Unique analyser certification claim vindicated!

The SICK 3006 is the only portable FID with MCERTS approval for using either hydrogen or hydrogen/helium fuel gas. This was a claim made recently by Quantitech. This claim was challenged, but Sira Certification has confirmed that the 3006 passed the MCERTS performance requirements for both gas options.

So, why is that important? Quantitech Director Dominic Duggan explains: “The hydrogen/helium fuel gas mixture is at least three times the cost of hydrogen gas, so one might assume that all FIDs would run on hydrogen. However, some FID manufacturers are unable to achieve the MCERTS performance requirements whilst running on hydrogen and have to resort to the more expensive mixture.

“The MCERTS field tests for the SICK 3006 were conducted with both fuel gas options, but Hydrogen is by far the preferable option. So this is uncomfortable news for our competitors because some of their instruments require a fuel gas flow rate of 9 times that of the SICK 3006, which runs at just 20cc/min. This means that our instrument is able to operate for a full working week from one small 1 litre bottle of hydrogen; at less than 5% of the running costs of some of our competitors.

“Furthermore, high flow rates necessitate a large supply of gas which can create logistical problems and safety issues when transporting heavy bottles in the field up and down stacks.”

• The 3006 FID instrument will feature on Quantitech’s stands (44 & 51) at AQE 2015 at Telford (GB), 22nd to 23rd April.