HA University

Honeywell Analytics
Detectores de Gás
What is a Gas?
Different gases are all around us in everyday life

• Air we breathe made up of several different gases

including Oxygen and Nitrogen

• Natural Gas (Methane) used in homes for heating and cooking

• Car exhaust contains Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Dioxide

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What is a Gas?

Density of gas determines where gas can typically be

detected

At ceiling level:
Lighter than air

At breathing level:
Equivalent to air density

At floor level:
Heavier than air

Note: Some applications may alter gas detector location based on air flow direction within a
given environment (i.e. HVAC make-up air flow direction changing ambient conditions)
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What is a Gas?

Gases can have an odor or be odorless

(“Silent killer” – Carbon monoxide)

Gases can have color or be colorless

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Toxic Gas Measurement Terms

PPM = Parts per Million

PPB = Parts per Billion
PPT = Parts per Trillion

Interesting Fact…
Dogs have the ability to detect gases
down to 1 ppb.

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Explosive Gas Measurement Terms
LEL = Lower Explosive Limit
UEL = Upper Explosive Limit
LELm = Lower Explosive Limit meter
(open path detection methods)
V/V = Volume per Volume

FIRE

fuel
Rev 4
 Oxygen Depletion Measurement Terms
Oxygen
V/V = Volume per Volume100% v/v O2

Oxygen Depletion:
20.9% v/v
– Ambient conditions normal
where oxygen level is
being reduced to unsafe
levels where occupants 16% v/v
will experience depletion
breathing difficulty
and/or death
– OSHA limits
• Subject to change
– Depletion level
» 19.5% 6% v/v fatal

– Enrichment 0% v/v O2
» 23.5%

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Toxic Gas Exposure Terms
TWA = Time Weighted Average
STEL = Short Term Exposure Limit
TLV = Threshold Limit Values
IDLH = Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (Ceiling)
Occupational Exposure Limits Comparison Table
ACGIH OSHA NIOSH EH40 Meaning
Threshold Limit Permissible Recommended Workplace
Values Exposure Limits Exposure Levels Exposure Limits Limit Definition
(TLVs) (PELs) (RELs) (WELs)
Long-term exposure limit
TLV-TWA TWA TWA TWA
(8hr-TWA reference period)
Short-term exposure limit
TLV-STEL STEL STEL STEL
(15min-exposure period)
Concentration should not be
TLV-C Ceiling Ceiling   exceeded during any part of
working exposure.
Excursion Limit Excursion Limit     Limit if no STEL stated
- BEIs BEIs   Biological Exposure Indices

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Why is gas detection important?

Rev 4
 Why is Gas Detection Important?
• Protect Personnel
• Protect Infrastructure
• Protect the Environment
• Gather Evidence
• Maintain Legal Compliance
• Control Processes / Gather Data
• Improve Productivity
• Confirm a Safe Area can be re-occupied

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 Why is Gas Detection Important?

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 Gas Hazards

There are three main types of gas hazard

1. Flammable
– Risk of fire and or explosion,
e.g. Methane, Butane, Propane

• Toxic
– Risk of poisoning,
e.g. Carbon Monoxide, Phosgene, Chlorine, GB-Sarin

1. Asphyxiant
– Risk of suffocation,
e.g. Oxygen deficiency, Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide

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 Gas Hazards

NFPA – National Fire Protection Association

• Hazard Symbols
– Blue – Health
– Red – Flammability
– Yellow – Instability
– White – Special

Hazard Rating Guide

HEALTH
4. Extreme
CATEGORY

FLAMMABILITY 3. Serious

DEGREE
2. Moderate
Instability 1. Slight
Rev 4 0. Minimal

3
 Applications
Oil and Gas Chemical Plants
– Industry covers a large number of – One of largest users of gas detection
upstream activities from on and offshore equipment
exploration and production of oil and gas to – Use a wide range of flammable and toxic
transportation, storage and refining gases in manufacturing processes or as
– Large amount of highly flammable process by-products
Hydrocarbon gases involved are a serious – Typical Applications:
explosive risk • Raw material storage
• Toxic gases such as Hydrogen Sulfide are • Process areas
often present. • Laboratories
– Typical Applications: • Pump rows
• Exploration Drilling Rigs • Compressor stations
• Production Platforms • Loading/unloading areas
• Onshore oil and gas terminals
• Refineries
Typical Gases
– Flammable
Typical Gases • General Hydrocarbons
– Flammable – Toxic
• Hydrocarbon gases • Hydrogen Sulfide
– Toxic • Hydrogen Fluoride
• Hydrogen Sulfide • Ammonia
• Carbon Monoxide

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 Applications
Waste Water Treatment Power Stations
– Plants a familiar site around cities and – Traditionally coal and oil used as main
towns fuel for Power Stations
– Sewage naturally gives off Methane • Most are being converted to natural gas
and H2S – Typical Applications
• ‘Rotten eggs’ smell of H2S can be noticed • Around the boiler pipe work and
• Nose can detect it at less than 0.1ppm. burners
– Typical Applications: • In and around turbine packages
• Digesters • In coal silos and conveyor belts in older
• Plant sumps coal/oil fired stations
• H2S Scrubbers Typical Gases:
• Pumps
– Flammable:
Typical Gases • Natural Gas, Hydrogen
– Flammable – Toxic:
• Methane
• Carbon Monoxide
• Solvent vapors
• SOx
– Toxic • NOx
• Hydrogen Sulfide • Oxygen deficiency
• Carbon Dioxide
• Chlorine
• Sulfur Dioxide
• Ozone Rev 4

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 Applications
Boiler Rooms Hospitals
– Small buildings may have a single boiler – May use many different flammable and
– Larger buildings often have large boiler toxic substances,
rooms housing several large boilers • Particularly in laboratories
– Typical Applications – Many have onsite utility supplies and
• Flammable gas leaks from incoming backup power stations
gas main – Typical Applications
• Leaks from boiler and surrounding gas • Laboratories
piping • Refrigeration plants
• Carbon Monoxide given off badly • Boiler rooms
maintained boiler
Typical Gases
Typical Gases – Flammable:
– Flammable • Methane
• Methane • Hydrogen
– Toxic – Toxic:
• Carbon Monoxide • Carbon Monoxide
• Chlorine
• Ammonia,
• Ethylene Oxide
• Oxygen deficiency

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 Technologies

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 Differentiating Technology
SureCell® electrochemical cells
• Designed to operate in high
temperature/high humidity and low
temperature/low humidity environments
Reflex® technology
• Continuously monitors sensor cell
condition
• Alerts user to fault status

Point Infrared Sensor Manufacturing

• Uses physical rather than chemical
technique
• Less sensitive to calibration errors
• Can be used in inert atmospheres
• Largest manufacturer of sensors in the
world
• Electrochemical, catalytic, point infrared,
open-path infrared, Chemcassette
technologies

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 Sensing – Basic Technologies
Electrochemical Technology
– Non-Smart sensor technology (Toxic gases and Oxygen deficiency)
• Raw sensor cell
– No memory chip
– No operational parameters
– Associated electronics (i.e. Transmitter) dictates operation
» Specific to application designed to
1. Gas
2. Range
3. Alarm set-points (user adjustable only – no factory defaults)
4. Non-field adjustable
– Smart sensor technology
• Raw sensor cell with smarts
– Memory chip (factory configuration installed)
– Operational parameters pre-determined by “factory”
– Automatic internally check the cell health (advanced designs)
– Associated electronics (i.e. Transmitter) are generic
» Sensor dictates
1. Gas
2. Range
3. Factory default Alarm set-points (user adjustable)
4. Allows for gas type changes with no impact to transmitter hardware setup
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 Sensing – Electrochemical (EC)
Electrochemical Technology
– Basic Construction
• Housing
• Sample Electrode
• Reference Electrode
• Electrolyte
• Filter Membrane

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 Sensing – Electrochemical (EC)
Electrochemical Technology
– Basic Operation
• Gas permeates through Filter Membrane
• Makes contact with Sensing Electrode and Electrolyte
• Chemical reaction takes place internally changing cell output characteristics (nA or
uA depending on cell construction)

Target Organs
Eyes, respiratory system, cardiovascular system

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 Why SureCell?
• Robust design for use in environmental extremes
• Improved speed of response
• Reduced cross-interferences to VOCs
(NO2,Ethanol,SO2 and IPA)
• Simple Design
• Easy to manufacture

Patented cell construction with large reservoir but only small electrolyte
volume between electrodes
• Allows for electrolyte increase/reduction at humidity extremes
• Prevents cell bursting and leakage
• Produces faster and more reproducible response times

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 Electrochemical - SureCell Advantage
SureCell Design
Gas permeable
membrane/filter Housing
Working Electrode
Active
Electrolyte
reservoir

Counter Electrode

Standard Cell Design

Expansion Gas permeable
reservoir membrane/filter

Output Pins Working electrode

Housing
Single large
electrolyte wick

Counter electrode

Output pins
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 SureCell Advantage
High Humidity Low Humidity
Hot Temperatures Cold Temperatures

Electrolyte Increase Electrolyte Decrease

 Prevents cell bursting/leakage in high temperature and humidity environments

 Prevents cell drying in low temperature and humidity environments
 Produces faster and more reproducible response times
 Decreases warm-up time
 Reduced Cross interference's to VOCs (NO2,Ethanol,SO2 and IPA)
 Patented Cell Construction
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 Reflex® Keeps You Doubly Safe
• Reflex - Honeywell Patented Exclusive
– Form of Built-In, Electronic Bump Testing
• Applies special electronic pulse periodically to cell
• Reviews ‘echo’ from cell as it responds to applied signal
• Sounds alert when EC cell enters a fault condition (e.g. open or short circuit)
• Reflex Advantage
– Continuously monitors health check status of EC cells
– Provides double assurance of safety!

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 Reflex® Cell Diagnostics
• Reflex is a Honeywell Analytics patented fault diagnostic routine for
electrochemical cells
• Reflex increases operator confidence of detector operability and
availability
• Reflex is initiated automatically by the transmitter
– On transmitter power up
– During sensor exchange
– At 8 hourly intervals during operation
• Reflex checks for
– Cell presence
– Cell dry out
– Cell open circuit and cell short circuit
Note:
Not relevant for NO and O2 detection
Does not remove need for regular response gas checks or calibration

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 Electrochemical Cell Manufacture
Honeywell designs and manufactures most
of its sensing technology
World’s biggest cell manufacturer
Advanced robotic manufacturing plant
ensures quality and keeps costs to a
minimum
Flexibility to meet market demands
All manufacturing history stored to ISO 9001
processes

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 Electrochemical Products

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 Sensing – Basic Technologies
Catalytic Technology
– Nearly all modern, low-cost, combustible gas Sample Bead
detection sensors are electro-catalytic type
– Consists of very small sensing element sometimes
called a ‘bead’ or ‘Pellistor’
– Basic Construction
• Electrically heated platinum wire coil S
• Coated with ceramic base such as alumina
• Final coating of palladium or rhodium catalyst applied
– Principle of operation 01 Bridge
Gas
• Sample Bead Circuit

– When combustible gas/air mixture passes over hot

catalyst surface, combustion occurs and heat evolved
increases ‘bead’ temperature N/S
– As temperature increases platinum coil resistance
changes SENSOR
• Reference Bead
– Resistance remains constant
• Output (01)
– Resulting output is millivolt (mV) differential on standard
electrical bridge circuit Rev 4
Reference Bead
9
 Catalytic Technology Pros/Cons
• Speed of response
– 10-20 seconds (T90)
• Sensitivity
– 0-20 & 0-100% LEL options
• Not fail safe
– Poisoned by
• Sulfurs
• Silicones
• Phosphors
• Leads
– Inhibited by
• Chlorinated hydrocarbons
• Fluorinated hydrocarbons
• Low power
– Typically 200mA allows reduced battery
back up
• Most Honeywell Analytics beads
– 200mA
– 0.7W
– 2.9 to 3.5 VDC
• Costs
– Low initial cost
– High routine maintenance costs
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 Catalytic Bead Products

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 Sensing - Basic Technologies
Infrared Technologies
– FTIR
• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
– NDIR
• Non-Dispersive Infrared
– Photo-Acoustic (NDIR)
Ultraviolet Technologies
– PID

Visible Light IR Energy

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 Sensing - Basic Technologies
NDIR (Non-Dispersive Infrared)
– IR wave length measurement
• Sample passed through chamber and if gas is present IR wave length feedback is
lower compared to a “no gas” condition
• Traditionally ‘Hydrocarbon’ gases

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 Sensing - Basic Technologies
NDIR (Non-Dispersive Infrared)
– IR wave length measurement

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 Optical Configuration for Point IR Detectors

Dual filtered source Double compensation

Dual filtered detector Fully compensated design

Dual source Compensates for detector drift only

Dual filtered detectors No compensation for source drift

Single source Source drift not compensated for

Does not compensate for changes
Dual filtered detector in source color temperature

Single source Not compensated, susceptible to

Single filtered detector drift, faults and alarms

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 NDIR (Infrared) Products

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 Sensing - Basic Technologies
Photo Ionization Detector (PID)
– UV lamp used to ionize gas
• Positive ion moves toward cathode
• Negative electron towards anode
• Charged species detected as current
– UV lamp has a nominal energy
• Gases with Ionization Potential (IP) below this energy can be detected
– Variety of gases can be detected with PID sensor
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
– Solvents / Alcohols
– Aromatics
– Alkanes /Alkenes / Alkynes
– Esters / Ethers
• Some gases will not react to PID sensor
– N2
– CO2
– O2
– CH4 (at LEL levels)
– H2 (at LEL levels) Rev 4

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 Sensing - Basic Technologies
Positive ions move toward Air molecule
cathode VOC molecule
Negative electrons move
towards anode UV + Ionized VOC
Lamp Electron

+ +
anode
cathode
+ ve
- ve
A

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 Photo Ionization Detection (PID) Products

Rev 4