Product category:
Fire, smoke and gas leak detection
News Release from: International Gas Detectors | Subject: Single cable solutions
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 07 November 2006
Single cable solutions for gas detection
Why in today's digital age do many Gas Detection Systems still need to be installed with individual analogue loops from control to sensor, each requiring a separate 3 or 4 core cable connection?
Why is it that in today's digital age many Gas Detection Systems still need to be installed with individual analogue loops from control to sensor, each requiring a separate 3 or 4 core cable connection? As you increase the size of a Gas Detection System so the corresponding loops increase by that factor of 3 or 4 Subsequently this mass of cabling and termination needs housing either by trying to feed it into the control panel or, to save confusion, into a separate marshalling box
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 23 Feb 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
The easy guide to pH measurement
pH measurement equipment is used across all industries: getting the best from this equipment requires consideration of a range of factors to achieve optimum efficiency and cost effectiveness
Fast production of custom float switches with DIY
The release of the DIY Float switch kit offers design and production engineers the opportunity to produce their own custom float switch assemblies in hours.
Using gas detection on an addressable highway could not be simpler.
The loop consists of 4 cores, two that run the 24VDC to power the field devices and two further cores for communication.
That single highway cable is used to interconnect all the field devices, either as a spur or looped back to the panel as a ring highway.
Further reading
ABB Continuous Gas Analysers have mCERTs approval
The range of Continuous Gas Analysers and systems manufactured and marketed by ABB has recently been certified to the latest mCERTs standards, as required for operators of regulated processes
IR Thermometry: from Herschel to modern times
Dr F S Ritchie surveys the development of IR temperature measurement technology from the original experiments to modern Calex EL sensors used in many process industries
The benefits of valve partial stroke testing
Valve signatures and partial stroking can be achieved with the simple addition of a pressure transmitter and purpose designed microcomputer can diagnose many types of valve problem
The highway can be used in safe or hazardous areas working fully with ATEX approved Detectors.
Additionally, addressable Beacons, Sounders and Relays can be used on a highway to give the user maximum field flexibility when designing their system.
Recently when working with an Oil Terminal Client, to calculate full installation costs they identified a difference between analogue at 12Km of Cable, to addressable of just 2Km of Cable.
When this 10km cable saving is then added to relevant cable tray, marshalling box and labour installation savings then addressable systems show a massive saving and advantage.
For the last 10 years IGD (International Gas Detectors) have grown the concept of addressable detection to a range of gas detectors and relevant control panels.
Our control panels vary in Highway size from 1-4, 1-32 and 1-255 detectors.
The highways are RS485 protocol with full highway and sensor diagnostics monitored and reported as required by the operator.
All highway components carry a unique address and this allows zones, alarm outputs and therefore reporting and executive actions to be configured to a client requirement.
Our panels also carry the capability of mixing addressable highways with analogue loops and also adding conventional fire detection.
However even with all this to an operator's eye apart from the cable changes the panel will look and behave just like a standard control package.
All detectors are designed for field calibration.
With a Palm PDA all details of the relevant sensor can be interrogated including: date of manufacture; date and time of last calibration; raw detector data; plus the palm will allow you to zero span and force outputs.
Once you are connected into one sensor then through the highway you can address any detector; this massively reduces service times on hazardous area sites as a highway can be walked very quickly just applying gas at the relevant sensor with no "work permit" intervention required.
Although relatively new the application of addressable systems is straightforward; however if required IGD have engineers available to sit with clients and build the system specific to their needs.
• International Gas Detectors: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Processingtalk email newsletter
• Processingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
