Flir GasFindIR: a camera for immediate detection of gas leaks

Experience shows that gas leaks are rare, occurring in less than 1 % of installations. 99 % of time-consuming and costly inspections were therefore carried out in the past to analyze leak-free, sealed components. With the FLIR GasFindIR, during maintenance, inspectors can quickly get a very precise view of the state of an industrial complex by simply scanning the areas to be checked with the camera. The FLIR GasFindIR saves considerable time and increases safety. Many gases and chemical compounds used intensively in production processes are invisible to the naked eye. Strict regulations govern how companies must detect, document, correct and report any leaks of volatile gaseous compounds, and how often. The most widely used technology is the Toxic Vapor Analyzer (TVA) or "sniffer technology". When looking for gas leaks, all systems must be checked. These checks are particularly important and time-consuming, often necessitating a production stoppage. In a large refinery, for example, there may be as many as 160,000 km of piping, and detecting gas leaks requires tens of thousands of tests on all the piping, shut-off valves, seals, valves, flares, etc. The FLIR GasFindIR is the ideal tool for detecting gas leaks. With the FLIR GasFindIR, an inspector can quickly identify backflowing gases and other volatile organic substances from a safe distance. The infrared technology used by the FLIR GasFindIR shows gas emissions as a plume of smoke. Once a leak has been identified at a safe distance using the device, a toxic vapor analyzer can then be used to determine the precise concentration of the substance. Compared with previous methods, the use of cameras for inspections offers numerous safety and environmental advantages. The camera is a fast, non-contact measuring instrument that can also be used in hard-to-reach areas. FLIR GasFindIR cameras are being adopted by a growing number of plants worldwide to visualize and document gas leaks. These cameras can quickly scan large areas and detect leaks in real time. They are ideal for monitoring installations that are difficult for contact measurement instruments to access. Thousands of components can be scanned in a matter of seconds, without interrupting the process. As a result, they reduce downtime for maintenance, and enable the effectiveness of repairs to be verified. Last but not least, they provide exceptional safety, enabling potentially dangerous leaks to be monitored remotely. The heart of the FLIR GasFindIR is a cooled indium antimonide (InSb) detector. This detector produces clear images with a high degree of detail. The camera is compact, weighing just 2.5 kg, and has been designed for use in harsh industrial environments, operating over a wide temperature range (from -15°C to +50°C). It produces real-time infrared images in the popular PAL format. It can withstand accelerations of up to 40g. The camera can detect twenty different types of gas; these appear on the screen as "black smoke", and it is possible to analyze kilometers of piping from a safe distance. In particular, the GasFindIR can detect leaks of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), the insulating gas used worldwide in most high-voltage installations. SF6 is a dangerous gas for the environment: it remains in the atmosphere for over 3,000 years, and its greenhouse effect is 24,000 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO2). So it's vital to find and repair even the smallest SF6 leaks to help reduce global warming. To find out more: www.flir.com      

Read more
Page 208 de 241 1 ... 207 208 209 ... 241

Spotlight

Our partners

en_US