Applications 

Oil & Gas

 

Offshore 

Offshore Oil & Gas Platforms, rigs and FPSOs require advanced Flame and Gas monitoring equipment to protect the installation and minimize the risk to personnel. Flammable gas leakage is monitored by both point type and open path optical gas detection systems located throughout. 

Special Open path gas monitoring systems for duct and HVAC applications have been designed to continuously monitor the flammable concentration entering these ducts to provide early warning and alarm.

Onshore 

At oil refineries, LPG plants and facilities where propane and many other heavy hydrocarbon gases are processed and stored, the danger of gas clouds collecting and migrating along the ground is very high. 

Tanker loading stations are high-risk areas for fire, especially at the nozzle connection to the tanker. Other locations include pipe flanges, relief valves, and areas where flammable product leaves the storage tanks. 

Risk areas include: 

  • LPG Bullet Tanks 
  • Crude Oil Storage Tanks 
  • Onshore Oil Drilling 
  • Remote Well Sites 
  • LPG Storage Vessels 
  • Compressor Decks 
  • Railway loading platform 
  • Truck filling stations 
  • Pipelines 
  • Fence-line perimeter protection 
  • Turbine Air intakes and ventilation ducts 

 

Process plants 

Process plants that use or produce flammable materials belong to many industries including: Chemical and Petrochemical, Pharmaceutical, Food and Spices, Painting and Coating, Printing, Textiles, Metal Processing, Waste Processing and Treatment, Water Treatment, Agriculture, Pesticides, Propellants and Explosives, Fireworks and smoke generators, Wax and Candle processing, Solvents and Cleaning, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, etc. 

Most of these flammable chemicals pose a high safety risk to the plant facility and its personnel, especially in the highly congested production areas that contain many reactors and turbines, valves and high pressure distribution pipelines.

LPG/LNG

LPG and LNG are major products used either as feedstock or as energy sources for various distillation processes. There are many processes and special production units in a refinery or in terminals that pose specific fire and safety hazards, some of them are detailed below. 

Enagas Barcelona Offloading Terminal and Tank Farm 

The gas storage offloading terminal and tank farm is owned by Enagas (Spain). The fire and gas contractor for the project is Notifier (Spain). 118 SharpEye Triple IR (IR3) Flame Detectors protect gas storage tanks and gas transmission pipes. 

 

Hydrogen 

Many processes require hydrogen generation to provide for a continuous supply. The potential exists for fire in the event of a leak or release of product or hydrogen gas. Fast and reliable Flame detectors that detect the invisible flame radiation have been developed and installed in most refineries. 

Floating Roof Storage Tank 

Fire Detection The storage of crude oil and petroleum products in 'floating roof' tanks may result in vapor migration outside the o-ring seals and ignition to form a fuel fire that in time (if undetected) destroys the seal and turns into a catastrophic fire. 

Spectrex IR3 Flame Detectors are ideal for continuously monitoring the rim seal area above the roof to warn of fire - even for wide diameter tanks (up to 200 ft / 60 m).

Monitoring air intakes in turbines 

Turbine failure causes fast growth and movement of flammable gas clouds which if not detected quickly, can result in uncontrollable explosion. A major hazard is formation of gas clouds and their possible migration to the air intake of a turbine or into the ventilation or air conditioning system. The flammable gases may be rapidly sucked into the turbine and reach the combustion chamber or be ignited by hot spots. SafEye Duct Gas Monitors rapidly activate the turbine emergency shutdown once a high flammable gas concentration is detected.

Ventilation System Danger Scenario

A flammable gas leak that enters the ventilation system increases the fire and health danger in populated areas. Detecting the migrating gas cloud before it enters the ventilation system is a must, since sparks from static electricity or hot surfaces may ignite pockets of flammable gas within the ventilation system.

Chemical and Petrochemical

The Chemical and Petrochemical industry has a myriad of sophisticated high risk processes involving flammable chemicals. Various hydrocarbon refining processes as well as modern reforming processes produce improved gasoline quality and yield and higher-quality products. All these processes require fast and reliable Flame and Gas Monitoring Systems.

Automotive

Spectrex SharpEye Triple IR (IR3) Optical Flame Detectors protect Paint Shops and Paint Spray Booths. The detectors cover a solid angle of 100? and overlapping with the next detector, thus covering the entire area.

 

Aircraft Hangars

For storage or repair of aircraft must be protected against the dangers of leaking fuel, which can easily result in fires that harm personnel, equipment and facilities.

Optical flame detectors have been used for many years in aircraft hangars to protect valuable aircraft from fire. With the introduction of the IR3 technique, hangar designers were able to:

1. Avoid false alarms.
2. Reduce the number of detectors, as the IR3 will see a 1x1' fire two to three times further than any other type detector. (up to 215 feet as opposed to 60).
3. Obtain better coverage of larger hangars that are over 200 feet wide, in which UV/IR's placed on either side still could not 'see' down the middle and under the wings (where the potential threat of fire exists).

With the SharpEye Triple IR (IR3) Optical Flame Detector, the aircraft hangar designers are able to meet the military and commercial requirements for reliable fire detection with improved immunity to false alarms and wider coverage of the protected area.

 

Power Industry

 

Hydrogen Makeup Gas

Hydrogen is used for its cooling properties in power plant generators and other locations. Hydrogen is explosive. If a hydrogen leak occurs, it can cause an explosion as well as generator damage due to overheating.

SharpEye 40/40M can rapidly detect hydrogen and hydrocarbon fires in such areas.

Coal Power Plants

Coal fires are a frequent and well known risk for uncontrolled explosions. Advanced fire detection systems are installed in the various areas of the coal processing and storage areas. Optical flame detectors are part of the modern and complex fire detection systems employed in coal-fuelled power plants. Spectrex SharpEye Triple IR (IR3) Detectors have been installed overlooking the coal elevators, automatic feeding lines and storage areas.

 

Mining Vehicles

The major hazards associated with large-scale industrial mining equipment (e.g. hydraulic shovels) include fires caused by hydrocarbon fuels and hydraulic fluid vapors (or spills) ignition. These can develop from a small fire that grows slowly and, if undetected in time, may develop to engulfing flames and total destruction.

Detectors should have high sensitivity to small fires from a distance of at least 5-10 meters. SharpEye Model 20/20MI is a high-performance and reliable detector for such industrial and commercial uses, packaged into a compact housing for easy installation in tight areas.

Paint Industry

The paint industry employs many flammable hydrocarbon solvents in the various coating and painting processes. Flammable vapors from the solvent paint thinner could ignite and spread the fire into the painted equipment or the surrounding workshop.

Spectrex IR3 detectors are immune to background radiation caused by artificial illumination, electrical sparks and corona processes, heaters/ovens.

Waste Treatment

Municipal and industrial waste disposal is a difficult task that requires vast budget and landfill space to perform it in a safe and environment-friendly manner. The disposal of municipal solid waste in specifically designed incineration processes often experience fires due to the spontaneous heat accumulation of the waste or ignition of hazardous materials such as flammable liquids or gases in the waste.

Advanced Triple IR (IR3) Flame Detection can monitor all parts of the waste pit, including every corner, and activate powerful fire extinguishing.