Groveley Detection’s first GDU-01 ultrasonic gas leak detectors - installed at Centrica’s Rough onshore gas terminal in Easington, Hull nearly 12 months ago - have proved 100 per cent effective for monitoring potential gas leaks, the company says.
Wind and environmental conditions at the site meant that detection using conventional systems to protect its personnel and plant was impractical.
Since Groveley commis-sioned its omni-directional GDU-01 units they have continually ‘listened’ for pressurised gas leaks in all weather conditions.
Groveley initially mapped the open-air plant to determine background noise levels, so as to optimise the detector layouts. As a result of the mapping survey Groveley supplied 22 GDU-01 ultrasonic gas leak detectors which were interfaced with Centrica’s existing control system.
Centrica’s Bob Harrisson said: “We could detect and act upon a leak within seconds - in any weather conditions, if one were to occur.”
As the GDU units respond instantaneously to a pressurised gas leak they were able to monitor and protect open process areas in a way that conventional detectors could not do, he said.
The intrinsically safe GDU-01 detector instantly detects gas leaks operating over a wide dB range by hearing the sound generated by escaping gas at ultrasonic frequencies rather than responding to specific values of LEL or ppm. It constantly monitors areas in which industrial operations are occurring - or are likely to occur - without affecting the ability to detect dangerous gas leaks.
Groveley director Robert Bennet said: “The GDU-01 has a modified polyphenylenesulphide enclosure to ensure it is small, light and easy to install. At the same time it needs no special orientation and has a large area of coverage – as it is intrinsically safe it has no flame paths that require routine maintenance”
During commissioning the GDU-01’s analogue outputs were measured in plant operating conditions and the alarm level of each detector was adjusted to be higher than the local background noise, making them suitable for areas with differing ambient noise. Sensitivity can be tailored to suit an installation’s specific applications to avoid unwanted alarms.
Simtronics ASA now exclusively represents the product in Norway, France, Southeast Asia and Australasia. Groveley is looking for distributors in other regions.