Crowcon News - a Halma PR news blog

ESS Safeforce, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of hire safety equipment, has recently added over 250 Crowcon gas detectors to its existing hire fleet.  The purchase included 60 Detective Plus transportable gas monitors, bringing the total Detective Plus hire fleet to over 200 units. In addition, the company added a further 150 Triple Plus Plus and 50 Tetra 3 portable multi-gas detectors to the same fleet.  In all, ESS Safeforce now has almost 1,000 Crowcon detectors.

“The decision to expand our gas detector fleet was taken as part of the ongoing development of our ‘Shutdown Services’ operation, which provides safety equipment such as gas detection, breathing air trailers and safety lighting to large industrial sites when they are shut down for maintenance,” explained ESS Safeforce’s sales director Peter Jones. “We were extremely pleased with the performance of our existing Crowcon detectors, so when the time came to expand our fleet, Crowcon was the obvious choice.”

The Detective Plus is a free-standing, transportable gas detector which provides reliable protection wherever there are short-term gas hazards, including annual plant shutdowns. It can be used individually or in groups to monitor up to four gases at once. It is ideal for wide-area coverage, where several units can be linked together to create a perimeter protection system. If a dangerous gas level is detected, the device warns with a wailing 104 dBA siren and flashing, high intensity LED beacons visible from all angles.

The Triple Plus Plus and the Tetra 3 are two of Crowcon’s most popular portable multi-gas detectors. Designed for the most demanding conditions, including confined space work, they can monitor up to four gases at once, including oxygen, flammable gas and a full range of toxic gases. Each unit has easy to use operating buttons that can control all functions – even with a gloved hand – and bright displays give simultaneous viewing of all gas readings, alarm conditions and battery life.

To complement the Crowcon detectors, ESS Safeforce has also purchased a number of new breathing air trailers and compressors. In addition to this the company recently acquired NSS Northern Site Supplies (a specialist in petrochemical and offshore equipment hire) making a total investment of almost £2 million.

Fixed and portable gas detectors protect personnel
After a recent CO leak at an Erlanger, Ky. office complex, building management did not have to look far to find a gas detection solution, turning to one of the building’s tenants, gas detection specialist Crowcon.  To provide early warning of any future leaks, Eikon portable personal detectors and fixed gas detectors in Crowcon’s Xgard detector line were purchased for the building.

A faulty boiler was identified as the culprit for the CO leak that prompted an early morning evacuation of the complex, a combination office, service and manufacturing space that houses five companies of the UK-based Halma global protection and detection technology group.  When the fire department arrived, CO readings were estimated in the 200-300 ppm range.  After clearing the building with fans and repairing the boiler, building management purchased several Crowcon products in order to provide earlier warning of any future gas dangers.

“We do mostly administrative and service work here,” explains Crowcon Sales Office Manager Lisa French.  “Typically you associate specific environments, like warehouses with a lot of exhaust or heavy duty manufacturing operations with having a high potential for gas to cause a health hazard.  This incident was a wake-up call that just like in private homes, there are gas dangers inherent in our everyday living systems, and we need to protect ourselves accordingly.”

The building management chose a two pronged approach to protect building employees from future leaks, Eikon portable detectors, and fixed point Xgard gas detectors with Gasmaster control panel.

The Eikon portable detectors provide maintenance-free continuous monitoring in each of the building’s five offices.  When CO is detected, audible and visual alarms give effective warning of hazardous conditions.  The units have a two year service life and can be tested and calibrated, a feature not available on consumer CO products.  The Eikon is also available in hydrogen sulphide, chlorine, ammonia or oxygen deficiency monitoring versions.

In the building’s boiler room, two Xgard detector heads were installed–one for CO detection and one for natural gas detection.  A Gasmaster control panel mounted in the building’s front lobby, combined with audible and visual alarms at the buildings front and rear entrances, will alert to dangerous conditions both inside the building and as people approach from the outside. 

Xgard detectors are available in a variety of options to suit specific application needs.  They are designed for either wall or ceiling mounting without the need for additional brackets, with accessories for duct mounting and special models available for high-temperature settings.  The Gasmaster control panel’s large LCD display provides simultaneous display of all channels and alarm/fault messages.  Simple push button operation performs all operation, calibration and test functions from the panel key pad.

The Xgard IR LPG from Crowcon is a new, low cost infrared (IR) fixed gas detector designed to detect LPG* gas hazards before concentrations reach flammable levels. Typical environments requiring LPG monitoring include petroleum refineries, manufacturing processes, vehicle filling stations and buildings that use LPG as their main gas supply.

Conventional LPG detectors based on catalytic pellistors are susceptible to poisoning in some industrial atmospheres. This can make their readings unreliable and even destroy the sensor altogether. The new Xgard IR LPG is totally immune to poisoning and will reliably warn of LPG gas hazards in environments that are unsuitable for other types of sensor. The detection range is 0-100% LEL**. Infrared sensing has other benefits too. Unlike catalytic pellistors, IR sensors will fail to safety, detect flammable gas in inert backgrounds and are not damaged by high gas concentrations.

The new IR LPG sensor can be specified with two types of enclosure: polyester-coated aluminium or 316 stainless steel for maximum corrosion resistance in extreme environments. The sensor, which has a life expectancy of over 5 years, is a simple plug-in module that makes replacement quick and easy. ATEX*** and IECEx**** approved for use in hazardous areas, the Xgard IR LPG is Exd flameproof rated.

The standard junction box is designed for both wall and ceiling mounting, and four cable gland options ensure compatibility on any site. The detector takes a range of accessories for harsh or wet conditions and for remote sampling.

* Liquefied Petroleum Gas – a mixture of hydrocarbons, predominantly Propane and Butane
** Lower Explosive Limit
*** ATEX – EU Directive covering equipment for use in potentially explosive environments
**** IECEx – a scheme to facilitate international trade in equipment and services for use in explosive areas

Crowcon Detection Instruments has appointed Warren Rees as its new Managing Director.

Prior to taking over at Crowcon Warren was Managing Director of Fire Fighting Enterprises (FFE) for four years. Also a Halma company, FFE specialises in infrared optical beam smoke detectors. During his tenure with FFE Warren led the company through a period of significant growth. He joined Halma from Cooper Industries.

Warren is a graduate of the University of Wales, Swansea, in Applied Mathematics. He developed his early career in operations before moving into general management with Thorn. His extensive experience with both electronic instruments and integrated systems will be of real value as he takes up his new position at Crowcon.

Crowcon has supplied over 60 of its ATEX-approved Tetra portable gas detectors to Avery Weigh-Tronix for detecting dangerous gases in pit-mounted weighbridges.

Avery Weigh-Tronix is the UK’s largest supplier of weighbridges, many of which are mounted over enclosed pits containing load cells. These load cells require regular service and maintenance, which involves a technician physically entering the pit.

Confined space regulations mean that technicians cannot enter a pit without initially testing the atmosphere, and then continuously monitoring it while at work. Rather than pass this responsibility to its clients, Avery Weigh-Tronix decided to equip all its technicians with Tetra detectors to comply with the regulations.

Gas hazards in the pits come from a variety of sources and include diesel spillage, rotting organic matter, exhaust fumes (weighbridges adjacent to those being serviced often remain operational), landfill gases and process emissions. All these emissions are potentially dangerous and need to be closely monitored.

Crowcon’s Tetra multi-gas detectors are ideal for this purpose. Simple to use, they can monitor a combination of toxic gases, flammable gases and oxygen at the same time. A single button controls all functions and a backlit display gives simultaneous viewing of all gas readings, alarm conditions and battery life at a glance.

If a gas hazard is detected, the Tetra instantly alerts the technician by emitting a loud 94 dBA alarm, producing an extremely bright red/blue flashing light, and by vibrating. Alarm tones are adjustable to ensure easy discrimination from surrounding noise.

According to Tony Thomas, an Avery Weigh-Tronix technician who has been using a Tetra for several months, “I’m very happy with the device. It is easy to use and gives us an instant indication of conditions in the pit. The display is easy to understand and, if a hazard is detected, the audible warning is unmistakeable. I also find that the batteries last for ages – I only have to recharge them every two months or so.”

Compact in size and weighing between just 300-500g depending on the model, Tetra units are very rugged. They are water- and dust-resistant to IP65 and can float if dropped in water. They are provided with either rechargeable batteries (providing up to 18 hours’ continuous operation), or conventional non-rechargeable batteries.

Gas detection specialist Crowcon Detection Instruments was highly commended at this year’s Innovation Design and Excellence Awards, held recently at London’s Hilton Hotel on Park Lane.

The Oxfordshire-based company was highly commended in the ‘Design Cycle Time Reduction’ award, just missing out on the top prize. The judges recognised Crowcon’s expertise in integrating raw sensing technology into a piece of processing equipment and producing a clear, easy-to-use interface, underpinned by an electronics platform called i-Module.

Crowcon’s Technical Director Stefan Kukula commented, “Making a product as a platform means an initially longer development time, but follow-on products have shorter lead times. The i-Module platform has helped us bring new product variants to market quickly, while the flexible nature of the architecture allows significant changes to be introduced with relatively little design input.”

Crowcon was also shortlisted for the ‘Business to Business’ category for winning major supply contracts with British Gas, Southern Water and other major utility companies.

Now in their third year, the Innovation Design and Excellence Awards recognise and reward the key role played by mechanical and electronic design engineers in the creation of new and successful products. The awards are organised by Eureka and New Electronics magazines (part of Findlay Publications) and Cranfield School of Management.

All the shortlisted companies were honoured at an awards luncheon held at the Hilton Hotel Park Lane in London in conjunction with the Best Factory Awards (BFA). The event was hosted by writer and broadcaster Frances Edmonds, with Jonathan Kestenbaum, chief executive of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta), as the IDEA keynote speaker.

The Xgard IR from Crowcon is a new, low cost infrared (IR) flammable gas and carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor designed for use in fixed point detection systems where conventional detectors can prove unreliable or suffer from interference and damage.

Conventional flammable gas detectors based on catalytic pellistors are susceptible to poisoning in some industrial atmospheres. This can make their readings unreliable and even destroy the sensor altogether. The new Xgard IR is totally immune to poisoning and will reliably warn of gas hazards in environments that are unsuitable for other types of sensor. Infrared sensing has other benefits too. Unlike catalytic pellistors, IR sensors will fail to safety, detect flammable gas in inert backgrounds and are not damaged by high gas concentrations.

Typical environments requiring flammable gas monitoring include petrochemical processing, water and sewage treatment and power generation. Continuous CO2 monitoring is common in food production processes, laboratories and brewing.

This new IR sensor can be specified with two types of enclosure: polyester-coated aluminium or 316 stainless steel for maximum corrosion resistance in extreme environments. The sensor, which has a life expectancy of over 5 years, is a simple plug-in module that makes replacement quick and easy. ATEX* and IEXEx approved for use in hazardous areas, the Xgard IR is Exd flameproof rated.

The standard junction box is designed for both wall and ceiling mounting, and four cable gland options ensure compatibility on any site. The detector takes a range of accessories for harsh or wet conditions and for remote sampling.

*ATEX – EU Directive covering equipment for use in potentially explosive environments.

Crowcon has added more features to its Triple Plus+ portable gas detector, making it even more versatile than ever. Favoured by the construction and oil and gas industries because of its toughness, and with around 100,000 units in use worldwide, the Triple Plus+ is arguably the world’s most popular full function multi-gas gas detector.

The device, which can monitor up to four toxic and flammable gases at once from a list of over 15, is almost unbreakable and uses the larger 7-series sensors which have been shown to be the most reliable sensor type available. The unit’s carbon dioxide accuracy has been significantly improved and it now also has a 0-1.00ppm arsine sensor, allowing it to be used to detect the dopant gas in semiconductor manufacturing. The detector has also been made compatible with Crowcon’s CheckBox calibration station, making calibration and bump testing* easy.

In addition, the Triple Plus+ IR (infrared) version is now compatible with ISO 61779 LEL (lower explosion limit) concentrations. IR detection differs from traditional methods because it does not require the presence of oxygen, making the Triple Plus+ IR ideal for purge monitoring of hydrocarbon storage tanks such as in petroleum processing facilities or oil and gas carriers.

Designed for use in a wide range of demanding industrial environments, the Triple Plus+ is housed in a shatterproof polyamide/ABS casing, making it shock-resistant and water-proof to IP65. It will also float if dropped in water.

A large backlit display shows all gas levels simultaneously and a loud audible alarm and extremely bright visual alarm warns the operator when gas levels reach dangerous levels. 100 hours of datalogging capacity is available as standard and a PC interface through an RS232 serial port allows all data to be downloaded for permanent storage.

* A bump test applies a gas mixture to a detector to check whether the sensors are working within acceptable response limits.

The new Crowcon Hydra addressable gas detection system provides a novel way of detecting toxic gases from vehicle exhausts, such as Carbon Monoxide (CO), oxides of Nitrogen (NO/NO2) and petrol vapour, in enclosed or underground car parks.

Many car parks run ventilator fans continuously, but this is very inefficient and energy intensive. The Crowcon Hydra offers an alternative method of gas monitoring so fans only need to run when required. Addressable gas detector systems like the Crowcon Hydra also cost less to install than conventional point-to-point systems, with a single control unit capable of monitoring up to 120 separate gas detector heads distributed throughout a car park.

The detectors’ electrochemical sensors provide superior performance compared with semiconductor detectors often used in car park gas detectors, with dramatically reduced false alarms. The system has four programmable relays for controlling fans and/or alarms, and a further 128 outputs can be added.

The control unit can be positioned anywhere – such as a plant room or office – and provides a continuous, easy to read backlit LCD display of all operating conditions and gas levels. It has  an event-logging facility and a printer connector, so all alarm and fault events can be recorded and printed automatically. An RS-232 Modbus output also enables connection to BMS, DCS or SCADA systems.

Part of Halma p.l.c., Crowcon (www.crowcon.com) develops, manufactures and markets innovative, reliable and cost-effective flammable and toxic gas detection equipment. Its products are sold throughout the world, serving those industries where accidental leakage of gas or vapour can become a toxic or explosive danger.

Toxic or flammable gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane can be easily monitored from multiple locations with Crowcon’s new PGSi Programmable Monitoring System.

Monitoring up to four different gases at once, from up to 32 individual sampling points, the PGSi is ideal for applications such as carbon monoxide monitoring in car parks and tunnels, carbon dioxide monitoring in breweries, distilleries and food processing plants, or monitoring methane leaks from the heating systems of buildings. By doing away with the need for multiple fixed detectors, the sampling system significantly reduces installation and maintenance costs.

Each sample line can be up to 3280 feet (1000m) in length and sample times for each monitoring point are individually adjustable and can be sequenced in any order. A dual pump arrangement ensures that samples reach the gas sensors as quickly as possible. Filters, flow-fail devices, internal gas leak detectors and flame arrestors are all fitted as standard to ensure safe and reliable operation at all times.

The system is controlled by a PC using Windows XP-based software. A screen displays individual sample locations, gas levels and alarms. It operates up to 32 relays (which activate alarm devices or send a signal to external control equipment) and provides comprehensive data-logging facilities, with gas data is displayed either in tabular or graphical formats. The PC can be monitored remotely via an optional modem, allowing status checks and the uploading of datalog files. The system can be supplied with a PC or can operate with a PC supplied by the user.