This month's topic focuses on
Combustible Flame Detection
Feature Article:.

New Combustible Gas Detector with HART® Communications
By Edward Naranjo
Product Manager, General Monitors

S4000CH Combustible Gas Detector

The challenge of installing and maintaining industrial safety devices has compounded over the years as ever fewer workers are tasked with the upkeep of instrumentation. Simple tasks like periodic gas checks and calibration can take several days, as even a 10-minute cycle time per device can add up to several hours in the field. Recordkeeping, as required by corporate quality procedures, OSHA, FDA, and other organizations, also contribute to the burden of instrument care throughout their lifecycle. With the twin demands for greater productivity and improved safety, it is not surprising that plants have responded by increasing their investment in automation and use of instrument information.

HART, a two way digital communication protocol, has capitalized on this trend. It was designed for use with intelligent measurement and control instruments which traditionally communicate using the 4 – 20 mA analog signal. HART enables digital communication to occur without compromising the integrity of the analog output signal. This makes it an ideal communication protocol for legacy installations (because it requires no additional wires).

Our new S4000CH intelligent combustible gas sensor stands as an example of the benefits HART can provide. When equipped with HART, the smart field device can be tagged with a name for greater ease of use (e.g., “combustible detector in boiler room”). Alarm and warning set points can be adjusted, delay times can be set, and alarms acknowledged or reset by simply sending a command.

Because the S4000CH is equipped with event logging, managers and technicians have access to time-stamped records of all maintenance performed on the device. Entries for calibration, gas checks, and sensor replacement provide objective evidence of compliance with standard operating procedures. Such records are particularly useful during quality systems audits, and, because they are generated automatically, they make producing documentation on demand more efficient.

The benefits of the HART-equipped S4000CH are not limited to better information management and predictive maintenance. Through HART, a user can check the status of the S4000CH unit and respond to a fault when it is issued. Guesswork is eliminated. Armed with information about the nature of the fault and its frequency, power supply voltage, sensor voltage, and sensor life, workers can review accurate diagnostics about the condition of the device before setting foot in the field. The HART protocol provides a unique communication solution that is backward compatible with the installed base of instrumentation in use today.

The S4000CH is a hydrocarbon gas detector suitable for use in SIL 3 applications and approved by FM, CSA, ATEX, GOST and has CE Marking. It features a three-digit display and an explosion-proof housing, which allows all data to be processed locally at the sensor site. The S4000CH is also available with an optional relay configuration that is appropriate for SIL 2 processes. The S4000CH features one-person calibration for ease of maintenance.

With its dependable catalytic bead sensor, the S4000CH monitors combustible gas and vapors within the lower explosive limit (LEL) and provides status indication and alarm outputs. In addition, the S4000CH is equipped with relay contacts that can be used to indicate an alarm or fault condition and dual redundant Modbus or HART communication. Configurations with relays, Modbus, and HART are available to meet many needs. The S4000CH is the direct replacement for our very popular S4000C. The housing is the same but the electronic boards are not interchangeable. Retrofit kits are available to upgrade existing S4000C’s to S4000CH’s.

Incorporating HART functionality into the S4000CH further enhances the usefulness of the device, allowing it to integrate readily in process automation. Benefits of the S4000CH derived from this communication protocol become increasingly evident with the size of the detector installation. Beyond maintenance, plants stand to gain from greater workforce efficiency, asset performance, and fewer unplanned shutdowns.



  
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News Briefs:.

Personnel Achievements
by Phil Robbibaro
President, General Monitors, Inc.

Congratulations are in order for Edwin Choo, Business Development Manager – General Monitors Systems Asia, who recently became a Certified Functional Safety Professional in Process Industry Safety. A CFSP certification ensures that personnel performing SIS lifecycle activities are competent as required by the IEC 61508, 61511, and 62061 standards. Edwin had to commit over 40 hours of studying as well as scoring above 80% on the certificate exam in order to receive this designation. This demonstrates our company and individual commitment to being the recognized and certified experts in functional safety in systems design. It also adds to the list of certifications held by the members of our global Systems Group.

Congratulations are also in order for Edward Naranjo, Product Manager – General Monitors Inc., for being selected as having presented the outstanding paper at the 54th International Instrumentation Symposium (IIS) ISA show in Florida. Edward presented his white paper titled “Selection and Use of Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detectors” at the Process Measurement and Control Division sessions this past May. He will be presented with his award at the upcoming ISA Expo fall event in Houston. This paper is only one part of our company’s activities demonstrating our commitment to being recognized experts in utilizing a diversity of detection technologies to provide layers of protection in gas and flame detection.

Please join me in congratulating both of them on a job well done!


HART Plant of the Year

The StatoilHydro Ormen Lange natural gas processing plant in Aukra, Norway, has been selected as recipient of the 2007 HART Plant of the Year Award. The award is given annually by the HART Communication Foundation to recognize the people, companies and plant sites around the globe that are using the advanced capabilities of HART Communication in real-time applications to improve operations, lower costs and increase availability.

The StatoilHydro Ormen Lange facility produces natural gas that will provide up to 20% of the natural gas for the United Kingdom. The natural gas is shipped via the Langled Pipeline, one of the world’s longest subsea gas pipelines—1200 km from the coast of Norway to the U.K. The Ormen Lange project consists of 24 subsea wells in four seabed templates with an onshore processing facility to clean up the gas before pushing it into the pipeline to the U.K.