High Voltage: New Measurement Ranges for SF6 Sensors

Diffusion sensor up to 200 ppm and process sensor up to 5,000 ppm: smartGAS completes its modular system for SF6 detection with two additional NDIR sensors. (Image: smartGAS Mikrosensorik GmbH)

smartGAS offers the most comprehensive product portfolio of optical SF6 sensors on the market. Now, the measurement range of the NDIR sensors has been expanded to include an additional diffusion sensor for indoor air monitoring and an analysis sensor for leak detection.

The non-dispersive infrared sensors (NDIR) from smartGAS combine measurement accuracy with compact design and easy handling. They offer a number of additional advantages for users: they are pre-calibrated, long-term stable, reliable, and can be used directly without further adjustments. The power supply is 3.3 to 6 VDC, and digital signal interfaces include Modbus ASCII and RTU. For environmental air monitoring of SF6 concentration in switchgear, as well as in gas warehouses, power plants, and substation facilities, smartGAS has now expanded its diffusion sensor offerings to include a measurement range up to 200 ppm, rounding out for more precise measurements at lower concentrations. The diffusion sensors for indoor air monitoring from the BASICEVO series, like all smartGAS sensors, are characterized by low detection limits, low drift, a wide temperature range, as well as fast response times and low maintenance requirements.

Leak detection even at high concentrations

The new compact and lightweight FLOWEVO SF6 sensor with a measurement range of 5,000 ppm is used in portable gas measuring devices or stationary SF6 detection devices for discontinuous or continuous measurement of SF6 leaks. In addition to the 50 ppm sensor, which reliably detects even minimal SF6 leaks due to its high sensitivity and very low detection limit, the 5,000 ppm version can now also locate larger leaks directly at the exit point. More sensitive sensors quickly reach the measurement range limit with larger leaks, making precise damage localization more difficult in such cases. It is also well suited as a central sensor for indoor air monitoring with multiple sampling points via valves and hoses.

The most versatile NDIR spectrum on the market

smartGAS, as the only manufacturer, offers a modular system for SF6 sensors that covers the entire measurement spectrum from 50 ppm to 100 vol.-%, providing the widest range of optical infrared gas sensors for diffusion applications and process measurement technology on the market. Multi-gas sensors, for example in combination with carbon monoxide and other gases, are also part of the product range. The user decides what they need: just the sensor, a ready-to-install OEM analysis system, or a complete device. Thanks to the standardized design of smartGAS sensors, the two new NDIR sensors can be easily integrated into existing measurement systems via plug-and-play.