OpenPath detectors - photoelectric barriers for detecting

flammable gases
Wolfgang Jessel *

The idea
A thorough examination of the rela-
tively large cuvette of the Polytron IR
Ex Transmitter (see article on page 2)
might be enough to lead the
innovative engineer to imagine that
the area of monitoring could be
significantly enlarged if the light
source and the infrared detector were Receiver and
(spatially) separated (Figure 1) - not light source
just by a few metres, but by some ten,
if not several hundred metres. If there
is to be an open cuvette, it might as
well be really open!
It is a well-known fact, after all, that
according to Lambert’s and Beer’s Receiver Light source
law the longer the path interspersed Receiver Light source
with infrared-active gas, the more the up to 120 m
infrared light will be weakened: the
more absorbing molecules there are,
the stronger is the weakening effect.
Thus a Polytron Transmitter is
transformed - theoretically speaking -
into an open system, a so-called Fig. 1: From Polytron IR Ex to OpenPath detector
OpenPath system, and should ideally
be able to replace several
transmitters along a particular path.
And since it is more likely that a line probability rises proportionately to the of being able to precisely locate the
(the infrared beam) will be increase in distance between the light gas cloud.
interspersed by a gas cloud than that source and the receiver; but at the In short, a sensible compromise to en-
this cloud will hit a particular point same time so do the demands on the sure trouble-free operation of this
(the infrared transmitter), lower costs set-up, precision and stability of this type of OpenPath system would be to
in this case actually lead to an type of optical measurement path. set up a path with a length of some
improved quality of monitoring! More Especially in outdoor applications, ten to one hundred metres.
safety for less money? weather conditions such as fog, rain
A more detailed analysis, however, and snow are disruptive factors which The unit of measurement
brings the innovative engineer down increase their effect in proportion to In order to comprehend how such
to earth. It is true that the detection the length of the measurement path. OpenPath systems work, it is
Finally, the “uncertainty relation” has important to know that these gas
to be considered: the greater the warning systems are not
distance between light source and concentration measuring instruments
* Dr. W. Jessel, Dräger Sicherheitstechnik GmbH, receiver, i.e. the higher the detection of the familiar kind. It is the weakening
Lübeck probability, the lower are the chances of the infrared radiation, which is

34 Dräger Review 81 (July 1998) – W. Jessel: OpenPath detectors – photoelectric barriers for detecting flammable gases
 dependent on the concentration and
Signal: 5 LELm expansion of a gas cloud, that is
50 metres measured. Small gas clouds with high
gas concentration can produce the
IR light source IR receiver same measuring signal as large gas
clouds with low gas concentration.
For example, within the monitored
path, a propane gas cloud with 100%
10 % LEL ropane LEL and an expansion of 5 metres
causes the same signal as 10% LEL
over a distance of 50 metres. In both
Signal: 5 LELm
cases, a signal of 5 LELm is recorded
(Figure 2). It could be said that an
5 metres OpenPath system counts the propane
IR light source IR receiver
molecules within the infrared beam!
The measuring unit LELm assesses
the product of concentration and
100 % LEL propane expansion of a gas cloud. Both quanti-
ties are indications of dangerous
Fig. 2: For 5 metres or 50 metres, the signal is 5 UEGm.
operational conditions, since the
violence and effect of a potential
explosion are not just dependent on
the gas concentration, but also on its
expansion (energy content and
IR light source explosion pressure are proportional
Reflector to the volume). An OpenPath system
(not to scale) detects both:
V Gas clouds of high expansion yet
IR receiver
low concentration indicate long
lasting leakages which have already
experienced dilution. In the vicinity
System GD 4001 of the leakage, flammable concen-
trations can well be expected.
IR light source IR receiver V Gas clouds of low expansion yet
high concentration already are
flammable.
Thus the unit of measurement LELm
provides evidence of the potential
danger. On a strictly symbolic level,
System GD 4012 indeed, a scaling in “expected total
cost of damages in $million“ instead
Fig. 3: There are two different versions of the Dräger OpenPath system: of a scaling in LELm would be
GD 4001 and GD 4012 conceivable.

Dräger Review 81 (July 1998) – W. Jessel: OpenPath detectors – photoelectric barriers for detecting flammable gases 35
In short, an OpenPath system is not a
concentration measuring instrument
but rather a hazard alarm instrument.
The product
Dräger offers two different versions
of the OpenPath system (Figure 3).
The GD 4001 system (Figure 4) is a
“single-ended system”, i.e. the light
source and receiver are combined
and are situated opposite a reflector.
Depending on the size of the
reflector, monitoring paths of up to
20, 35 or 60 metres are possible. The
essential advantage of this type of
“single-ended” system is the fact that
electrical installation has to be carried
out only on one side, which is
convenient in cases where the
monitoring path stretches over
virtually inaccessible areas like for
example inshore waters. The standard
measuring range is 0 ... 5 LELm
propane, i.e. 5 LELm propane
produces a signal of 20 mA.
In all other cases it is advisable to use
the GD 4012-system, a “double-
ended” system in which receiver and
light source are situated opposite one
another. The monitoring path can be
as much as 120 metres long. The
standard measuring range is 0 ... 10
LELm propane.
Since the GD 4001 and the GD 4012
systems were specially developed for
the offshore industry, both are
designed for continuous operation in
the roughest surroundings: impact
resistant special plastic, protection
class IP 66, intrinsically safe as per
EEx ib e IIB T4 (CENELEC),
operational temperature range from
–30 to +60 °C.
36
Fig. 4: GD4001
Electrical data: 24 V DC voltage (via
safety barriers), analogue output
4...20 mA (for connection to any
control system).
In short, the OpenPath system is an
intrinsically safe detection instrument
for flammable gases and for operation
with any 4...20 mA control devices.
Operation
Installation of the GD 4001 and 4012
OpenPath systems is very simple. For
rough adjustment a small telescope is
used, with additional fine tuning
through pitch control being carried
out using earphones. For this, an
(intrinsically safe, battery-driven)
acoustic adjustment aid is used,
which is temporarily plugged in to the
infrared receiver.
Automatic zero point calibration is
then initiated by installing a module
instead of the adjustment aid: the
OpenPath receiver is told, as it were,
that the actual infrared intensity is in
future to correspond to the zero point.
A sensitivity calibration using gas is
not performed. This is already carried
out before the instrument leaves the
Dräger Review 81 (July 1998) – W. Jessel: OpenPath detectors – photoelectric barriers for detecting flammable gases
factory and is permanently programm-
ed into it. In order to check the
OpenPath system, polypropylene foil
can be used, which - like telescope
and adjustment aid - is included in the
installation set. This type of foil
produces a signal of approx. 1 LELm.
For the sceptic, a set of special
cuvettes filled with 100 % V/V
propane or methane is also provided.
The propane cuvette has a layer
thickness of 8 cm and the methane
cuvette a thickness of 20 cm. A quick
calculation reveals which signal the fil-
led cuvettes generate in the beam
path1):
Propane: LEL = 2.0 % V/V,
thus 100% V/V = 50 LEL,
50 LEL x 0.08 m = 4 LELm.
Methane: LEL = 5.0 % V/V,
thus 100% V/V = 20 LEL,
20 LEL x 0.20 m = 4 LELm.
1
This is based on the standard US lower explosive
limits for propane and methane used in offshore
applications. According to the IEC standard 79-20,
the lower explosive limits are 1.7 % V/V and 4.4 % V/V
respectively, producing signals of 4.7 and 4.5 LELm.
Naturally, any optical measuring
system can only function if the beam
of light hits the receiver without
interference.
Therefore it must be ensured that the
monitoring path of the OpenPath
system is free of objects that could
interfere with the infrared beam.
Short interruptions of up to 10
seconds can be tolerated; longer
interruptions, however, are reported
by a special status signal (2 mA). This
so-called “beam block” alarm
indicates that the OpenPath system
is, at least temporarily, not opera-
tional, and that monitoring is not
guaranteed. In order to maximize the
availability of the OpenPath system,
the monitoring path should be
arranged so that hardly any “beam
block” can occur. The central device
used should be able to distinguish a
system fault (current < 1 mA) from a
“beam block“ alarm (current = 2 mA),
since initially each have different
priorities in the safety concept. Only a
long-lasting “beam block” should be
considered as tantamount to a system
fault.
In outdoor applications, fog must be
regarded as the main disruptive
factor. However, tests have shown
that the OpenPath system continues
to work flawlessly even when fog
conceals the light source from the
human eye. This is due to the high
dynamic reserves of the system that
accept a weakening in intensity of up
to 95 percent without generating a
“beam block“ alarm.
Vibrations, too, can disrupt the
system: if the light source is turned
just 1 mm on a 100 m path, this leads
to an inaccuracy of half a metre!
Although this calculation is idealized
(fortunately the infrared beam is not
linear but conical) it nevertheless
illustrates how precise the adjustment
and how stable the fixation must be.
In short, an OpenPath system offers
high availability as long as the optical
path is not disrupted.
Practical experience
To think of an OpenPath detector as
an (analogue) photoelectric barrier for
flammable gases is not all that far off
the mark. A photoelectric barrier, after
all, also says nothing about the loca-
tion of the detected object but simply
indicates its presence. So-called
fence-monitoring, i.e. limiting a
danger zone with one or more
OpenPath systems, does justice to
these facts, since it reports the cross-
ing of flammable gas from one system
to another. Naturally, this must be
Dräger Review 81 (July 1998) – W. Jessel: OpenPath detectors – photoelectric barriers for detecting flammable gases
followed up by action: the leakage because the so-called primary explosi-
must be located and eliminated. on protection2) is based on the local
Depending on the size of the fenced concentration measurement. Also the
off area, a more or less extensive fact that the OpenPath systems
search begins, which calls for quick detect far fewer substances than the
and effective counter-measures. It is point detector - which is capable of
clear that in view of the size of the detecting even heavy flammable
fenced off areas a sensible com- vapours reliably – will continue to
promise is needed. make infrared transmitters
An interesting advantage of an indispensable.
OpenPath system lies in the fact that It is rather the case that both methods
this type of system can even detect – the OpenPath systems on the one
leakages resulting from hairline hand and the point detectors on the
cracks on containers. The gas other – have proved that they have a
concentrations which escape very right to exist and that they do not
slowly have time to become rarefied crowd the other out. The opposite is
and to form a large cloud of low indeed the case – a good safety
concentration. If this cloud then hits a concept is possible precisely
point detector (for example, a catalytic because both methods of measure-
combustion sensor), the instrument ment are used! Hence the GD 4001
will not detect the leakage due to the and GD 4012 OpenPath systems are
fact that the concentration is far too the ideal complement to our Polytron
low. The OpenPath detector, on the transmitters and round off a gas
other hand, is perfectly well able to detection system.
detect the cloud. As a rule, the
reading will be the same regardless
of the degree of rarefaction of a gas
cloud within the monitoring path,
since the number of gas molecules
remains constant to all intents and
purposes along this path.
The OpenPath system is used for the
detection of flammable gases such as
methane, ethane, propane or butane.
In principle, even the vapours of
flammable liquids (for example,
pentane, hexane, methanol, ethanol,
or ethyl acetate) can be detected;
though leakages of heavy vapors (e.g.
xylene, nonane, methyl pyrrolidine)
are not detectable, since an average
of more than 100 % LEL along each
metre is necessary to trigger the
alarm (the recommended threshold
value being 1 LELm). However, many
flammable liquids are not able to
generate such concentrations on
account of their evaporation
properties. Due to convection, heavy
vapours (which have a relatively high
flash point of > 30 °C) are carried off
more quickly than they can be
replaced by evaporation, and this is
particularly true of outdoor
applications.
Conclusion
When planning to use and when
using OpenPath systems, the focus
should never be on trying to save
money by replacing several point
detectors. Although this is a frequent
claim, OpenPath systems will not 2
Primary explosion protection with gas warning
make point detectors redundant in the instruments is ensured by means of concentration
future, especially not infrared trans- measurement and the deployment of counter
measures (e.g. ventilation, eliminating ignition
mitters, because the application of sources) in the event of a predefined concentration
these two products differs greatly and (e.g. 20% LEL) being exceeded.
37