Specific Hydrogen Monitors Chosen by BP Refinery

Environmental instrumentation specialist Quantitech launched a new hydrogen detection technology in the UK towards the end of 2007 and Managing Director Keith Golding is delighted to report, "the technology is proving popular in a wide variety of applications and has recently been chosen by BP for process analysis at its Cherry Point refinery in Washington, USA."

The unique hydrogen monitoring instrumentation is manufactured by H2scan Corporation, based in California, and is distributed exclusively in the UK and Ireland by Quantitech Ltd.

Founded in 2002, H2scan Corporation has been built around a hydrogen specific sensor technology that was originally developed in the U.S. National Laboratory at Sandia. Since that time H2scan has developed a range of advanced portable and fixed monitors for the specific measurement of hydrogen in mixtures, without interference from other gases.

In-line process hydrogen monitoring versions of the technology, the HY-OPTIMA 700 analysers, have been ordered by the BP facility after a successful trial which resulted in good performances in a high percentage, harsh contaminant (H2S) and multi-component process gas in comparison with traditional process analysers.

Explaining the reason for H2scan’s success, BP’s Analyser Engineer, Ryan Holgate said: “H2scan participated in a competitive bidding process with gas chromatographs and was selected based on a number of factors including performance, cost and maintainability.”

The H2scan analysers will provide real-time measurement without the need for valve switching, frequent calibrations and is designed to save considerable retail space in BP’s analyser shelters. H2scan’s success with BP provides a good example of widespread acceptance of H2scan’s miniaturised and advanced analyser technologies in oil refineries.

Keith Golding added: “H2scan’s hydrogen specific solid-state sensing technology is able to detect hydrogen against virtually any background gases without false readings or expensive support equipment. These instruments are able to detect hydrogen concentrations from 15 ppm to 100% over a wide range of temperatures without cross-sensitivity to other substances.

"We are pleased to hear about H2scan’s success in the USA and look forward to bringing the benefits of this technology to the UK petrochemical industry."