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Offshore Safety Requirements for Toxic Gas Detection

Det-Tronics — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:04:05 +0000

The American Petroleum Institute, the governing body of offshore safety, requires all toxic gas detection devices to conform to the standard ISA92.0.01. As you design and update safety plans to protect offshore personnel, consider that requirement and the standard.

The Det-Tronics NTMOS hydrogen sulfide gas detector meets ISA92.0.01 and exceeds the directive in speed of response and environmental immunity. In addition, the detector’s high accuracy and stability coupled with speed of response have been proven in third-party performance testing. Tested in extreme temperatures and humidities, the NTMOS hydrogen sulfide gas detector is perfectly suited for harsh applications such as offshore oil exploration.

Please contact your local sales representative for further information on this life-safety product offered by Det-Tronics, or contact us at rss@det-tronics.com .

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Benefits of HART-Enabled Detectors

Det-Tronics — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:52:48 +0000

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 .

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Strategies for Sulfur Flame Detection

Det-Tronics — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:55:49 +0000

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.

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Improving Safety with Standards and Certifications

Det-Tronics — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:55:17 +0000

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 .

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Confidence in Hydrogen Sulfide Gas Detection

Det-Tronics — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:27:17 +0000

On average, a person takes 12 breaths per minute. Given the deadliness of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas, if a release occurs, an individual has a very few breaths – and a very few seconds – to get to safety. A gas detector that alerts people to the presence of H₂S gas in less than 5 seconds is essential.

Also essential: the gas detector must function as designed. The new Det-Tronics H₂S gas detector combines nanotechnology with a MOS sensor to achieve consistent speed (...)
Read the rest of Confidence in Hydrogen Sulfide Gas Detection (74 words)

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Exida Certifies Det-Tronics Flame Detector as SIL2 Capable

Det-Tronics — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:06:15 +0000

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.

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Detecting Hydrogen Sulfide Gas In Less Than Five Seconds

Det-Tronics — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:30:14 +0000

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas can cause nausea, headaches, unconsciousness, and death. Industries struggle to detect this deadly substance before it harms workers and communities. Safety system manufacturers have developed detectors that sense H₂S quickly and accurately.

Toxic gas detection technologies are advancing rapidly. In general, electrochemical sensors and metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors are the current proven detection technologies. Recently, Det-Tronics has added nanotechnology (NT) to its MOS sensors.

The new NTMOS hydrogen sulfide detector has several benefits beyond standard MOS. It responds faster: T50 can be under five seconds. In addition, Det-Tronics NTMOS sensors operate over large temperature and humidity ranges.

When choosing hydrogen sulfide gas detectors, look for performance approvals that indicate the detector is fit for use and will do the job it’s supposed to. Det-Tronics has earned those approvals.

Learn more here http://ntmos.det-tronics.com.

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

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Your Detection/Releasing System Should Have Proper Marine Approvals

Det-Tronics — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:15:21 +0000

Approval by the U.S. Coast Guard is required for flame and gas detection systems (including control panel, flame detectors, gas detectors, and accessories) in use where the USCG has jurisdiction – for example, in U.S. flagged vessels or vessels operating in U.S. waters. Mobile Drill Units (MoDUs) also can fall in that category.

Det-Tronics Eagle Quantum Premier (EQP) system has received Type-Approval from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and from Lloyd’s Register (http://eqp.det-tronics.com).

The U.S. Coast Guard certificate was awarded after rigorous Factory Mutual Approvals (FM) witness testing proved the system and components meet the stringent USCG performance criteria. The products were verified to meet the U.S. Coast Guard’s environmental requirements as described in 46 CFR 161.002.

Obtaining the meticulous Lloyd’s Register of Shipping approval further verifies that the flame and gas detection system meets their specified performance requirements and is acceptable for operational use.

“We are pleased to obtain certification from these respected organizations. The hundreds of offshore sites and floating platforms that Det-Tronics currently serves worldwide can be assured of their wise choice for safety,” says Simon Pate, Director of Systems and Projects at Det-Tronics.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us at rss@det-tronics.com.

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Match Optical Flame Detectors to the Proper Hazards

Det-Tronics — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:48:43 +0000

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:(...)
Read the rest of Match Optical Flame Detectors to the Proper Hazards (238 words)

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Easily Accessing Hazardous-Event Logs

Det-Tronics — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:16:37 +0000

One of the gas detectors near a storage tank sends an alert that a leaking flange has burped out some methane gas. The event must be verified and the possible hazardous condition corrected. Quick access to event logs stored in the gas detector’s memory or in the safety system’s database can provide the information necessary to better understand the event and thereby ensure proper repairs.

A data log stored in a safety system, accessible by local or remote PC, provides critical information such as timestamp and location for all events. Similar information is available directly from many field devices. To retrieve the information, a HART Handheld device can be used. But that is not necessary. (...)
Read the rest of Easily Accessing Hazardous-Event Logs (126 words)

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