IS & Ex


Wireless gas detection from Yokogawa and GasSecure

September 2015 IS & Ex

Yokogawa and GasSecure, a Dräger owned company, have announced the delivery of their first SIL2-certified wireless gas detection system for use at an LNG facility in northern Europe.

Yokogawa has been developing a wide variety of ISA100 wireless technologies and field wireless devices such as adaptors that enable conventional wired devices to access wireless networks. It supplies these technologies and devices to plants and other facilities primarily in the upstream oil and gas sector. GasSecure has developed ISA100 wireless gas detectors that can detect leaks of explosive hydrocarbon gases and are certified for compliance with the ATEX directive and the IECEx Certified Equipment Scheme. These detectors are installed on offshore oil and gas drilling platforms and at tank farms, industrial plants, and the like. GasSecure has already supplied a number of these products to leading oil and gas companies around the world.

In 2014, GasSecure and Yokogawa concluded an agreement under which the two companies would jointly develop a wireless gas detection system that would meet the customer requirements of both organisations.

This system uses GasSecure’s GS01 wireless gas detectors to measure hydrocarbon gas concentrations. Using the ISA100 wireless communications protocol, the GS01 establishes a link with a Yokogawa YFGW510 access point and sends data to a host system via a Yokogawa YFGW410 field wireless management station. Although the GS01 uses a low-power infrared sensor and is extremely energy efficient, it has a very fast response time. This capability of the GS01 and the utilisation of dual redundant communications by Yokogawa’s field wireless products make them essential components for the construction of a fast and highly reliable monitoring solution.

To meet its customers’ safety requirements, GasSecure has made enhancements to the GS01 to obtain SIL2 certification for this device. For its part, Yokogawa has modified the YFGW410 so that it now supports the PROFIsafe safety communication standard, and has verified that both companies’ products perform and operate as specified.

Future direction

In the oil and gas, chemical, and other industries, safety is a paramount concern at production, storage and processing sites. Field wireless systems can be installed in difficult-to-wire locations and have lower cabling costs than wired systems. For these reasons, they are ideal for systems that collect production information such as flow rate, pressure and temperature. And unlike other wireless technology platforms, they can be used to construct systems that perform gas detection and other safety functions, and are well suited to this purpose. With the release of SIL2-certified wireless gas detection systems, Yokogawa will actively promote its field wireless equipment and systems, and will expand this business.

For more information contact Christie Cronje, Yokogawa South Africa, +27 (0)11 831 6300, [email protected], www.yokogawa.com/za



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

New modules for distributed integration of intrinsically safe signals
Beckhoff Automation IS & Ex
Beckhoff provides a compact acquisition solution for intrinsically safe signals up to zone 0/20 with the IP67-protected EtherCAT Box modules of the EPX series.

Read more...
Control and monitoring with only one device
Pepperl+Fuchs IS & Ex
Pepperl+Fuchs has expanded its portfolio of K-System isolated barriers for DIN rail mounting (power rail) with the KCD2-SCS interface module. As the first 2-channel AI/AO intrinsic safety barrier with dual function, the module can be configured individually for analogue input or output control signals.

Read more...
Hazardous area solutions
Extech Safety Systems IS & Ex
SEW-EURODRIVE is revolutionising industrial automation with advanced gear units, decentralised drives and the energy-efficient MOVIGEAR system.

Read more...
Field service regime key for effective PDS/CPS operation
IS & Ex
While their primary objective is to ensure the safety of people, proximity detection system and collision prevention system installations also have a direct bearing on other critical parameters such as equipment availability and productivity.

Read more...
World’s first 5G smartphone for ATEX and IECEx zone 1/21
Extech Safety Systems IS & Ex
i.safe MOBILE has launched the world’s first 5G smartphone for ATEX and IECEx zone 1/21. The intrinsically safe mobile device, which was also developed for use in 5G campus networks, offers companies great flexibility thanks to its wide range of possible applications, especially in the automation sector.

Read more...
Fully Ex-certified access point solutions for wireless communication
Pepperl+Fuchs IS & Ex
Pepperl+Fuchs now offers a wireless access point solution that is fully certified in accordance with ATEX/IECEx standards, and forms the basis for end-to-end Wi-Fi communication in hazardous areas.

Read more...
Secure, digital communication in potentially explosive atmospheres
Pepperl+Fuchs IS & Ex
Consistently digitalised processes in the smart factory are a matter of course today, but not in potentially explosive atmospheres. The systems and devices used in these areas must have optimal protection mechanisms to ensure maximum safety.

Read more...
Functional and compatible intrinsically safe loop approvals
Extech Safety Systems IS & Ex
With all the focus on IS loop approval, it is easy to forget to check that the loop will function correctly to see whether the field device has sufficient power (voltage & current) to operate over the full process range.

Read more...
Upgrade your legacy alarm units
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists IS & Ex
Darren Barratt, sales manager at alarm annunciator specialist Omniflex, explains the drawbacks of leaving outdated rack-based alarm annunciator systems in place, and why an upgrade might be simpler than you would expect.

Read more...
Cathodic protection system for hazardous environments
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists IS & Ex
When NSW Ports in Australia embarked on a two-year programme to rehabilitate the structures and combat corrosion levels at its Bulk Liquid Berth 1, it commissioned Melbourne-based consultancy Infracorr to deliver a bespoke cathodic protection) system. To deliver the system safely, Infraccor engaged cathodic protection specialist Omniflex to support the hazardous area and remote monitoring aspects of the CP system design.

Read more...