sensed through the environmental information collecting sensor 120 is environmental information surrounding the chemical spill warning system 30 installed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the first target detection area a4, so the first diffusion pattern predicted based on this is somewhat inaccurate.

[0161] In a step (S440) of correcting the predicted result of the first diffusion pattern, the processor 101 can correct the predicted result of the first diffusion pattern based on a second diffusion pattern of a chemical substance flowing out in a second target detection area different from the first target detection area.

[0162] In detail, as shown in FIG. 14, in the step of correcting the predicted result of the first diffusion pattern (S440), the processor 101 can group the first target detection area a4 with at least one other target detection area that is within a critical range from the first target detection area a4 (S441).

[0163] For example, the processor 101 may group the second target detection area a5, which is within a critical range from the first target detection area a4, into a first group G1 with the first target detection area a4, where the critical range may be preset by a user or transmitted from the central server 10 or the computing device 20.

[0164] Also, in the step of correcting the predicted result of the first diffusion pattern (S440), the processor 101 may calculate a second diffusion pattern of the chemical substance flowing out from the second target detection area a5 by analyzing the image of the second target detection area a5 captured via the image camera 140. The processor 101 may calculate a correction value of the first diffusion pattern based on the second diffusion pattern (S442).

[0165] Furthermore, in the step of correcting the predicted result of the first spreading pattern (S440), the processor 101 can apply the correction value of the first spreading pattern to correct the first spreading pattern predicted in advance.

[0166] In this manner, by correcting the diffusion pattern of a detected chemical, the accuracy of the method for providing a chemical spill warning based on the corrected diffusion pattern can be improved.

[0167] The embodiments of the present invention described above may be embodied in the form of program instructions executable by various computer components and recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be specially designed and constructed for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROMs, RAMs, flash memories, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those produced by a compiler, but also high-level language codes executable by a computer using an interpreter, and the like. The hardware devices may be replaced by one or more software modules to perform the processes according to the present invention, and vice versa.

[0168] The embodiments described in the present invention are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In order to simplify the specification, descriptions of conventional electronic configurations, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the system may be omitted. In addition, the line connections or connecting members between components shown in the drawings are illustrative of functional connections and / or physical or circuit connections, and in an actual device, various alternative or additional functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections are shown. In addition, unless specifically mentioned as "essential" or "importantly", the components are not necessary for the application of the present invention.

[0169] Furthermore, although the detailed description of the present invention has described preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that a person having ordinary knowledge in the art can make various modifications and changes to the present invention without departing from the spirit and technical scope of the present invention as described in the claims below. [Industrial Applicability]

[0170] The present invention has industrial applicability in that it can enhance safety at advanced industrial sites such as the semiconductor industry and the display industry, which indispensably use a wide variety of harmful gases, including fluorine-based, chlorine-based, bromine-based, and nitric acid-based acid gases, and basic gases such as ammonia and amines, by efficiently sensing harmful gases and harmful chemicals that may leak due to accidents and providing related alarms. [Explanation of symbols]

[0171] 100: Controller 101: Processor 102: Memory 103: Main input section 104: Communications Department 110: Chemical detection equipment 120: Environmental information gathering sensor 130: Alarm device 140: Image camera

Claims

1. A chemical spill warning system that is installed at a location separated from a monitoring area where a chemical spill occurs and detects the spill of the chemical and issues a warning, A chemical substance detection device for acquiring data on chemical substances flowing out in the monitoring area; an environmental information collecting sensor that senses external environmental information; a controller including a memory storing one or more programs including instructions, and a processor executing the programs to predict a diffusion pattern of a chemical substance based on the environmental information, detect chemical substance information based on the data of the chemical substance, and generate an alarm control signal based on at least one of the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance and the chemical substance information; an alarm device that issues an alarm corresponding to the alarm control signal transmitted from the controller; an image camera for capturing images of external objects; Including, The processor identifies a plurality of target detection areas based on three-dimensional spatial modeling data of the monitoring area, and determines a posture of the image camera for photographing any two of the plurality of target detection areas so that the target detection areas do not overlap. Chemical spill warning system.

2. The alarm corresponds to a spill condition determined by at least one of the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance and the chemical substance information, and includes at least one of sound, lighting, and vibration.

2. The chemical spill warning system of claim 1.

3. The chemical substance information includes at least one of the type and concentration of the chemical substance.

2. The chemical spill warning system of claim 1.

4. The processor determines whether the detected chemical is included in a list of permitted spill chemicals stored in the memory, and if the detected chemical is not included in the list of permitted spill chemicals, generates and transmits to the alarm device a first alarm control signal that causes the alarm device to issue a first alarm.

4. The chemical spill warning system of claim 3.

5. The processor generates and transmits to the alarm device a second alarm control signal that causes the alarm device to issue a second alarm different from the first alarm when the diffusion range of the diffusion pattern of the chemical substance not included in the list of permitted spilled chemical substances falls outside the range of the reference diffusion pattern stored in the memory.

5. The chemical spill warning system of claim 4.

6. The first alarm includes at least one of one type of sound and one color of lighting, The second alarm includes at least one of a sound type and a light color different from those of the first alarm.

6. A chemical spill warning system according to claim 5.

7. The range of the diffusion pattern includes at least one of a diffusion rate and a diffusion range of a chemical substance.

6. A chemical spill warning system according to claim 5.

8. The processor identifies an area of ​​the chemical substance spill through analysis of an image of the monitoring area captured by the image camera, and controls the attitude of the chemical substance detection device so that the chemical substance detection device moves toward the identified area of ​​the chemical substance spill.

2. The chemical spill warning system of claim 1.

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