600th Gas Aspirator Shipped to Canada

Hazard detection specialist Groveley Detection (UK) has shipped its 600th gas detection aspirator. Groveley has supplied its gas detection aspirators (sampling systems) to oil, gas and energy installations around the world since 1993, monitoring smoke, flame and toxic gases.

This unit - to be installed at ATCO Power’s Muskeg River cogeneration plant in Alberta, Canada - will monitor a gas turbine enclosure for potential methane leaks. It is the latest aspirator of five supplied to ATCO Power in Canada for gas turbine monitoring. The 170-megawatt gas-fired power station provides steam and electricity to the Muskeg River Mine, with surplus electricity sold to the Power Pool of Alberta. Energy from the turbines’ hot exhaust gas is captured for use in the mine’s bitumen extraction process.

Groveley’s system includes three high-temperature (up to 185ºC) duct probes, which monitor different areas of ducting from the turbine by drawing gas samples to the aspirator cabinet and its three methane detectors.

The Muskeg River station’s design enables it to generate electricity with minimal effect on the environment. Both of the gas turbines are equipped with low NOx combustors to minimise the environmental impact of generating electricity.

And it turns 84% of the natural gas’s potential energy into electricity and steam - compared to an average of 33% achieved by conventional power stations - while emissions of greenhouse gases are about one-third of a similarly-sized coal-fired power station.