Advanced sensing solution detects hydrogen and helium
This company has developed sensor technology for hydrogen-gas analysis that also can be used for helium detection. The compact TCD3000 SiA gas analyzer (photo) can be screwed directly into the process and detects hydrogen in the range from a few ppm to 100 vol.% in just 30 ms. The device has a high pressure resistance of up to 200 bars, and is also resistant to condensates at atmospheric pressure. Due to the similar thermal conductivity of hydrogen and helium, the underlying thermo-conductivity detector (TCD) sensing technology developed by this company is equally well-suited for improved detection of the latter gas. Compared to conventional thermal conductivity detectors, this new solution offers significantly higher precision. When monitoring helium purity, a detection limit of 100 ppm with a wide temperature range and almost 100% reproducibility are definite advantages. A significant disadvantage of many conventional measurement methods is that helium is removed from the process and then released into the atmosphere, resulting in considerable economic losses. Thanks to its screw-in design and ability to operate even at high pressures, this sensing solution allows measurements to be taken directly in the process. This conserves resources, saves costs and makes the technology particularly efficient for helium-recovery plants. — Archigas GmbH, Rüsselsheim am Main, Germany