Remote sensor assembly improves safety.

In response to an industry-wide drive towards improved worker safety and reducing maintenance downtime, Crowcon has developed a remote sensor assembly to work alongside its XgardIQ fixed point detector and transmitter.

The remote sensor assembly allows the gas sensor to be located where gas leaks are most likely to happen, possibly including air ducts, tanks and storage locations. Meanwhile, the XgardIQ transmitter, with its display screen and push-button controls, is located where it is easy and safe to access, up to 15m away.

“Employees are put at increased risk when conducting routine maintenance in difficult-to-access locations”, explains Fiona Macrae, Marketing Manager. “We wanted to develop a solution which helps minimise this risk and, at the same time, reduces expensive maintenance downtime.”

The new XgardIQ remote sensor assembly allows sensors to be located in the best location to monitor for gas leaks while the detector/transmitter is located where it is safe and easy to access This technology will appeal to health and safety professionals, engineers and support facilities managers operating within the oil and gas, chemical, petro-chemical, utility and power industries

XgardIQ is suitable for use in many areas across a site. XgardIQ is compatible with sensor modules for a variety of gases, including flammable, toxic and oxygen. XgardIQ auto-configures to the appropriate gas type, range, unit and alarm level, the details of which are stored in the smart sensor module. This removes the need to train operatives to use different detectors. Along with its simple functionality, including push button controls, warning and screen messages and easily navigable menu, XgardIQ helps minimise a site’s training needs.

XgardIQ already provides significant safety benefits over conventional gas detectors. Sensor re-calibration on conventional fixed-point gas detectors usually requires physical disassembly of the transmitter. XgardIQ sensor modules can be simply and quickly “hot-swapped” without a hot-work permit, either for replacement with a new pre-calibrated replacement module, or for temporary removal to a safe area for calibration. Avoiding the need for a hot-work permit, can also prevent hours or even days of delay to the work.

The novel features of XgardIQ also simplify commissioning, as it can be installed without a sensor module, protected from the elements using a sealed ‘dummy’ module. Pre-calibrated sensor modules can then be supplied immediately prior to commissioning, often months after the initial installation date. The XgardIQ transmitter will automatically configure to the correct gas-type, scale and alarm levels when a sensor module is inserted. This not only protects the sensor module from being damaged, but also ensures that users get the longest possible service life from consumable sensor types, such as galvanic or electrochemical sensors.

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