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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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Aalborg low cost Air Quality Sensor Network: A pilot project implementation

Translated title

Aalborg lavpris luftkvalitetssensor netværk: en pilotprojekt implementering

Author

Term

4. semester

Publication year

2018

Submitted on

Pages

84

Abstract

Smarte byer verden over bruger i dag trådløs teknologi og Internet of Things (IoT) til at udvide deres overvågning, vurdering og analyse af miljøparametre som luftkvalitet. Tætbebyggede byområder er ofte mest forurenede og udgør en stor risiko for direkte menneskelig eksponering. Dette speciale designer og iværksætter et pilotprojekt med et lavprisnetværk af luftkvalitetssensorer for en mellemstor by med fokus på Aalborg. Det fastlægger, hvilke luftkvalitetsmål (metrics) der skal følges, en datastrategi (hvordan data indsamles, håndteres og anvendes), de anvendte metoder og muligheder for fremtidigt arbejde. Hovedspørgsmålet er: Hvordan kan implementeringen af et lavprisnetværk af luftkvalitetssensorer skabe værdi for Aalborg? Arbejdet omfatter udvælgelse og placering af lavprissensorer på tværs af Aalborg i forhold til lokale forhold; et litteraturreview, der understreger ansvarlighed i forhold til luftforurening og gennemgår lignende initiativer i andre byer; dokumentanalyse for at forstå instrumenterne og potentialet i deres målinger; geografisk analyse og feltobservationer til at beslutte placeringer; samt interviews med personer involveret i lignende projekter. Til sidst blev netværket etableret ved strategisk at installere trådløse sensorer for gasformige forurenende stoffer. Specialet afslutter med de første erfaringer fra implementeringen og forslag til, hvordan de indsamlede luftkvalitetsdata kan anvendes fremover.

Cities worldwide are increasingly using wireless technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) to expand how they monitor, assess, and analyze environmental conditions such as air quality. Densely built urban areas tend to have the highest pollution levels, creating significant risks from direct human exposure. This thesis designs and launches a pilot low-cost air quality sensor network for a medium-sized city, focusing on Aalborg. It defines which air quality metrics to track, a data strategy (how data are collected, managed, and used), the methods applied, and opportunities for future work. The main research question is: How can implementing a low-cost air quality sensor network deliver value to Aalborg? The work includes selecting and placing low-cost sensors across Aalborg according to local context; a literature review emphasizing accountability for air pollution and surveying similar city initiatives; document analysis to understand the instruments and the potential of their measurements; geographic analysis and field observations to guide sensor placement; and interviews with people involved in similar projects. Finally, the network was deployed by strategically installing wireless sensors for gaseous pollutants. The thesis concludes with first experiences from the pilot implementation and suggests ways the resulting air quality data could be used in the future.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]