What is Ammonia Gas?

As one of the most commonly produced industrial chemicals in the United States, ammonia gas is often used in agriculture and manufacturing as a crucial part of making an array of products. Chemically, it is a colorless gas with a pungent, suffocating odor that is highly corrosive. While it isn’t flammable, containers of ammonia gas can explode in high concentrations. Ammonia gas is essential for many biological processes and is also produced naturally from the decomposition of plants or animals.

Gas Detector Features

To keep employees safe from these hazards, many industrial facilities and laboratories rely on advanced ammonia detection systems to monitor the vapors in the air. Learn more about the various aspects of ammonia detection by understanding the five most important features.

1. Alarm integration
2. Pipe and equipment leak detection
3. Custom installation

1) Alarm Integration

In many industrial buildings and laboratories, ammonia leaks often take place in confined spaces where equipment breakdowns or malfunctions occur. Unfortunately, since these areas are difficult to monitor, many of these leaks go undetected until they become very dangerous. With alarm integration, ammonia detectors  can be part of a network of detectors connected to a common system. This system would monitor each detector and could activate audible/visual devices, turn off valves, and/or notify emergency personnel remotely.

2) Pipe and Equipment Leak Detection

When ammonia leaks occur, they are often due to pipes and equipment that have suffered from corrosion. Not only can this lead to dangerous situations for workers, but it can also result in companies having to spend thousands of dollars on repairs that may have been preventable. Since it is very difficult to guess the location of any future ammonia leaks, open-path detectors are preferred to monitor this gas at long distances.

3) Custom Installation

To the surprise of many people, ammonia leaks are some of the fastest-spreading leaks in industrial settings. According to experts, these leaks can increase in size by as much as 850 percent in only a matter of minutes, giving nearby personnel little time to evacuate. In addition, ammonia gas is lighter than air, which means it will rise and accumulate at the top of your building. An ammonia gas detector can be installed at any height on the wall and customized to your facility’s layout, giving you the ability to keep safe breathing zones at all times.

Reliable Ammonia Gas Detection Systems

Having an ammonia sensor installed in your gas detection system is the first step in keeping your employees safe from harm. Our gas detectors are built to withstand the toughest conditions so that you can focus on keeping your operations up and running.

Get in touch with our team for a customized quote for your facility.

The first step of proper gas detection placement is to identify the areas where natural gas is most present. Because natural gas is void of both color and odor, uncontrolled concentrations in the air can become very dangerous fairly quickly. For many facilities, enclosed areas or poorly ventilated areas near industrial equipment should be the first points of concern when installing gas detection systems. If gases can leak from anywhere in the room, then it’s necessary for you to monitor the whole room with multiple gas detectors.

Know the Density

When monitoring combustible gases, it’s important to know the density of the gases in question. Propane and gasoline gases have a higher density and are heavier than air, which means having a gas detection near the floor is most beneficial. Lower-density gases such as natural gas are lighter than air and are known to collect near the ceiling of a building. With that in mind, it would be best to install your fixed gas detector within inches of the ceiling.

Consider Ventilation Areas

Does your building have open windows or exhaust ducts? While good ventilation is necessary to lower the concentration of gases in your building, airflow can affect the performance of gas sensors. When you’re installing your gas detector, be sure to place it away from air ducts blowing fresh air or the opening of doors and windows. 

Determine Your Monitoring Limits

Fixed gas detectors are designed with a sensor that measures gas concentration on a continuous basis. Much like your nose, these sensors can only detect what’s within its coverage limit. If you can determine where leaks are most likely to occur, your gas detectors should be placed strategically to cover your entire area. When detecting gases, there are several things to keep in mind such as density of the gas, expected sources of leaks, i.e. seals, valves, etc., airflow, and expected sources of ignition.

Guard Against Natural Gas Leaks

Installing proper gas leak detection starts with knowing your working conditions and the properties of the dangerous gases in your vicinity. By identifying the leak sources and physical characteristics of your building, you can invest in a gas detection system that will meet your needs. 

Not sure where to start? Get in touch with our team for a one-on-one consultation to determine what kind of gas detector would protect you and your employees.

What Should a Gas Detector Have?

Deciding whether you need a gas detector or not shouldn’t be the question. If your facility handles materials that can adversely affect your health in the case of a leak, a gas detector is non-negotiable. As you start to research the different types of detectors, make sure these features are included.

1. Sensor Life Indication
2. Optional outputs
3. Smart Sensor Technology

1) Sensor Life Indication

How would a technician know when a sensor would need to be replaced if there is not a ‘visible expiration date’ on it? Typically a person would need to know how to look for tell-tale signs of sensor response to the target gas to be able to determine sensor life. This is a very tedious practice at best and subjective at worst. In order to eliminate the ‘human error’ and speed up the maintenance process, the sensor life indication has been made available. This takes guessing out of determining sensor life as well as reduces the cost of replacing sensors prematurely. 

There are 2 different ways to derive sensor life indications. One way is based on a simple timer. Companies determine a rough estimate of how many days and/or hours a sensor will last and use a general number as a count-down.

However, this method does not take into consideration what the sensor was exposed to and how many times. A better and more accurate way to determine sensor life is by actually measuring the sensor response to the calibration gas and converting the response to a meaningful display for the user. Displaying sensor life this way will take all guessing out of decision making, reduce inventory, and speed up maintenance.  

2) Optional Outputs

One of the most important options in a gas detector is the availability of signals and signal types. Detector outputs allow the detector to communicate or otherwise signal a monitoring device of an upset. Typically 4-20mA signal is used in the Oil and Gas industry, however, other communication protocols have been accepted by customers. Sometimes while a standard communication protocol is specified, i.e. 4-20mA, an additional mode of signaling is preferred, i.e. relays and/or digital communication protocol like Modbus. The detector you select, should give you both types of options and not have to make you select one over the other.

3) Smart Sensor Technology

Industrial gas detectors should be equipped with smart sensor technology. Smart sensor technology allows users to track information like installed date, born-on date, calibration intervals, and sensor life indication. Features such as these, allow users to have more information readily available in reference to their maintenance plan and detectors.

Accuracy & Reliability is Key

Investing in a gas detector for your facility is one of the best first steps to ensuring that your workers are safeguarded from danger. We’re proud to offer various detection systems equipped with design features such as magnetic switches, making it easy for engineers and technicians to perform calibration and configuration. It’s our goal to provide gas detectors that are both easy to maintain and adaptable for the toughest work environments.

Do you regularly work in areas where toxic and/or combustible gases are present? Get in touch with our team for a customized solution today.

Common Toxic Gases to Monitor

According to recent reports, there were a total of 19,190 warehouses in operation across the United States in 2020. From the creation of products to the storage and distribution of completed goods, the everyday process of any warehouse involves being around toxic chemicals and gases. Take a look at the three most common types of toxic gases found in warehouse facilities.

1. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
2. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
3. Oxygen Depletion (O2)
4. Refrigerants

1) Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Carbon monoxide is believed to be one of the most common toxic gases on earth and is almost entirely a man-made gas. Often called the “silent killer” due to being absent of both color and odor, carbon monoxide can be lethal in even small concentrations. It is often used in metal fabrication, chemical manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, electronic applications, and is often emitted from coal, gas, and diesel engines. 

2) Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Commonly found in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide is a natural byproduct of human and animal breathing, fermentation, chemical reactions, and the decomposition of plants and animals. It is a highly toxic gas that is both colorless and odorless but has a slightly acidic taste. Although it is a natural part of our life, it can be dangerous in high concentrations especially in areas that are poorly ventilated. It is often used in the manufacture of cast molds for metals, welding processes, pharmaceuticals, plastics, food processing, and cleaning supplies. 

3) Oxygen Depletion (O2)

Oxygen is what we need to breathe. While we normally breathe air that is 20.9% oxygen by volume under normal conditions, the presence of toxic gases can create disastrous consequences if oxygen levels don’t stay balanced. When certain circumstances reduce the amount of oxygen that we have to breathe, we can start to feel the adverse effects. Circumstances that may reduce oxygen include leaking materials from storage tanks, higher levels of toxic gas, decomposing organic compounds, corrosion, or fermentation. 

4) Refrigerants

Different refrigerants are used in warehouses to cool the warehouse and/or coolers within the warehouse. These refrigerants range from Ammonia, to Difluoromethane and everything else in between. Refrigerant leaks can be dangerous to humans, via asphyxiation and/or toxicity as well as as being active greenhouse gases which have negative impact on the environment. Some of the gases are also considered combustible and therefore pose an explosive and/or flammable danger.

Gas Detectors You Can Trust

Toxic gases unseen by the human eye pose a number of health risks, especially if exposure limits are left undetected. GDS Corp is proud to serve a number of different industries across the country with reliable gas detection systems. We consider it our personal mission to provide toxic and combustible gas detectors which will safeguard your warehouse and keep your manufacturing processes in operation long term.

Get in touch with our team for a fully customized detection solution that you can trust.

There are three conditions that are required for a fire or explosion: a fuel (or combustible gas), oxygen, and an ignition source. When those three conditions are present at the same time and at a certain ratio, flames and smoke will follow. With an LEL gas sensor, you can ensure that the ratio of combustible gases stays below a certain threshold so that you can respond quickly to even the smallest leak.

GDS Corp is proud to offer a number of gas sensor products for you to choose from. Take a look at the details of each sensor and find the one that works best for your application.

GDS-48

the GDS-48 Remote Sensor is compatible with all GDS Corp detection systems. Features include:

• Designed to reduce voltage and interface circuitry within GDS Corp controllers to provide the lowest cost per point
• Field-replaceable catalytic bead LEL, infrared & PID sensors modules
• Standard stainless steel sensor housing
• Easy interface to GASMAX II monitors and C1, C2, C2 Quad, and C64 Protector series controllers

GDS-50

As a three-wire 4-20mA remote sensor transmitter, the GDS-50 is designed to detect combustible gases and is compatible with all of GDS Corp’s controllers and monitoring systems. Features include:

• Designed for Class I Division 1 Hazardous Locations
• Interchangeable infrared sensors for CO2 and hydrocarbons
• No voltage or balance adjustments during setup or operation
• Field-replaceable sensor module for easy maintenance
• SmartIR sensor fully temperature compensated from -20°C to +50°C
• Extended temperature version for Methane and Propane available for -40°C to +65°C
• Stainless steel sensor enclosure for high noise immunity

GDS-IR Remote Combustible Sensor

Designed specifically for harsh industrial settings, the GDS-IR Remote Combustible Sensor uses infrared sensing technology to detect dangerous or explosive gas levels. Features include:

• CSA Certified for Class I, Div 1 explosion-proof installations
• A straight-line optical path eliminates the need for mirrors
• Suitable for use in SIL-2 rated safety systems
• High-speed response for critical applications (T50 less than 3 sec)
• Rugged stainless steel construction with no moving parts
• The heated optical chamber maintains accuracy in cold conditions
• Operates in constant hydrocarbon and anaerobic atmospheres
• Ten discrete fault indication values for all failure states
• Routine span calibration not required for normal operation
• Random power-up delay reduces the initial load on the power supply

Reliable LEL Gas Detection

Do you have a dependable way to monitor the hazardous gases in your facility? Analyzing your set of needs and finding a solution that will maximize your safety is our specialty. We’ll consider which gases you regularly work with, what type of LEL gas sensor is suitable, and how you can start implementing gas monitoring as soon as possible. 

Get in touch with our team for more information about our different types of gas detection systems.

Understanding LEL Gas & LEL Gas Detectors

Combustible gases like methane, butane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide pose a safety risk to both workers and environments if not properly monitored. One way to guard against the risk of explosion or fire is to have an LEL gas detector calibrated to the specific gas in the vicinity. If you are unfamiliar with LEL gas detection and how it affects your safety program, get answers from our most frequently asked LEL gas questions.

1) What does LEL stand for?

LEL is short for the lower explosive limit of a specific combustible gas. To put it simply, it is the lowest concentration of a specific gas that it would take for that gas to ignite under the right conditions. Alternatively, the upper explosive limit (UEL) of a specific gas is the maximum amount of gas in the air that it would take to burn. If a specific gas goes over the UEL range, it is considered too rich to burn and will not combust due to a lack of oxygen

2) How is the LEL of gas measured?

The LEL of a gas is measured as a percentage of volume. If you’re using an LEL gas detector, the display will show a 0-100% LEL readout. For example, hydrogen gas has an LEL of 4% by volume in the air. When the volume of hydrogen gas has reached the point of 2% by volume, then the detector will read 50% LEL. If the amount of hydrogen gas continues to rise to 4% by volume, the gas detector will reach 100% LEL.

3) What are safe LEL levels?

While it depends on the target gas that you’re monitoring in your environment, most LEL gas detectors are configured to signal an alarm between 10-20% LEL. It’s best to set alarm points as conservatively as possible to allow enough response time to make necessary decisions to mitigate potential problems.

4) How do LEL sensors work?

One of the most common types of LEL gas sensors is a catalytic bead sensor. It monitors gas concentrations through a process known as catalytic oxidation. By heating up combustible gases through an active bead, the gases create a higher temperature on the bead. This increase in temperature is then compared against a reference bead which does not change in temperature. Depending on the specific gases in the atmosphere, the gas detector, which is configured with a catalytic bead sensor, will increase signal output, activate relays, and/or send digital information. 

5) What features should an LEL gas detector have?

When it comes to choosing an LEL detector for your facility, there are two considerations to keep in mind.

• Is it reliable for your application? – The detector needs to be designed to the highest standard of operation. The detector has to offer peace of mind that it will perform and the facility will be protected. The detector needs to detect the target gas(es) all the time, even in the harshest environments.
• Will it save time and money for the user?? – Detector operation and reliability is one thing however useful features are just as important. Gas detectors should provide sensor life indication, data-logging, and lower the total cost of ownership.  

A Reliable Way to Monitor LEL Levels

GDS Corp is proud to offer a number of different LEL gas detectors that can be configured for a range of gases. It is our goal to provide you with the equipment necessary to keep your employees and equipment safe.

Get in touch with us to design a customized solution for safeguarding your environment.

If you work around sources of gas that are flammable or combustible, you may have noticed the term LEL, a term that is short for Lower Explosive Limit. If there is a risk that hazardous levels of flammable or combustible gas may be present, safety and insurance conditions may require a fixed gas detection system. Thus, in the unfortunate event that a leak was to occur, you can be sure that you have the resources necessary to take quick action 

Defining Lower Explosive Limits (LEL)

What is LEL, you may ask? LEL stands for “Lower Explosive Limit” and is the lowest concentration of a particular gas that has the potential to be flammable or combustible. In other words, it’s the minimum amount of gas that will catch fire or explode when an ignition source is present. If a gas concentration is less than the lower limit, there is insufficient gas for the mixture to ignite.

For example, methane or natural gas has a 5% by volume LEL and 17% by volume UEL. The upper limit is not important when considering the risk of explosion, but if the percent volume of methane present was 5% gas then the gas monitor would display 100% LEL. 

LEL & Gas Detection Systems

When you consider LEL gas detection, the goal is to monitor gases and turn on alarms when they pass the LEL limit to reduce accidents. Fixed LEL gas detectors are permanently installed in a facility and monitor the atmosphere for combustible gases 24 hours per day, seven days per week. This is very important, as dangerous leaks or spills may go unnoticed during nights or weekends.

Fixed LEL detectors are typically installed close to sources of leaks, adjacent to air handler intake vents, or in the ceiling of an enclosed building or room. In most cases, fixed LEL monitors are connected to a central controller which can activate audible and visual alarms in the monitored area as well as in a centrally-located control room. The GASMAX II or GASMAX CX are examples of a fixed gas monitor or detector. 

Another type of LEL monitor is called a Sample Draw Monitor or Sample Draw Detector. This device uses a pump to pull a sample from a remote location and push it across the sensor. A sample draw monitor allows the gas detector to be mounted in an area that provides easy access and maintenance while sampling air inside confined spaces like paint cabinets or combustible gas storage rooms. The GDS-58NXP is an example of a sample draw monitor. 

LEL Gas Detectors You Can Trust

Whether in a refinery, petrochemical or wastewater plant, or perhaps a warehouse, it’s crucial to have a reliable gas detection system you can depend on. With nationally recognized hazardous area certifications, GDS Corp.  LEL gas detectors are guaranteed to safeguard your facility 

Connect with our engineers to design a system that properly monitors the LEL gases in your facility.