New environmental conditioning lab commissioned for increased production of hydrogen monitoring products and certification of new customised analyser products

H2scan have announced the commissioning of an expanded environmental conditioning lab for its Hy-Optima™ hydrogen analyser products. The new lab replaces a remote lab the company could only use for its standardised products and gives H2scan the capability to expand its production and deliver customised products to refineries and petrochemical facilities.
 
Most refineries and petrochemical facilities have a wide range of sensing applications that need to measure hydrogen in the presence of different concentrations of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and carbon monoxide (CO) gases. The lab features four gas lines with adjustable gas concentrations that can be used to condition these specialised products. The facility also features two additional fixed-concentration gas lines for expanded conditioning of standardised products. H2scan designed and built the new lab to its specifications in a secured facility adjacent to its corporate offices.
 
Hy-Optima products are used in process applications to ensure production optimization of oil and petrochemical products. Each Hy-Optima sensor is rated for background monitoring of hydrogen in the presence of H2S and CO gases at predetermined concentrations with no interference to the H2 reading. The lab is used to ensure that the sensors are conditioned to provide accurate hydrogen indication in the presence or absence of these gasses.
 
The lab conditions Hy-Optima 740, Hy-Optima 1740 and HY-Optima 2740 products. All of these sensors have been sold retail for over 10 years, and can currently measure hydrogen concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 100%, in the presence of CO up to 20% concentration and H2S at up to 3% concentration.
 
 
The conditioning lab  is currently conditioning and validating the H2 sensors to measure hydrogen accurately in the presence of up to 50% CO, a requirement for synthesis gas (syngas) applications. A new Hy-Optima product designed to meet this need is now undergoing beta testing. Another example of a product currently in development is designed for measurement of hydrogen in tail gas treater units where some customers require the product to be rated to be accurate at up to 5% H2S.
 
“This lab gives us flexibility to develop products that is unmatched in the industry,” said Somesh Ganesh, director of the lab and Sr. Director of Advanced Development for H2scan. “The ability to certify hydrogen sensing in the presence of 50% CO and 5% H2S is unheard of in the industry and means new alternatives for our refinery and petrochemical customers.”
 
“This expanded lab has already paid dividends in increasing production and streamlining our product delivery process, allowing us to cut our backlog and shorten delivery times,” said Mike Nofal, H2scan Vice President of Sales and Business Development. “With this resource, H2scan is one of the most agile players in this market and we have room to expand as the company grows.”
 
The lab features a scrubber system to eliminate noxious gases and an exhaust hood that eliminates the possibility of a gas leak into the facility. Gas sensing alarms are installed to detect any gas leaks within the facility.