Hydrosteel 6000 MANUAL
Ion Science Ltd
Page 16 of 39
Unrivalled Detection. www.ionscience.com
Guide to field measurements
Step 1: Preparing the equipment for flux measurements.
Open the field case. Connect the hand held analyser to either the 6” diameter LT probe in the field case or
the HT probe in the HT-probe kit box, using the appropriate gas sampling tube. This comprises essential test
equipment, it weighs 1 kg, and can be conveniently carried in a shoulder bag or small rucksack. Before
commencing a prolonged series of spot measurements, or extended monitoring at one particular site, ensure
sufficient battery power is indicated by a full battery indicator on the analyser display. If necessary replace
batteries using the battery tray key.
Step 2: Confirming suitability of ambient conditions.
Turn on the analyser (I/O key) in the open air at
least 10 m from any source of hydrogen. If you are using a different probe than previously, reconfigure the
analyser during the normalisation countdown (see
Appendix B
for menu) to indicate the correct probe (LT -
low temperature or HT
– high temperature). The analyser’s internal temperature will be indicated on the
display panel. A flashing reading indicates that the analyser is experiencing an abrupt change in
temperature, in which case allow several minutes for the flashing to subside. It is highly recommended to
use the thermally insulating leather jacket to reduce the effect of abrupt temperature changes. Abrupt
temperature changes may occur for many reasons. Most common are moving from a heated or air
conditioned environment to the cold or hot local conditions. Alternatively the radiant heat from hot pipes or
equipment may create a significant temperature change. When approaching hot pipes use the 2 meter high
temperature sample tube (in addition to the thermal jacket) this will allow the analyser to be shielded and
kept at a greater distance from the hot test area. Connect the appropriate probe.
After the countdown the analyser will display a reading of less than 5 pl/cm
2
/s with the LT probe and 0.03
nl/cm
2
/s with the HT probe.
Approach the test site location of interest. The only gas liable to compromise dependable measurement of
hydrogen flux is hydrogen itself, for example
within a few metres of hydrogen leaking from a flange. This will
be registered on the analyser display and in the analyser’s memory, enabling confidence in the logged
measurements to be calculated when data is downloaded to a PC.
Step 3: Steel test surface site selection and preparation.
With the LT-R (6 inch diameter low temperature) probe:
7 inch diameter test surface sites should be identified on mild steel vessels or piping of 3.5 inches diameter
or greater, and of surface temperature of less than150
o
C, 300
o
F. Locate sites which are smooth,
particularly avoiding ridges or grooves.
Remove dust, loose rust and liquids and disbonded paint work from the site. Disbonded paint is usually
evident from flaky or cracked paint in the locale of the target site, and should be completely removed.
With the HT-R (2.3 inch diameter high temperature) probe:
3 inch diameter test sites should be identified on carbon or low alloy steel vessels or piping of 8 inches
diameter or greater, and of surface temperature of less than 500
o
C, 930
o
F. For tests through inspection
ports, ensure that there is a clear pathway
through the port to the steel surface, so that when the probe is inserted, it engages fully with a 3 inch
diameter surface of steel, without the intervention of insulation wool. Ensure that the test surface is
completely free of any layers of rust.
Step 4: Data handling.
If required, access the test site zone menu and data logging menu by pressing the
keypad
Data
key.
