Main Article Content
Abstract
Leakage during aircraft refueling operations is one of the problems that can potentially cause material losses, environmental pollution, and fire hazards that may compromise aviation operational safety. This research focuses on the design and development of a prototype ealry leak detection system for aircraft refueling procces simulation using flow rate sensors and an arduino uno microcontroller. The objective of this study is to develop a system capable of detecting flow rate differences and providing early warnings when leakage indications occur. The research employed the Research and Development (R&D) method, which consisted of the stages of system design, assembly, programing, and testing. The system applies a flow rate comparison principle between the inlet and outlet side using to YF-S201 flow rate sensors integrated with an arduino uno as the data processing unit. The processed data are displayed on a 16x2 LCD and accompanied by a buzzer warning whenever a leakage indication is detected. Testing was conducted using water as a simulation fluid under three scenarios, normal condition, minor leakage, and significant leakage. The result showed that the flow rate sensors achieved an average accuracy of 99.69% with an average error of 0.31%. The system was able to identify lakage with a flow difference of 0.5%-3.0% as minor leakage, indicated by intermittent warnings, while difference above 3.0% were classified as significant leakage, indicated by continuous warning. The system also implemented a 60 second validation mechanism to reduce the potential for false alarms caused by flow fluctuations during pump startup. Based on the results, the prototype successfully functioned as an early leak detection system and has the potential to improve safety in aircraft refueling operations