Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detection

EVERY LIFE HAS A PURPOSE

Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detection

Increase detection reliability and reduce risk as ultrasonic gas leak detection provides instant and verifiable detection of gas leaks. The ultrasonic technology will detect pressurised gas leaks instantly regardless of gas dilution and ever changing weather conditions found on most on- and offshore installations in the petrochemical industry.

Application Area
Applications for Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detectors: Instant detection of flammable gas leaks Fixed installations Explosion hazardous areas Pressurized gas installations Outdoor or semi outdoor ventilated areas Electrical connection to DCS system or fire and gas panel

Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detection WHAT is Relevant to Detect?

In plant installations with pressurized flammable gases, it is relevant to detect gas leaks that can accumulate into a potentially explosive gas cloud.

WHEN is it Relevant to Detect?

As fast as possible - to prevent build-up of dangerous concentrations. Accumulation of gas can lead to explosions.

What Creates an Explosion?

Three main factors determine if a hydrocarbon gas leak can create a catastrophic explosion:
1) Oxygen 2) Ignition Source 3) Gas Concentration

The amount of gas released over time from a gas leak is known as the LEAK RATE and has units of kg/s.

Leak Rate vs. LEL

Important Parameters to Know in a Gas Leak Detection Situation:

Lower Explosive Level (% LEL): A concentration measurement in a pre-defined point that may create a true picture of the nature of the gas leak.
Leak rate (kg/s): Detection related to the leak rate, makes it possible to introduce a performance standard for the gas leak detection system. Example: Gas leaks with a leak rate of 0.1 kg/s or more must be detected.

Real Gas Leak Test with Ultrasonic Detectors

Live Gas Leak Test on a North Sea Off-Shore Installation:

Within 4-5 meters the gas concentration around the leak was below 5% LEL!
None of the existing gas detection systems alarmed! The ultrasonic gas leak detector detected the leak up to 19 meters away!

Leak size: 3 mm Gas pressure: 55 bar (808 psi) Leak rate: 0.06 kg/s

Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detection

Main Characteristics:
Instant acoustic gas leak detection Detects gas leaks at a leak rate of 0.1 kg/s

Detection radius up to 20 meters away Unaffected by changing wind direction and fast dilution of gas Minimal maintenance and calibration requirements

Acoustics and Gas Leaks

Gas molecules travel from high pressure to low pressure
Hissing sound Acceleration of gas produces white noise, which consists of both audible and ultrasonic sound components Acoustic detectors filter the audible range responding to sound in frequencies from 25 kHz to approximately 50 kHz far higher than frequencies human hearing can detect Ultrasonic leak noise is proportional to the leak rate

Leak Detection Range

The detection range of an ultrasonic gas leak detector depends on these variables:

Leak size
Pressure Ultrasonic background noise Leak size and gas pressure determine the acoustical ultrasonic noise level generated from the leak.

Directional Characteristics

Limitations
Traditional Technologies Can Be Problematic
Changing wind directions Gas dilution Direction of the leak

Acoustic Technology Limitations

Low pressure (normal application of 10 bar and higher) High background noise ( > 90 dB) although rare

UltraSonic EX-5 Gas Leak Detector

Main Features:
Senssonic integrated acoustic self-test Standard 4-20 mA analog output RS 485 serial digital communication interface Explosion-proof housing in solid 316L stainless steel for extreme environmental conditions Minimal calibration and regular maintenance Robust microphone technology to ensure long MTBF FM, CSA, C-UL, ATEX, IECEx, GOST certified for hazardous areas

How to Ensure Failsafe Operation?

UltraSonic EX-5- Test Transducer

Senssonic Built-In acoustic Integrity Test External loop configuration Controlled functionality and integrity test every 15 minutes No un-revealed failures between inspections 4-20 mA signal indicates any abnormalities (to 1 mA for 5s)

Installation Practice
Allocation of Ultrasonic Detectors Based On:
Plant details and layout Ultrasonic background noise mapping survey

Installation of Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detectors System Commissioning, Performance Verification

Test with portable test and calibration unit
Actual leak simulation with nitrogen

Installation on Existing Installations

Background noise mapping and detectors allocation

New Installations - Allocation

Detectors installed at elevated position (approx. 2 m above potential leak sources) with the sensor head facing down. Avoid solid decks or big vessels blocking path between leak spots and detector. Heavy piping does not block the sound to the detector.

Commissioning, Testing, Calibration

Commissioning:
1701 Portable Test and Calibration Unit Live leak simulation of 0.1 kg/s gas leaks (using nitrogen gas)

Testing and Calibration:

1701 Traceable, calibrated test and calibration unit
Gain test and field calibration if required (every 6-12 months)

Typical Applications
Offshore oil and gas platforms Onshore oil and gas terminals Floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs) Gas compressor and metering stations Underground gas storage facilities Downstream chemical processing plants (e.g. ethylene, methanol, ammonia, and propylene) Hydrogen storage facilities Refineries LNG/GTL trains (plants) LNG re-gasification plants Gas turbine power plants

Installations Worldwide
Most Major End-Users in Oil & Gas are Implementing UltraSonic Detectors for Projects Worldwide
North Sea: England, Denmark, Holland, Norway (Sleipner, Gullfaks) The Americas: USA, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago (Cannonball) Middle East: UAE, Oman (Saih Rawl, Saih Nihyada, Al-Kawther, Harweel) Far East/Central Asia: China (Bohai Bay), Malaysia (Shell Bintulu), Pakistan (Rehmat), Indonesia (Tangguh) Africa: Equatorial Guinea (Marathon ALBA), Algeria (Hassi Berkine) Caspian Sea Region: Azerbaijan (Shah Deniz), Russia (Sakhalin II), Kazakhstan (Kashagan)

Conclusions

Why Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detection? Reduce risk Instant and reliable detection Unaffected by changing weather conditions Possible to pre-define safety standards and verify system performance No undetected failures: Built-in self-test function Cost effective reduced total cost of ownership

For more information, visit our website www.msanet.com

UltraSonic EX-5 Gas Leak Detection

EVERY LIFE HAS A PURPOSE