Gas detection for refrigeration

March 2012 Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring

Leak detection and contamination prevention in cold-room applications.

A critical factor affecting the quality, safety and shelf life of agricultural and food products is a constantly cool temperature while transporting and processing food produce. A small leak in a large refrigeration system can wreak havoc, costing the producer millions in profit. MSA Africa offers a comprehensive range of fixed and portable gas detection devices, designed to detect harmful refrigerants escaping into the atmosphere and to protect people from the potentially toxic effects.

MSA’s gas detection devices can detect a variety of gasses down to one part per million and can be configured to detect a specific refrigerant, or a group of refrigerants. This makes it applicable in various industries and applications, such as refrigeration compressor rooms, ice maker plants, plate freezer areas, cold storage plants and research laboratories.

“Apart from constantly monitoring the levels of refrigerant gasses required to keep temperatures at its optimal level, our gas detection products protect and save lives,” says Robbie Taitz, marketing manager, MSA. “This is achieved by providing an early warning system that forewarns employees of potentially fatal gasses leaking into the working environment and causing intoxication or an explosion.”

One such product is the MSA ChillgardRT Refrigerant Monitor that detects leaking refrigerant compounds long before the air is contaminated, or the industrial refrigeration units break down. The system utilises stable and highly selective photo acoustic infrared technology to detect refrigerant gasses. It features a high immunity to interfering conditions and substances commonly found in traditional electromechanical detectors, such as turbulence, humidity, cleaning agents and solvents.

While traditional, non-dispersive infrared units have inherent zero drift, which leads to erroneous gas readings, the MSA ChillgardRT PIR instruments have a more solid zero reading, resulting in precise results each time. Units are easy to setup and use and can be configured to monitor up to eight remote areas, and detect up to six different refrigerants at a time. There are also many other options available in the MSA refrigerant and gas detection range to meet individual monitoring needs.

“The MSA ChillgardRT has become the industry standard for refrigerant leak detection monitors, providing economical, low-level monitoring of gasses used in most refrigeration systems,” concludes Taitz.

For more information contact Robbie Taitz, MSA Africa, +27 (0)11 610 2600, [email protected], www.msaafrica.co.za

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