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In launching the Nevada Nano MPS™ sensor for its Xgard Bright fixed gas detector, Crowcon Detection Instruments Ltd has become the first company to add a Molecular Property Spectrometer (MPS™) flammable gas sensor to a fixed detector. This is a major step forward in the safety of environments where flammable gas hazards may occur – especially if those environments are harsh, experience multiple gas hazards and/or require the frequent calibration and replacement of gas sensors – for example, due to sensor poisoning.
The speed and accuracy of the new sensor’s response, its reliability and stability, and the fact that it does not require calibration or bump testing all represent major gains in terms of health and safety.
What difference does Xgard Bright with MPS™ flammable gas sensor make to gas hazard monitoring?
Until recently, anyone who needed to monitor flammable gas had to select either a traditional flame sensor detector with a pellistor calibrated for a specific gas – and multiple pellistors in multi-species environments – or an improved capability sensor using infra-red (IR) which also requires a separate sensor to be calibrated for each gas.
While these remain good solutions, they are not always ideal. For example, both pellistor and IR sensors require continual calibration and bump testing and pellistors may be damaged by contaminants (known as ‘sensor poisoning’). In some settings and sectors this means that sensors must be continually changed, which is costly in terms of both money and operations.
In addition, IR detectors cannot ‘see’ hydrogen, which is an increasingly prevalent (and highly flammable) gas.
In contrast, Molecular Property Spectrometer (MPS™) sensors quickly detect multiple flammable gases simultaneously and accurately. The Xgard Bright’s MPS™ sensor is precise, does not drift and does not require a correction factor, thus it quickly and clearly informs the user how close the ambient gas levels are to the lower explosive limit (LEL). This is referred to as the ‘True LEL™’ reading.
The MPS™ sensor in Crown’s Xgard Bright can report the True LEL™ between 0% and 100% for up to 15 (further gas species being characterised) gases simultaneously, which exceeds the capability of any conventional sensor technology.
The speed and accuracy of its response means that users of MPS™ technology are promptly warned of danger, know exactly what that danger is, and can respond swiftly. This is a major safety advantage.
Other advantages of MPS™
The Xgard Bright’s MPS™ sensor does not decay, poison or drift. It is also self-monitoring, which means the detector constantly surveils its own operation and automatically alerts the user to any problems. Consequently, it does not require any in-field calibration throughout its (5-year plus) lifespan.
The fact that calibration and bump testing are not required has a tangible impact on safety, particularly in industries that generate hazards additional to gas, such as confined spaces, or where there is a need to install gas detectors at height. While conventional gas sensors require regular checking and testing, with an MPS sensor there is no longer any need for personnel to enter dangerous areas to maintain the gas detectors.
As Will Allum (Fixed product manager) of Crowcon explains, ‘Our new Xgard Bright MPS™ sensor offers a very substantial improvement in flammable gas detection and in safeguarding the people who work wherever flammable gas risks occur. The ability of the MPS™ technology to monitor multiple gases, and mixtures, at once reduces the risk of any gas being overlooked, while its prompt and clear reporting enhances the speed of response. At Crowcon, our objective is to keep people safe, and MPS™ technology really helps us to achieve that.’
For more information, please visit http://crowcon.com/BrightMPS
