Troubleshooting for Combustible Gas Detectors
A combustible gas detector consists of a sensor probe and an alarm unit. It is widely used in many industries prone to serious gas leakage, such as petroleum, domestic gas pipelines, chemical engineering and oil depots. It detects gas leaks in hazardous indoor and outdoor areas and serves as vital equipment to ensure production and personal safety.
When combustible gas leaks in the monitored area, the instrument displays the concentration as a percentage of the lower explosive limit (LEL). Explosion risks arise once the gas concentration exceeds this limit. Therefore, the following points should be noted during use: once a combustible gas detector is installed in position, relocation is difficult, so its installation location must be carefully determined in advance.
First, identify all potential leakage points on the monitored equipment, analyze and mark the possible leakage directions before installation. Different combustible gases have different densities. Combined with air flow patterns, create a three-dimensional gas flow diagram and set initial monitoring points at downstream positions.
Next, analyze the leakage state: slow seepage or high-volume jet release. For minor slow seepage, install the combustible gas detector close to the leakage point; for jet-type large-area leakage, place the detector farther away to achieve accurate concentration measurement. After completing the above steps, the required quantity of combustible gas detectors can be calculated.
For sites with risks of severe combustible gas leakage, one detection point shall be arranged every 10–20 meters in accordance with relevant regulations. For unattended, small pump houses operating intermittently, attention shall be paid to potential combustible gas leakage, and generally one detector shall be installed at the downwind side.
Finally, analysis of numerous accident cases shows that many serious incidents occur because combustible gas detectors are improperly installed. Such improper placement leads to failure to detect gas leakage in a timely manner and delayed emergency response.
