Let’s take a look in why is Hydrogen used and why is Hydrogen Gas Detection so critical in power plants?

Why is Hydrogen gas used in power plants?

The operation of electric power generator in power plants produces large amounts of heat. To maintain the efficiency, the generator needs to be cooled. Most of the power plants use Hydrogen as a coolant as it’s easily available and is inexpensive. Also Hydrogen cooling offers excellent efficiency due its low density, high specific heat and thermal conductivity.

Why is Hydrogen Gas Detection critical?

Hydrogen supply is stored at power plant premises as its absence can cause extensive damage to the machinery as a result of overheating. While Hydrogen is an effective cooling medium for the generators, it can also be hazardous. Being highly combustible, hydrogen leaks can be fatal as they can cause explosions and fires causing loss of life and destruction to plant and machineries. The cost associated with an unplanned shutdown can run into millions of dollars for a power plant. Hydrogen molecules being light and small can leak from anywhere – between outages, the wear and tear on valves, seals and from storage areas.

Hydrogen gas safety is critical for power plant operators and hence proper practices must be followed for safe operation. Hydrogen gas detection should be carried out at areas where hydrogen concentration could build up due to leaks.

How we could help

At GasAlarm systems, we can provide a wide range of Gas Detection sensors with features offering easy and flexible configuration, various communication options alongwith IECEX certification for hazardous area and SIL 2 for safety related application.

Hydrogen is an important plant resource and it’s supply and usage must be treated with utmost care. To find out more on Hydrogen gas detection please visit our website or e-mail us