This portable CO2 analyzer is about 10yrs old and is
the property of a large North American railway company. We have periodically
sold these instruments for use in locomotive repair.
Many locomotives have large diesel fuel
tanks that occasionally require welding. However, even with all of the fuel
drained out, there is still a significant risk of the residual fumes exploding
in the presence of oxygen and a spark. Welding repairs on the tank provide a dangerous
source of ignition.
A good way to eliminate this risk is to
purge the tank with carbon dioxide (CO2). If the tank is rich in CO2, the tank atmosphere
will not support combustion. To ensure that the CO2 purge atmosphere is maintained,
a portable analyzer can be used.
The measurement range on these analyzers is
0-100% CO2 in air using an infra-red detector. This model is available with a
LOW CO2 alarm and audible beeper. The set point is adjustable. On the unit
shown above, the alarm is set at 60%. That means that the alarm will sound when
the tank atmosphere drops below 60% CO2.
The unit shown above was not functioning
probably due to a worn pump. After the pump was replaced and the detector
re-calibrated, the unit was returned to the railway for active duty again.
This instrument is still readily available
from Nova. Give us a call if you need to monitor a CO2 atmosphere.
Here are a couple of other train-related
posts in the Nova blog.
Notes:
--
No comments:
Post a Comment