Internet-based Early Warning System

Abstract iii Internet Technology is increasingly influencing the way we live and work. Homes having Internet access are becoming a norm everywhere. In the UK alone, there are nearly 8 million households with Internet access at home according to a new government figure. Internet access worldwide is growing at a rate of about 40 to 50 percent annually. Money investments in e-commerce by companies are also growing rapidly. The Internet has already become an essential tool for communication for both people at home and at work. It also creates a whole new market for business of all kinds. In fact, many companies are already working, developing and providing all sorts of Internet-based services and applications for people at home. The main driving force behind this was the development of the e-service system and growing consumer demand for interactive service that provides for better living, convenience, security and entertainment. The aim of this project was to create and provide an Internet-based service that could bring benefits to both the energy sectors and end users. There are also considerable benefits for the environment. At the same time the quality of life can be improved for users who subscribe to such a system. The proposed services developed within this study can be classified as “Internet-based Early Warning Systems”. The main objective of a service such as this would be to provide early warnings to a system supervisor responsible for monitoring and acting on any alert conditions. Early actions could then be taken to prevent any problem situations from occurring or to minimise any negative impacts. This can benefit the customer and also the environment. The project work started with a literature review and covered the general development of the e-service system. Areas of application for an early warning system were considered. These are addressed in the report. The application chosen for implementation was that of “Gas Leak Detection”. In essence, this is aimed at providing protection to consumers against of possibility of gas leaks and subsequent danger of explosion.