New fixed area hydrogen gas safety monitor for fast hydrogen measurement and no maintenance

H2scan have announced its plans for a HY-ALERTA™ Gen 5 fixed-area monitor for fast hydrogen-specific leak detection and safety monitoring.

The HY-ALERTA Gen 5 is based on H2scan’s recently announced Gen 5 System for distribution transformer monitoring, a first of its kind small-size, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)-based hydrogen safety sensor package that includes high accuracy, high end features, and low cost in the industry’s smallest form factor.

The electronics of the HY-ALERTA Gen 5 System is consolidated onto a 4.73 x 4.73 mm, 1.2 million-transistor ASIC. The ASIC, combined in a package with three small 1” by 3” flex boards, allowed H2scan to develop a sensor package that weighs 1 pound, is 5.9 inches long and 1.6 inches wide. The ASIC and small flex circuit boards drive down the cost of the device by 80 percent, when purchased in large volumes.

The HY-ALERTA Gen 5 fixed area monitor provides fast hydrogen-specific leak detection and safety monitoring from 0 percent to 5 percent hydrogen by volume and is capable of operating with or without air/oxygen present. The sensor has no cross-sensitivity to other combustible gases, including carbon monoxide (CO) or hydrogen sulfide (H2S), eliminating false alarms and improving reliability.

Featuring H2scan’s patented auto calibration technology, the HY-ALERTA Gen 5 requires no scheduled maintenance or calibrations and provides a 10-year life expectancy. The semiconductor hydrogen sensor does not wear out, resulting in over three times longer life than competing monitors. The sensor works with off the shelf Modbus compatible transmitters for easy installation and replacement.

The HY-ALERTA Gen 5 is ideal for a wide variety of applications, including industrial gas supply and hydrogen production - leak detection around hydrogen storage facilities and pipes, control rooms/analyser buildings - detection of potentially flammable hydrogen buildup in occupied areas, furnaces and manufacturing - area monitoring for unburnt hydrogen, laboratories - general hydrogen safety monitoring to name just a few.

“Combustible gas detectors calibrated for hydrogen can falsely report hydrogen alarms due to the presence of other gases, such as carbon monoxide from engine exhaust, solvents or other sources,” said Dennis Reid, President, CEO and Founder of H2scan. “The HY-ALERTA Gen 5 will provide end users and OEMs with a low cost, small footprint, accurate, fast response and long-life safety monitor with no false alarms, no calibrations with no maintenance needs. No other technology can compete against the precision, performance, and no maintenence that we can offer in this Gen 5-based platform.”

The HY-ALERTA Gen 5 System is rated for temperatures up to 125 degrees Celsius. The system features three user-configurable 5A/240VAC relays. Analog input is 4-20 mA and input voltage is 12-28 VDC (24V typical). The HY-ALERTA Gen 5 System communicates to a central monitoring console using the Modbus serial protocol over an RS485 network. The system has a built in AC/DC power supply. Optional interfaces include wireless, Ethernet and highway addressable remote transducer (HART).

Safety certifications include UL, c-UL, ATEX, IEC Ex, FM, KOSHA, Russia, China and SIL2-capable.

Prototypes of the HY-ALERTA Gen 5 Safety System are in beta tests with selected H2scan customers. H2scan will produce the product in sampling volumes starting in the third quarter of 2019, with high volume production expected in by the end of the year.