SF6 Swgr Indoor - Gas Moniroring/Alarms

[amurray]

Looking for suggestions on what equipment people have used to monitor either SF6 or oxygen in the building that houses SF6 switchgear. Got a request from a client, but have not used monitoring outside of SF6 pressure alarms.

Thanks
Andy

 

[ScottyUK]

A personal gas detector is a reasonably cost-effective solution if people are working in cable trenches or similar low points where the dense SF₆ will tend to accumulate. In this application you're really only interested in oxygen depletion, but many of the common ones also detect flammables / hydrocarbons. Fixed installations tend to be expensive and carry a larger maintenance overhead because they need multiple sensors to cover a typical large substation.

 

[crshears]

The places I've worked we monitor the SF6 switchgear, and if there's no sustained low density alarm it's presumed there's no SF6 on the loose. Plus we either put the entire structure on stilts with grates large enough to allow SF6 molecules to get out but too small for critters to get in, or have high-volume air exchange systems that automatically activate in the event of multiple compartment breaches. Door #2 is definitely much nicer in the dead of an Ontario winter...

CR

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]

 

[amurray]

Thanks all.

We have typically alarmed on SF6 loss, but a client has asked about installing permanent oxygen/SF6 monitoring/alarming so I am trying to find options.

Andy