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The open HART protocol improves the flow of diagnostic information from process instruments including optical flame detectors and combustible/toxic gas detectors.

User benefits of Det-Tronics HART-enabled flame detectors and gas detectors include faster commissioning and enhanced maintenance efficiency. Typical flame and/or gas detector configuration options accessible via HART communications include:

• Real-time clock setting
• Selection of calibration-gas types
• Zero and span gas calibration
• Optics cleanliness/optical integrity test information
• Custom descriptor information, such as installed date, by whom, where, and type of gas to be detected

For more information, please read this brief article written by Det-Tronics managers (Dave Opheim and John Jarvis) and recently published in PETRO Industry News. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at rss@det-tronics.com .

Detecting a sulfur fire is not simple. Very difficult to see with the human eye or a camera, burning sulfur generates a low intensity, blue flame that is a source of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Sulfur combustion does not produce water vapor. Therefore, the standard UV flame detector, which uses a nickel sensor ultraviolet tube, will not work. To detect sulfur flames effectively, a UV detector using a molybdenum (moly) sensing element is recommended. Moly-based sensors have an increased spectral range of 1850 to 2650 angstroms, well suited to detecting burning sulfur.

The problem of detecting burning sulfur is compounded when it is stored in large piles that have irregularities that may cause the flames to be hidden from the detector. Therefore, careful detector placement is essential when designing the flame detection system.

Read more in this sulfur flame detection application note . Please contact us at rss@det-tronics.com if you have questions about sulfur-flame hazards.

Globally, safety standards play a key role in designing and executing gas and flame detection projects. These standards, which might seem cumbersome at times, can help engineers make informed decisions. The information in standards can be used to assist in maximizing safety.

In general, four classifications of standards are most relevant to flame and gas detection devices and systems:

- Hazardous Location
- Ingress Protection
- Performance
- Safety Integrity Level (SIL)

This brief paper , presented at last year’s ISA Analytic Division Symposium, can give some insight into using standards and certifications to improve safety.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at rss@det-tronics.com .

This week the certification and consulting firm – exida – announced another certification for Det-Tronics.

exida certified the Det-Tronics X3301 IR Flame Detector per IEC61508 as Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 2 capable, single use (Hardware Fault Tolerance=0). The product design and development processes were also assessed as suitable for applications up to and including SIL 2.

“The assessment verified that Det-Tronics’ product development processes and product hardware design meet the high quality standards and safety integrity requirements of the IEC 61508 safety standard,” says Michael Medoff, senior safety engineer at exida. “A Failure Modes, Effects, and Diagnostic Analysis (FMEDA) was done as part of the hardware assessment. This analysis was validated by the field failure study. The combination shows an accurate picture of the random failure rates and demonstrates compliance with SIL 2.”

If you have questions about this certification, please contact us at rss@det-tronics.com.

A scientist would not use a microscope to observe stars in the sky. It’s a misapplication of technology. In the same way, a safety engineer would not use an infrared-spectrum-based flame detector to detect sulfur fires. That’s because certain optical flame detectors are better suited than others to detecting given flame hazards.

Current technologies and algorithms enable detectors to be sensitive to certain fuel fires. The technologies widely used today are based on UV and IR sensors, and combinations of UV and IR sensors. Following is a brief summary of optical flame detectors and the hazards they best detect: (more…)

Under day-to-day conditions, people cannot see, smell, or taste the presence of hydrogen gas. Hydrogen, however, is very flammable and requires only a small amount of energy to ignite. In fact, if leaking from a pipe at a high enough pressure, hydrogen gas can self ignite without the aid of an external energy source.

Working together, gas detectors and optical flame detectors can quickly identify a gas leak or the resulting flame.

For example, an enclosed battery room can contain hydrogen generated from the (more…)

When incorporated into flame detectors and gas detectors, the HART communication protocol enables efficient device set up, maintenance, and diagnostics.

Set up: Whether in the control room or in the field, users can configure or change device settings using a variety of tools -– Det-Tronics’ FlexVu® Universal Display, a HART communicator, or an asset management system.

Maintenance: Modifications to device settings are simple with HART protocol. By sending a single command, a user can perform many tasks such as reviewing logs or adjusting alarm and warning set points. In addition, a user can accurately assess device conditions (such as fault frequency) and prepare for tasks before venturing into the field.

Diagnostics: Automatically generated event logs present viewable history and possibilities for improvements. Time- and date-stamped records of activities such as calibration and device replacement provide regulatory-compliance evidence for system audits.

All of Det-Tronics X-Series flame detectors and many of its gas detectors are HART enabled. If you have questions, please contact us at RSS@det-tronics.com.

Optical flame detectors are ideal for rapid fire detection in turbine enclosures. Properly placed detectors can spot and annunciate fires quickly before they cause damage.

Most current ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), UVIR, and multi-IR detectors see fires that are typically associated with turbine enclosures: natural gas, propane, fuel oil, and lubrication oil. Therefore, selecting a detection technology for use in a turbine enclosure depends more on false-alarm rejection and maintenance. For that reason, multi-IR and IR detectors are (more…)

When a flame detector is installed, ideally it has a clear view of the potential hazard to which it is assigned. But life happens. Facilities change. Facilities expand. New pipes might be installed. Hazardous areas might move. 

Ask yourself if your detectors have been adjusted to keep up with the changes.

Recently, we performed a site survey with a customer who had a completely healthy flame detector that unfortunately was optically obscured by a newly installed water pipe sitting 4 inches in front of its optical sensor. Just six months before, the detector had been successfully monitoring a hazardous area for a potential hydrocarbon flame.

Make sure you adjust your hazard detection as your needs change.

Remember that Det-Tronics can help with advice. We have knowledge and tools that will assist you. The action could be as simple as using a laser aimer (cone-of-vision tester) which attaches to the face of a detector and shows the area monitored by the detector.

Take a careful tour of your area and contact us for assistance. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at rss@det-tronics.com.

People who have worked in a facility that has a hydrogen fire risk might be familiar with the straw-broom technique for detecting the nearly invisible hydrogen-fire hazard. The scenario looks something like this . . .

A worker walks slowly near hydrogen lines and sweeps the air ahead using a dry straw broom. If the broom catches fire, the worker stops immediately and knows a hydrogen fire is present.

Some facilities use this method still today. Fortunately, flame detector manufacturers apply more sophisticated methods beyond the broom: optical flame detection. Because hydrogen fires produce only (more…)