Paper Tape Type Analyzer

[RADT]

Has anyone out there used a paper tape type analyzer to measure the presence of a gas?
See link;

http://www.scottinstruments.com/products/product.cfm?ID=44

Does not have to be this exact brand just the same principle.
If you have, what type of gas have you been measuring? Have you been happy with the results?

 

[JLSeagull]

Lead acetate paper tape analyzers are common for hydrogen sulfide in natural gas. The analyzer uses more than one tape per month as well as servicing the humidifier every two weeks. These consumables are expensive and cost technician or operator time. About three manufacturers exist. The common application includes the 4 ppm H2S in sales gas measured about 0-10 ppm to trip the sales gas shutdown valve. Such analyzers can be applied to the acid gas from an amine unit via a dilution system.

Is this the type information that you are looking for?

 

[JLSeagull]

I would STRONGLY recommend AGAINST paper tape analyzers if you are looking for toxic gas area monitoring.

 

[RADT]

That's basically the type of info that we are looking for, just a general feel for the reliability and or maintainability of these instruments.
It's is hard to get a feel for reality when you start talking to vendor sales people, no offence guys but it can be true.
We were thinking of using this technology to measure the presence of HF gas in our flare header before it gets to the flare gas compressor (oil refinery). Same idea as the application that you mentioned, if there is HF present, shutdown the compressor.

 

[dcasto]

I remeber your last thread. We used the type to measure H2S in sales gas. The system would shut in our gas if it reached the 4ppm level. The most troublsome problem we had with them was contamination. If our amine unit went down, the gas would contain 500 to 1000 ppm H2S. The sampleing system to the instrument would allow enough H2S in the cabinet that it would stain the paper on the roll to an amout above 4ppm, so we would have to throw away a whole roll of the tape. The unit was easy to operate.

Wished I'd kept up with them on your application. The vendor should be willing to give a unit to test for a month.

 

[sdl]

dcasto:

What we did in that situation is put in a bypass around the analyzer, set to operate after the process has shutdown. The procedure is to use a Draeger to sample the gas and once the content was lower than the bypass trip point, then the analyzer could be brought back online.

This system has saved thousands of dollars in tape as well as technician time. The manual sample method is not the best, but tubes are cheaper than tape.

Thought I would run that by you, perhaps it will help you.

 

[dcasto]

The problem is the analyzer was owned by the pipeline, so we had to wait for them. But we kinda did what you mentioned, we by passed the sampler until we were ready.

I'll look at some systems we have now and see if the pipeline left a way to bypass.