Which Applications Require Flame Detection?

Whether it’s an offshore platform, oil refinery, or gas pipeline, flame detectors are self-contained, stand-alone units that are designed to easily connect to alarm systems and automatic fire extinguishing systems.

For many facilities, keeping a watchful eye on every piece of equipment or confined space can be difficult. With the Sharpeye flame detector, safety managers can trust in the long term reliability and overall versatility of the detection for full control. Take a look at some of the most common uses for these detectors in today’s oil and gas industry.

1. Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms
2. Hydrogen Detection
3. Perimeter Protection
4. Ventilation Systems
5. Floating Roof Tanks

1) Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms

Considered vital installations for any company, oil and gas platforms require advanced monitoring equipment due to the nature of their changing environment. One of the most useful applications of these detectors is to monitor the flammable concentrations of gas entering HVAC ductwork, allowing safety personnel to take preventive measures before a hazardous incident were to occur.

2) Hydrogen Detection

Fires caused by extreme levels of hydrogen gas is one of the most dangerous situations in an oil and gas facility. Flames from hydrogen fires are virtually invisible and difficult to contain, posing unique challenges to emergency personnel during an accident. With a flame detector with IR sensors, you can efficiently reduce the chances of fire by monitoring the concentration levels of hydrogen gas in a particular area.

Pro Tip: Install a gas detection system with multiple sensors so that you can monitor the levels of different harmful gases in your area. 

3) Perimeter Protection

At many plants and refineries, there is a need to ensure the perimeter of the facility is constantly monitored for signs of vapor clouds that may threaten other areas of the plant or nearby populated areas. To ensure 24/7 monitoring, flame detectors can be installed to provide fence-line perimeter protection that can detect harmful gases from a long distance. With a reliable way to protect your facility asa whole, you can ensure the safety of your team and reduce the chances of uncontained wildfires.

4) Ventilation Systems

While there are many areas within an oil and gas facility that pose a hazard to fire or explosion, it is often the ventilation systems of a facility that lead to hazardous situations. To guard against this, sharp flame detectors can be mounted in the ventilation ducts around your area. By taking samples of the air already being disseminated throughout the facility, you can be one step ahead of the possibility of fire.

In addition to standard ventilation systems, flames can also be present in air intake turbines, a certain threat for oil and gas applications. If flammable gas clouds are not detected early enough, they can get sucked into an air turbine and lead to uncontrolled explosions that can quickly spread to many parts of a refinery.

5) Floating Roof Tanks

Due to the use of floating roof tanks to store crude oil and petroleum-based fuel products, it’s possible vapors may escape the tanks and result in a catastrophic explosion. This is often due to faulty seals often found in these roof tanks, which is why gas detection is crucial. To prevent roof tank explosions, Sharpeye flame detectors can be installed on these tanks to alert workers to broken seals and pre-flammable conditions.

Keep a SharpEye On Your Safety

Engineered with sensors to detect hydrocarbon-based- fuel and gas fires, our line of sharpeye flame detectors provides the durability needed for continual safety. By taking advantage of these detectors, you’re guaranteed a minimum of 150,000 hours of reliability and an automatic and manual built-in-test to ensure the best operation possible. If you work in the oil and gas industry, don’t hesitate to equip yourself with the highest quality fire protection.

Not sure which flame detector is right for you? Get in touch with our team for more information about our selection of sharpeye flame detectors.

The Truth Behind Flammable Gases

A gas is considered flammable if it has the potential to explode or ignite when mixed with oxygen. In other words, if a certain level of flammable gas were to leak into the air, it could result in a fire. The most popular flammable gases are ammonia, butane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane, and propane. Depending on your background, these flammable gas facts might be surprising.

1. Chlorine Trifluoride is the most flammable gas
2. Oxygen doesn’t start fires or explosions
3. Not every flammability limit is the same

1) Chlorine Trifluoride is the most flammable gas

Of all the dangerous chemical gases, chlorine trifluoride is known to be the most flammable. It is a colorless and extremely reactive gas that can burn through concrete and gravel. The high flammability nature of chlorine trifluoride is due to its ability to burn without any ignition source, giving it the ability to exceed the oxidizing power of oxygen. In the few cases that the chemical has been used, it has caused massive explosions and been the source of multiple casualties.

2) Oxygen doesn’t start fires or explosions

Unlike what is commonly misunderstood, oxygen cannot cause an explosion or flash of fire. In order to start a fire, you need three elements: a source of ignition (heat), a combustible material (fuel), and oxygen (air). Moreover, while the presence of oxygen doesn’t start fires, it is necessary for flammable or combustible materials to burn.

3) Not every flammability limit is the same

In order for a chemical gas to ignite, the concentration limit in the air must be within a certain range. That range is known as the flammability limit. Depending on the flammable and combustible liquids or gases you’re using, that range can vary greatly.

To understand the flammable limit for a specific gas, you must know its’ LEL and UEL values. A concentration value below the lower explosive limit (LEL) is considered too lean to burn. In comparison, a gas or vapor exceeding the upper explosive limit (UEL) would be considered too rich to burn. That being said, the range of flammability is the concentration level that lies between the LEL and UEL values of the chemical gas.

Pro Tip: If a chemical gas exceeds its LEL value, it can quickly become an explosion hazard. Protect your business from combustible gases by installing an accurate gas detection system. 

Detect Fuel Gases in Houston

Regardless of your industry, it’s crucial for your warehouse or offshore rig to practice routine material safety. Our engineers agree that reliable gas detection is the key to lowering the risk of fire or explosion near you. To guard against flammable gases, install a gas monitor to efficiently check your facility.

What flammable gases do you work with? Share with us on social media!

Both ultra violet and infrared technologies

Combining both ultra violet and infrared technologies into one system is perhaps the most important aspect of an effective flame detector. The ability of a flame detector to sense both ultra violet and infrared spectrums cuts down on false alarms greatly. This creates a multi-sensor fire detector that can differentiate between a true fire and something that is just infrared or just ultra violet radiation.

Long distance fire detection

Another important aspect of the most effective of flame detectors is the ability to detect a fire from a long distance away. Naturally, most fires will not start immediately in front of a flame detector, but a good flame detector can detect a fire at least 65 meters away to guarantee the most safety in the case of a fire.

Durability

A device that will hopefully not need to be used every day may end up not being maintained as much. Therefore, the best flame detectors will be durable and weather resistant, so that when it is needed, it is still fully functional and has not been damaged in the mean time.

Visible sensors, or video

Some flame detectors have implemented a sensor for visible radiation, which cuts down greatly on false alarms. Closed-circuit television or a web camera can also help a flame detector differentiate between a real fire and something that causes a false alarm. Because a flame detector can be blinded by smoke or even fog, the more features a flame detector can be equipped with, the better.

Wide cone of vision

The more of a flame detector’s surroundings it can see, the better chance it has of detecting a fire. This combined with the long distance feature provides the ultimate protection from fire. And the wider a flame detector’s vision is, the fewer flame detectors one location will need.

Things to Consider:

• Air has a density of 1.293 kg/m3 at standard temperature and pressure (0°C and 0.987 atm of pressure), while natural gas is only 0.717 kg/m3.
• Windows, vents, and other apertures can interfere with the readings obtained by a natural gas detector.
• The level of natural gas an alarm is able to detect varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, as does the square footage a single alarm can cover. 

Where to Place a Natural Gas Alarm

With those considerations in mind, where should the alarm itself go? Even if there’s a single, optimal spot to place an alarm, most commercial or industrial properties will require more than one alarm in order to get adequate coverage. Regardless of how many alarms are needed, the same guidelines should be followed when choosing where to place them:

They should be placed in rooms with gas-powered machinery or appliances, where natural gas is produced, or in other areas where a leak is likely to occur. Ideally, they should be within ten feet of any machinery, appliances, or areas likely to leak.

Since natural gas is less dense than air, and thus will rise, they should be placed higher than any doors or windows in an area.

Avoid placing alarms near vents or other spots that can interfere with how well the detector is able to function.

Avoid placing alarms where reaching them for maintenance and testing will be difficult. A malfunctioning alarm, or one with dead batteries, won’t be any help at all.

It might be easy to ignore a natural gas leak until it reaches critical levels, but it’s imperative to protect valuable assets from explosion risks and employees from the health and safety issues posed by gas inhalation. With a properly installed and maintained natural gas alarm, both property and human resources can be kept safe and functioning at peak efficiency.

Recommended For You: Factors to Consider When Selecting An Alarm Control Panel For Your Facility

How can GDS Help You? 

Ensuring the safety of your employees is not something you want to skimp on. Not only do you want to make sure these gas detectors are being installed in the correct places, you also need to be 100% sure you are selecting the right gas detectors to install based on the environment and possible gasses being produced.

Let the experts at GDS help you design a gas detection system customized to your specific needs and environment. One of our application engineers will:

• Hold a consultation with you to get to know the environment, gasses, and conditions
• Develop custom gas detectors to fully protect your environment
• Provide a quote for any detectors
• Provide you with important product specific information (such as temperature requirements, etc)

Call us or contact us online to speak to one of our application engineers about how GDS Corp can help you get the right detection system in place.

Catalytic Combustible Gas Sensors

Catalytic or electrocatalytic sensors are the most widely used passive gas detectors. They are based on the fact that combustible gases can be oxidized to produce heat. Once they reach a certain temperature, they will ignite and burn; however, in the presence of certain chemicals, the ignition temperature is much lower making the gas more susceptible to fire and explosions. A catalytic gas sensor contains a platinum coil and is heated when it comes into contact with gaseous reactants. This raises the temperature within the coil. The catalytic gas sensor will sound the alarm and alert people if that temperature change is within what is considered a dangerous range. With a lower price tag the catalytic gas sensor is often a more popular choice and has been in use for over 30 years. It does not sacrifice accuracy for cost.

Infrared Gas Sensors

Infrared gas sensors are considered an active technology because their signals are constantly sent and the results are up to the minute. They have a source and a detector designed to measure a gas’s light intensity at two specific wavelengths. The first wavelength is a gas’s absorption or active wavelength and the second is a reference or outside the absorption wavelength. An infrared sensor will sound the alarm if the difference in the two wavelengths is considered dangerous. One of the advantages of infrared sensors is that their signals will notify the user immediately if it fails and or needs repair.

Despite their different approaches to detecting combustible gases both of these sensors do the same thing, they keep people and property safe. With the precision and usability of combustible gas sensors constantly improving, it’s important to understand what is needed for your specific situation and then choose your device accordingly.