Aiming to Further Reduce HFC Refrigerant Use

As we ring in the new year, the phase down and production of high Global Warming Potential (GWP) HFC refrigerants continues to accelerate for 2023. By the end of September 2023, the consumption of HFCs will decrease by 10% of the baseline 303.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent to 273.5 MMTCO2e. This means less R-134a, R-410A, R-404A, R-407C, and many other common gases used today. This phase down will bring along a transition to new solutions but will ultimately drive-up price in the short term as the supply of HFCs decrease and demand continues.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), directed by the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act), is addressing HFCs by facilitating the transition to next generation technologies through industry sector GWP restrictions and focused efforts on maximizing reclamation and minimizing releases of HFCs. This refrigerant transition will move HVACR away from HFCs and shift us to new A2L refrigerants. A2L refrigerants operate with substantially lower GWPs but do come with an increased risk of flammability. It is more important than ever that technicians become familiar with these industry changes, identify appropriate trainings around A2L refrigerants, and equip themselves with appropriate tools to support an evolving market.

MSA will continue to monitor the AIM Act to provide updates as the transition progresses. We can provide solutions that help facilitate the transition including refrigerant identifiers and leak detection systems. Refrigerant Identifiers allow technicians to confirm refrigerant prior to recovery which helps reduce recovery contamination. This allows our industry to continue to reclaim and reuse refrigerants keeping a manageable level of HFC’s for older equipment. Just as important is the installation of fixed gas detection systems to proactively identify refrigerant leaks, minimizing system loss, and reducing costs associated to refilling systems. Refrigerant monitoring can also help facilities reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption as corporations look to meet Net Zero carbon emissions.

Industrial Process Analysis and Remote Final Acceptance Testing

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brought about unprecedented challenges for businesses worldwide, disrupting operations and limiting face-to-face interactions. As MSA Safety’s process analysis experts, we responded to these challenges with innovation and flexibility, demonstrating our ability to adapt and evolve in the face of adversity. For this success story, MSA Safety was able to leverage remote video conferencing tools to facilitate live, real-time interaction for a prescription medical equipment manufacturer. We’re proud to have implemented solutions that have enabled us to continue serving our customers and maintaining high standards of quality and safety.

Success Story: GA Remote Final Acceptance Testing

Download your copy of this success story and find out how MSA Safety’s gas inerting experts can help you to remotely qualify your system and provide cost savings for reduced travel and expenses.

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When the pandemic first hit, we prioritized the health and safety of our employees, customers, and partners. Our company policies prohibited in-person contact with anyone, and social distancing measures were mandated for all personnel required to be on-site. However, we recognized that many of our customers still required critical services and support, and we sought to find new and innovative ways to meet their needs.

Typically, for larger plant-integrated systems where Final Acceptance Testing (FAT) is required, the customer would send a representative to inspect and witness the verification testing in person especially where there are individual calibration and testing procedures for the subassemblies that are performed before final assembly. A final system test is generally performed by Production, along with an inspection carried out by Quality Control to ensure the product meets design and performance specifications.

These documents are typically provided to the customer ahead of time, and in some cases, in lieu of the FAT. The customer may also provide additional equipment to be installed in the analyzer enclosures to communicate with their Building Automation System (BAS). Point-to-Point wiring is often part of the initial testing and verification prior to the FAT.

We realized that we needed to find a new way to conduct these tests that would meet our high standards of quality and safety, ensuring the health and well-being of everyone involved along with providing the customer with the confidence that their system would operate as planned.

Solution

Our team responded with agility, innovation, and flexibility, developing a remote video conferencing solution that allowed us to conduct live or recorded meetings, training sessions, and FAT procedures. In one case, we successfully conducted the FAT remotely for two multichannel analyzer assemblies used to monitor oxygen in a prescription medical equipment manufacturing process. These analyzers monitor the oxygen levels inside barrier enclosures used to manufacture contact lenses and maintaining low oxygen levels is critical to the production process. They are also used to confirm that a safe breathable atmosphere is present when workers need to access the enclosures for cleaning or to perform maintenance.

Using a laptop with a camera and a cell phone, we were able to provide a dynamic and detailed presentation of the testing. The laptop was positioned to show the analyzer display readings on the front panel, while the cell phone provided close-up views of the wiring and point-to-point testing. The customer witnessed every I/O and alarm point testing visually and was extremely pleased with the outcome. They felt that the remote presentation was just as effective as an in-person visit, and it reduced the risk to their employees while providing significant cost savings for travel and expenses.

Conclusion

The solution demonstrated our commitment to our customers’ needs, even in the face of unprecedented challenges. We were able to adapt and evolve, leveraging new technologies and approaches to continue providing critical services and support. Since implementing our remote FAT solution, we have successfully conducted testing for an additional two systems, providing cost savings for our customers while allowing both parties greater flexibility in scheduling the meetings. Looking ahead, we plan to continue utilizing remote video for pre-inspections, technical service and support, and even commissioning.

At MSA Safety, we take pride in our ability to innovate, adapt, and evolve in the face of challenges. Our experience during the pandemic has only strengthened our commitment to providing exceptional service and support to our customers, no matter the circumstances. We’re confident that our remote FAT solution is just one example of the agility, flexibility, and innovation that sets us apart, and we look forward to continuing to serve our customers with the same level of dedication and excellence.

MSA Bacharach’s industrial process analysis experts are available to help in a variety of applications. For assistance, provide project details at myBacharach.com/GAsurvey and one of our application engineers will help to optimize your process where the measurement and control of oxygen level is critical.

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Refrigerant Tracking and Compliance Software: An Overview

Refrigerant management is the efficient, safe and cost-effective operation of your refrigeration equipment. Complying with evolving legislation, ensuring product quality and the safety of colleagues and customers, reducing operating expense and improving margins, while striving for 24/7/365 equipment uptime are all essential divisions in refrigerant management. Whether you’re an equipment owner or refrigeration contractor, responsible for single-site analysis or full enterprise deployment and reporting, you know the importance of refrigerant tracking and compliance.

But how do you track your facility’s refrigerant while maintaining upkeep and compliance?

Spreadsheets are cumbersome and often lack regulation compliance, creating unnecessary work and stress. When on the job focus should be on your system’s refrigerant – not interpreting an outdated system. Tracking and navigating your facility’s refrigerant shouldn’t come with additional headaches.

The MSA Parasense Refrigerant Tracking & Compliance Platform can help streamline processes and keep industry professionals organized and compliant. Tracking refrigerant, however, is just the beginning of what this platform has to offer.

Hand holding a phone that is displaying Parasense software

6 Key Features of the MSA Parasense Refrigerant Tracking & Compliance Platform

Inventory Management for HVACR Equipment

Having central, accurate and real time inventory of your complete HVACR assemblage is paramount. The MSA Parasense Refrigerant Tracking & Compliance Platform asset database tracks your HVACR equipment by make, model, refrigerant type, and more – including fixed gas leak detection equipment.

Cylinder and Bank Management

Use the Refrigerant Bank and Bottles feature to track stored refrigerant across your company. The platform allows users to allocate, assign, and record usage events against your stored refrigerant recoveries and gas usage.

Regulation Workflow and Compliance Calendar

Keep on track with EPA, CARB, SCAQMD and F-Gas requirements with the regulation workflow and compliance calendar. This feature automatically schedules upcoming actions, and distills regulations into clear processes, procedures and tasks that are easy to understand and follow. Users are also able to reference a full history of activities making it simple to retrieve and cross-reference updates and events.

Refrigerant Review

The platform’s dashboards empower users to track refrigerant across all equipment over their complete enterprise. Industry professionals can review the cause of refrigerant emissions, identify opportunities for improvement, track repairs and ultimately minimize the consumption of refrigerant.

Capturing Events

The platform provides an intuitive solution for recording activity on HVACR equipment for leak inspections, leak repairs, refrigerant top offs and other procedures pertaining to the life of the equipment, all of which is required to be captured with compliance and regulatory bodies. Tiered user capabilities allow management for equipment owners, administrators, and technicians through a secure centralized cloud-hosted solution.

Report Engine for Compliance

Users can prepare usage reports for all systems at a single site and obtain additional reports (EPA Compliance Report, CARB XML, etc.) with one-click – making this process as simple as possible and keeping industry professionals ready for planned and unannounced inspections.

The MSA Parasense Refrigerant Tracking & Compliance Platform is robust, effective, and easy to use.

Want to Learn More?

Take a look at our free product demonstration and discovery sessions.

7 Ways to Winterize Your Home

Preparing your household for winter can help reduce utility bills, keep you safe, and protect your house from low temperatures.

What can you do to protect your home as temperatures drop?

Change Your Air Filters

Clean filters help your home system run smoothly. A dirty or clogged air filter is a safety hazard and can result in poor furnace performance. Air filters should be replaced every 3-4 months and more frequently if you have pets in the home.

Tune Up Your System

Having an HVAC professional tune up your heating system can instantly improve energy efficiency in your home. Furnaces and air conditioners that have been finely tuned require less energy to heat and cool your home, while neglected HVAC systems are forced to work harder to regulate indoor temperature.

Insulate Your Pipes

Having your pipes insulated prevents them from freezing and bursting, saving you money in repairs and headaches in the process. The insulation also helps water maintain its intended temperature, reducing heat loss.

Check Your Attic

Attic insulation has a huge impact on the comfort of a home. Hot air rises and if your attic isn’t insulated properly the air your heating will leave your home; forcing your heating system to work harder to keep the house comfortable.

Run Fans in Reverse

Running your ceiling fan in reverse moves the warm air your furnace is heating near the ceiling down to the floor. This is a simple trick that helps reduce your energy use and helps save money and resources.

Keep It Cozy

Even if you can handle cold temperatures – your house can’t. Setting your thermostat to at least 65°F (18°C) can help protect the inside walls of your home from freezing.

Test Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Due to higher furnace use, residential fires are more common in the winter. Fuel based (non-electric) furnaces can also leak carbon monoxide if they aren’t cared for properly. Help protect you and your family by checking that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly and replace any detectors that aren’t dependable.

Early Refrigerant Leak Detection for Food Retail

In most cases, the only way of knowing there’s a refrigerant leak in a supermarket is when the equipment fails. At this point, it’s too late to avoid the loss of food quality, damaged stock, and replacing the costly refrigerant.

It doesn’t have to be like that. The MSA Parasense Enterprise Leak Detection (ELD) Platform provides early, low level refrigerant leak detection and notification which means as soon as a leak is found, rapid repairs can be arranged, saving stock, refrigerant, and revenue.

Download your copy of this success story and find out how MSA Safety’s Connected Solutions experts can help you reduce your refrigerant emissions.

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One classic example of a refrigerant leak was recently witnessed at a large US supermarket chain’s store. Usually, these Volcano Refrigerant Leak Patterns start as a very small pin-hole leak that slowly grow unnoticed over time. Eventually, the leak grows so much that it ‘erupts’, releasing the circuit’s remaining refrigerant charge, with the refrigeration equipment failing along with other consequent damage.

However, this specific US store had deployed the MSA Connected Solution. In this instance, the small leak had been discovered early by industry leading low-level leak monitoring equipment and alarmed through the ELD Platform. With sample points being taken from across the store, these help pin point the leak through analysis (see illustrations A and B). As the highest concentration was found at point A, and concentrations also detected at point B, the information was used – along with other samples, to effectively locate the leak. The refrigeration contractor through early notification, provided a rapid response, and the leak was fixed before any costly damage could occur.

The MSA Connected Solution proved highly effective, drawing on the power of industry-leading low level leak detection equipment, with detection down to 1 ppm (parts per million). Combined with the ELD platform, MSA provides a complete turnkey hardware and software connected solution, enabling low-level detection, 24/7 remote monitoring, and notification support, for rapid response and repairs.


Background Refrigerant Monitoring

The Multi-Zone gas monitor provides industry leading detection down to 1 part per million (ppm). Additionally, one monitor can detect up to 16 zones and expand with up to 48 sample locations. This allows effective monitoring of the prominent refrigerant leak locations of racks, walk-in boxes and sales floor cases by one single MZ monitor. Connecting the Multi-Zone to the MSA FieldServer IoT Gateway provides a secure IoT connection to the Parasense Enterprise Leak Detection (ELD) and Refrigerant Tracking and Compliance software.


Enterprise Notification & Rapid Response

The complete Parasense enterprise connected solution provides live event monitoring of the entire store portfolio in real-time. This means that should a refrigerant leak be detected within the monitored store, and for all the other stores in the chain, the enterprise software notifies the relevant teams immediately.


On-Site Low Level Portable Leak Detection

The complete Parasense enterprise connected When a leak is found within the store, it’s important to accurately pin-point and fix the leak as quickly as possible, minimizing downtime and potential hazards. This is where the portable Bacharach® PGM-IR, with the same industry leading infrared sensing technology as the Multi-Zone, can find leaks fast down to 1PPM.

Horrors of HVAC: A Clogged Air Filter
This true incident is scary enough to spook any HVAC tech! Read ahead – if you dare.

Our story begins when an HVAC technician received a call from a homeowner stating that their furnace is running, but no heat was traveling through the vents. After troubleshooting, the technician made a terrifying discovery.

With several pets in the house, over time the air filter had accumulated an immense amount of pet hair and dust preventing almost all air flow through the furnace. The technician got to work replacing the air filter, clearing out the registers, and cleaning the blower and burners.

Air filter clogged with pet hair and dust, with a cartoon ghost floating by

Why is this tale so horrifying?

Even though the solution was straightforward, this situation was extremely dangerous for the occupants, and easily preventable. A furnace running with a clogged air filter is starved for ventilation and produces high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) – a colorless, odorless gas than can be fatal for humans and their pets. A clogged air filter can also increase the chances of a fire, further advancing the safety concerns in this home.

Clogged air filters prevent furnaces from running properly and reduce the life of the system. The blower, heat exchanger, burners and other components are all crucial for heating your space. A clogged system puts unnecessary stress on these components, and heating systems are not cheap to replace.

Additionally, furnaces will run longer to compensate a clogged air filter. This increases fuel usage, resulting in higher gas bills and wasted natural resources.

Cartoon skeleton of a maintenance person holding a meter

Should you be scared?

While the safety concerns tied to a clogged air filter are very real – there are a few things you can do to increase the safety in your home.

Change Your Air Filter

Air filters should be replaced every 3-4 months and more frequently if you have pets in the home. If the season is changing, it’s a good time to change your air filter as well.

Check Your Heating System

Call your HVAC technician to complete a combustion analysis test on your system. HVAC professionals recommend yearly tune ups. Click here to learn more about combustion analysis.

Be Aware of Your Home

In the story above, the homeowner called a technician because they realized heat wasn’t blowing through the vents. Be aware of changes in your home and call a technician if anything feels wrong. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Education is Key

Learning more about your heating system can help you be prepared if something goes awry. Carbon monoxide is often called the silent killer because of its tasteless, ordorless, and invisible qualities. Educate yourself and your family on the signs of CO poisoning so you’re prepared if anything feels wrong. Common symptoms include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach or chest pain. If everyone in your home feels sleepy at an odd time of day – it may be a sign. In these situations, immediately remove yourself from the home and call 911.

By continuing to care for your heating system and staying attentive, you help increase the safety of your home while keeping you and your family comfortable.

Want to learn more? Check out our robust line of combustion analyzers here. 

The true story and clogged air filter photo above was provided by Kevin Dorwart, MSA Executive Field Sales Manager.

Fall Into Combustion Analysis

For most people, autumn is the season for hayrides, changing leaves and apple picking. For HVAC professionals, autumn is the season for combustion analysis. As temperatures begin to drop, residential and commercial spaces begin turning up their thermostats and an unchecked furnace or boiler may lead to safety hazards, financial loss and wasted time.

Hot water heater next to a furnace

How do heating systems work?

Inside a furnace or boiler, air is warmed by igniting a fueling source (heating oil, propane or natural gas) and then is pushed through a duct system by a blower, spreading the warmed air into various rooms and spaces. Cooled air returns to the furnace through a separate duct system, and the process repeats.

What is combustion analysis?

Combustion analysis is a careful test of the heat exchanger (the fueling sources mentioned above) in a furnace or boiler. The process of heating air involves the inevitable emission of harmful gasses, and combustion analysis is a way to check if the fuel-to-air ratio in the heat exchanger is safe and appropriate.

Why is combustion analysis important?

 

  • Safety: Natural gas leaks can lead to serious safety risks if they’re overlooked. Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) can be fatal, and neither are good for the health of our planet in excessive amounts. Thankfully, with a well performed combustion analysis test leaks and unbalanced ratios can be fixed, creating sufficient oxygen (O2) and minimal or zero CO and CO2 emission rates. This regulation allows for safer indoor and outdoor environments.
  • Efficiency: It’s no secret that well maintained machines run better and last longer. A properly tuned heating system requires less energy resulting in lower fuel expenses; and catching problems early can prevent unplanned repairs in the future saving you money and time. This diligence can also save natural fuels, a limited resource we have here on Earth.
  • Troubleshooting: A well heated space doesn’t always mean the heating system is working at its best or safest capacity. Keeping with a regular combustion analysis schedule will ensure that any unexpected problems are caught and repaired early. Nothing beats the comfort of knowing your space is safe, night and day.

How often should I have a combustion analysis test completed?

HVAC professionals recommend having your heating system checked at least once a year, ideally before the start of winter. Annual tests are good for every space, however, regardless of the climate you live in.

 

What tools do I need to complete a combustion analysis test?

Trouble in a heating system can’t be found visually by looking at the flame, HVAC professionals must use combustion analyzers to study and measure the fueling sources. Each analyzer is different, and MSA offers a wide variety of handheld technologies that can ensure accurate readings and extensive reports.

PCA 400 Combustion and Emissions Analyzer

PCA 400 Combustion & Emissions Analyzer

  • Commercial & Industrial Applications
  • Up to 4 gas sensors for O2, CO, NO, NO2 and SO2
  • Wireless Bluetooth® connection to mobile app for real-time combustion measurements and remote operation
  • Long life O2 sensor with 5 year warranty reduces maintenance costs and downtime
Insight Plus Combustion Analyzer

Insight Plus Combustion Analyzer

  • Residential & Commercial Furnaces
  • Provides readings for O2, CO, CO2, combustion efficiency, temperature and draft
  • Tune-Rite HVAC assistant
  • Long life O2 sensor with 3 year warranty
InTech Combustion Analyzer

InTech® Combustion Analyzer

  • Residential furnaces
  • Provides readings for O2, CO, CO2, combustion efficiency and temperature
  • Combustion App allows users to quickly create custom reports with comments and send via email (available for Android & iOS)
  • Intuitive and fast menu navigation
Monoxor Plus CO Analyzer

Monoxor Plus CO Analyzer

  • Residential furnaces & safety inspection
  • Provides CO readings for flue gas or ambient air testing
  • Audible automatic CO alarm alerts technicians to potentially dangerous levels of CO
  • View real-time CO readings in graphical or standard formats
Monoxor XR CO Exhaust Analyzer

Monoxor XR CO Exhaust Analyzer

  • Exhaust & Emissions Testing
  • Measure CO in ambient air and exhaust gas from engines up to 80,000 ppm with audible automatic CO alarm
  • Flexible exhaust probe allows for hands-free sampling from exhaust pipes
  • Mobile app allows users to create share customizable emissions
Combustion Analysis Blog Post Monoxor Application Photo

Whether you’re testing a residential, commercial, or industrial area a regular combustion analysis practice is important for every space, and being diligent can only lead to increased safety.

Want to learn more about our complete line of combustion analyzers? Click here.

Reducing Grocery Store Refrigerant Emissions

A large regional US food retail chain, with over 400 stores, strived to reduce refrigerant emissions across their sites as part of their environmental emissions reduction program. With an industry average refrigerant leak rate of 20-25%, the food retail chain wanted to drive their emissions down below 10% to meet their refrigerant compliance objectives. They needed a comprehensive, connected solution that paired best-in-class low-level refrigerant leak detection equipment with an effective IoT enabled remote monitoring platform for greater visibility and enhanced notification. MSA provided a complete turnkey hardware and software connected solution, enabling low-level detection, 24/7 remote monitoring and support, and portable leak detectors with pin-point accuracy for rapid repairs.

Download your copy of this success story and find out how MSA Safety’s Connected Solutions experts can help you reduce your refrigerant emissions.

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Food Retailers are taking customer demands and corporate social responsibility seriously and aligning to achieve net zero refrigerant emissions targets within the next 20 years. To achieve this, a close examination of the whole operation is needed, such as finding better cold chain solutions that require more efficient transportation and lower energy consumption. However, supermarkets must also consider the hidden carbon equivalent of refrigerant emissions, especially for high Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants and HFCs.

The average supermarket system contains thousands of pounds of refrigerant, and depending on the refrigeration system used, leaks an average of 20-25% of its refrigerant each year. The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC) state, this adds up to “70 Million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions each year just from supermarket refrigeration leaks. That is equivalent to the emissions from powering 12 million homes, which is roughly the number of households in the state of California”.

MSA provided a complete turnkey hardware and software connected solution, enabling low-level detection, 24/7 remote monitoring and support, and portable leak detectors with pin-point accuracy for rapid repairs.

Beyond environmental costs, there are significant financial costs associated with refrigerant emissions too. Lost refrigerant needs replaced once the leak has been fixed – and with spiraling refrigerant costs due to the AIM Act phase down, as well as supply chain constraints, this is a constant challenge. What’s more, when refrigerant charges are below the optimum level, the equipment requires more electricity to maintain operations – adding extra financial cost and CO2e emissions. Additional financial costs of spoilage, lost sales, and customer dissatisfaction occur as well.

To tackle the refrigerant emissions issue for supermarkets, the United States Environmental Protection Agency developed a Corporate Emissions Reduction Program for food retailers; GreenChill. The voluntary partnership program works cooperatively with food retailers to help:

  • Transition to environmentally friendlier refrigerants
  • Lower refrigerant charge sizes
  • Eliminate refrigerant leaks
  • Implement best environmental practices
  • Adopt green refrigeration technologies

Manager reviewing Parasense Platform on tablet and laptop computer.

Concern

As with most Supermarkets in the United States, intent on reducing refrigerant emissions to meet GreenChill certification objectives, the company wanted to achieve an unprecedented refrigerant emissions rate of less than 10%. For GreenChill, a food retail store can achieve Platinum, Gold, or Silver level certification. Each category calls for more stringent requirements that must be met. For example, Silver level store certification requires:

  • Only non-ozone depleting refrigerants used
  • Refrigerant must be accepted by the EPA’s SNAP program for food retail use
  • Achieve an average HFC refrigerant charge of no more than 1.75 pounds per 1,000 BTUH load
  • Store-wide annual HFC refrigerant emissions rate of 15% or less

The Supermarket’s requirement must therefore include a hardware solution capable of monitoring and detecting for background low level refrigerant leaks below 10 parts per million (PPM), a software solution that can immediately notify relevant people as soon as leaks are found, and a fast solution to effectively pin-point the leak. The complete, connected solution must therefore provide a rapid response to refrigerant leaks to support the supermarket’s overall emissions reduction targets.

Solution

MSA Safety’s solution for the food retail chain in question included low level leak detection equipment for fast background detection of refrigerant leaks, enterprise driven detection software that provides 24/7 remote monitoring and support with immediate alarming and notification, and low-level portable equipment to quickly locate the leak with pin-point accuracy. This system enables rapid notification, response, and repairs to refrigerant leaks.

A GreenChill report on leak sources for a regional supermarket chain found that compressor racks were the most prevalent sources (39%) followed by display cases (21%) then remote air cooled condensers (12%). With various potential leak locations to monitor across large areas, an aspirated monitoring solution was the most cost effective.


Background Refrigerant Monitoring

The Multi-Zone gas monitor provides industry leading detection down to 1 part per million (ppm). Additionally, one monitor can detect up to 16 zones and expand with up to 48 sample locations. This allows effective monitoring of the prominent refrigerant leak locations of racks, walk-in boxes and sales floor cases by one single MZ monitor. Connecting the Multi-Zone to the MSA FieldServer IoT Gateway provides a secure IoT connection to the Parasense Enterprise Leak Detection (ELD) and Refrigerant Tracking and Compliance software.


Enterprise Notification & Rapid Response

The complete Parasense enterprise connected solution provides live event monitoring of the entire store portfolio in real-time. This means that should a refrigerant leak be detected within the monitored store, and for all the other stores in the chain, the enterprise software notifies the relevant teams immediately.


On-Site Low Level Portable Leak Detection

The complete Parasense enterprise connected When a leak is found within the store, it’s important to accurately pin-point and fix the leak as quickly as possible, minimizing downtime and potential hazards. This is where the portable Bacharach® PGM-IR, with the same industry leading infrared sensing technology as the Multi-Zone, can find leaks fast down to 1PPM.


Application

The Connected Solution provided by MSA Safety was put to the test at approximately 1:00 PM on October 25, 2021. Despite the foot traffic and subsequent airflow within the store, the Multi-Zone monitor began to detect refrigerant at the supermarket’s dairy refrigerated counter. Although the leak started small, the Multi-Zone’s technology was able to detect it at an early stage of development.

As the leak increased in intensity, the development was automatically tracked by the Parasense cloud-based ELD software. Once the alarm stage was triggered, the Parasense Connected Solution automatically engaged the nearest refrigeration contractor to rectify the leak.

With detailed analysis of the leak location and intensity before the contractor was on-site, the Parasense rapid response team was able to triangulate the leak’s location across the different sample points in the store. When the contractor arrived, the team directed the contractor to the refrigeration equipment. With the PGM-IR, the leak was then accurately pin-pointed and ready for repair.

Within just three hours, the refrigerant leak had been identified, located, and fixed. A perfect testament to the robust Bacharach® refrigerant detection equipment and the Parasense Connected Solutions refrigerant management suite. The store managed to keep downtime to a minimum and were delighted in how their refrigerant emissions reduction had been greatly reduced.

Conclusion

Through dedication to exceptional refrigeration management of the retail food store chain, and the implementation of MSA’s best-in-class connected refrigerant leak system, the retailer has achieved GreenChill certification and won several awards over the years. With average grocery store refrigerant leak rates around 20-25%, this chain exceeded all expectations after bringing its corporate leak rate down to 7%. Beyond the cost savings and positive return on investment, their commitment to operational sustainability helped safeguard people, places, and the planet. Reach out to MSA’s team of Gas Detection Experts to learn more about choosing the right system to achieve corporate emissions goals.

Safe Maintenance of Paint & Coating Vessels

Inerting of vessels is typically associated with tanks directly involved in a manufacturing process, but that is not its only use case. In this application, inerting was needed after the manufacturing process was complete and the process tanks were being cleaned. Often, a tank must be cleansed to a level of purity that can only be achieved using flammable solvents, regardless of the components that were used in the manufacturing process. This article explores a successful solution for a similar application.

Download your copy of this success story and find out how MSA Safety’s gas inerting experts can help you improve the safety of your Maintenance processes for paint and coating vessel cleaning.

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A well-known paint and coatings manufacturer’s plant, located in California, had several vessels used to produce water-based paints and coatings. Being water based, the manufacturing process posed no dangers of fire or combustion, and therefore had no need for inerting. Color matching paints between batches demanded strict tolerances and played an essential part in meeting quality control requirements. In order to achieve that quality standard, a very strict cleaning protocol for the vessels was developed by plant personnel to ensure that all residue from the previous batch was completely removed, even when the tank was to be used for a batch of the same color.

In order to achieve that quality standard, a very strict cleaning protocol for the vessels was developed by plant personnel

Safe Maintenance of Paint and Coating Vessels

Concern

The strict cleaning process introduces the three parts of the fire triangle: Fuel – the cleaning solvent. Ignition – sparks may occur if the rotating metal nozzle were to make contact with the sides of the tank. Oxygen – air that entered the vessel as it had been opened. The Plant Safety Engineer determined the risks were too great during cleaning and denied approval of the procedure as it was originally proposed. A solution had to be found.


Solution

After careful consideration, the most effective solution identified was to outfit the tank with an inerting control system. Inerting, using nitrogen for example, displaces the air from the tank. By removing the air, oxygen decreases to safe levels and concerns of combustion are minimized. Various techniques for controlling the nitrogen flow were evaluated and discarded, as some use too much nitrogen and could potentially release high amounts of VOCs into the air when mixed with nitrogen. VOC emissions are strictly regulated under California environmental rules and must fall under permitted threshold levels.

As established by the plant safety team, the operations group was now required to verify and document when the vessel was inert, and thus safe to start the cleaning process. These requirements were easily met with an oxygen analyzer based inerting system in place.

The cleaning procedure adopted by the plant team now met the appropriate safety requirements

The cleaning procedure adopted by the plant team now met the appropriate safety requirements. First, the cleaning head is installed inside the emptied tank. Next, the tank is purged with nitrogen to remove as much air as possible. Using the readings from the oxygen analyzer, the tank is balanced to a safe oxygen concentration, below the MOC (maximum oxidant concentration) for the solvent used prior to introducing solvent into the tank. MOCs are empirically determined by the manufacturer of the different solvents and published for reference. In addition, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has issued guidelines, such as NFPA-69, that help users determine the recommended target maximum oxygen levels based on the MOC of the particular solvent being used. Once the target MOC has been achieved and documented via the oxygen analyzer, the cleaning process, consisting of spraying solvent from the spinning head inside the tank, commenced. The analyzer actively monitors oxygen levels during the process, ensuring no spikes occur. Furthermore, it provides historic records of each process completed.

Colorful array of open paint cans

Once a maximum oxygen concentration target was established, the team began evaluating flow rates of raw material supply lines in the system. By raising the feed rate of different lines, they established precise productivity increase allowances while maintaining oxygen below the permitted maximum. Excitement rose as the data determined that material throughput to the mixing vessel could sufficiently increase at an approximate rate of 2 ½ times without compromising safety; confirming value in the proposed introduction of a complete oxygen analysis system.

Additionally, the data generated by the oxygen analyzer can easily be fed to a PLC and stored for tracking purposes. This is invaluable for troubleshooting and documenting safety compliance when needed.

 

Conclusion

By careful planning and implementation of an oxygen analyzer based inerting control system, the plant was able to achieve its goals of cleaning the tanks in a safe manner, and in compliance with the regulations governing environmental releases. MSA Safety engineers helped plant operations with the selection of both the equipment to be used and the sensor itself. Because of the harsh environment, the engineers were able to recommend a number of components to protect and enhance the life of the sensor, such as filters and demisters.

Several years after the system was installed, the manufacturing plant continues to operate in an enhanced and safer environment.

MSA Gas Inerting Experts are available to help in a variety of applications. For assistance, provide project details at myBacharach.com/GAsurvey and one of our application engineers will help to optimize your process using inerting.

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Celebrating National HVAC Tech Day

Summer has begun, and the rising temperatures and blistering heat call for AC units to run at full capacity. Each June, we celebrate the HVAC professionals that keep our homes and spaces cool; and this year is no different.

Not only do HVAC technicians keep us comfortable, but they also help us save money and protect people and the planet from refrigerant leaks. When our heating or air conditioning units need repaired, we call HVAC technicians to save the day. Here are a few ways you can celebrate the HVAC techs that keep you safe and comfortable:

 

 

THANK AN HVAC TECHNICIAN

Thank a technician in your life and let them know how much you appreciate their constant hard work. AC and heating is a luxury, and it’s with thanks to HVAC techs that we stay comfortable through brutal heat or frigid cold weather.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HVAC TECHNICIANS

A lot goes into being an HVAC tech and learning more about the HVAC profession is a great way to honor their work. And who knows – maybe you’ll learn that you’d like to become an HVAC technician yourself!

SHARE THE CELEBRATION

Don’t keep the party to yourself – take to social media to highlight the importance of HVAC techs! Share positive experiences you’ve had with HVAC technicians and how they’ve made your day to day more comfortable and convenient. Encourage others to do the same and spread the word of this annual event.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HVAC SYSTEM

Insulating your home, changing your air filter when recommended and scheduling an HVAC tune-up is a great way to show appreciation for your HVAC tech while making their jobs (and your comfort!) a little easier.

TAKE ACTION

Do you love your HVAC tech? Do you have a technician that makes your life easier? Recommend the HVAC professionals in your life to friends and family and leave positive reviews of their businesses online. These small actions can make a huge difference to the technicians you appreciate.

It’s easy to take air conditioning and heating for granted in our modern world. Take a moment today to thank the HVAC techs in your life who keep you comfortable, save you money (in the long run), and help reduce your carbon footprint.

Happy National HVAC Technician Day!