Vitesse Automation, the leading automation platform that integrates operations with artificial intelligence (AI), is launching an innovative combustible gas monitoring system with a focus on hydrogen safety.
Our SIL3 redundant sensor and relay system offers unparalleled reliability in detecting hazardous concentrations of hydrogen, methane, alcohol vapors, and other flammable gases. The Vitesse sentinel digitizes sensor data, enabling continuous monitoring and early leak detection before they become hazardous. This data is continuously broadcast to the company’s IT infrastructure for traceability and remote alerts. AI models trends, detects anomalies, and identifies improvements using Vitesse’s embedded AI accelerator on the edge or Large Language Models (LLMs) in the cloud.
The accelerating transition to new energies and more sustainable mobility requires rapid changes in today’s manufacturing operations, and particularly in automation controls.
The production of power trains, batteries and energy storage involves new methods of fabrication such as high precision handling, laser welding and continuous process automation, all requiring high traceability and more dynamic controls.
Batteries and fuel-cells that involve potentially large amounts of energy, chemical powders and flammable gases, also require levels of safety and monitoring previously unseen in vehicle manufacturing.
To address the demand in production safety and supervision, Vitesse Automation is releasing an intelligent safety system that monitors the presence of combustible gases, with a focus on hydrogen.
Vitesse handles immediate safety alerts and actions in the event of hazardous gas presence, while continuously publishing the collected data across available supervision and data systems, including AI on edge or in the cloud to detect anomalies and improve processes.
To increase the level of safety integrity, Vitesse uses a unique combination of software and hardware (both digital and analog) to guarantee continuous safety status and communication, even during power loss or control system faults.
One hazard in this field comes from the possible presence of hydrogen. While it brings many advantages in the decarbonation of energy, hydrogen is also a highly combustible gas. It’s odorless, lighter than air, and extremely flammable. Hydrogen can leak from H2 vessels and equipment or be released during chemical reactions, often during battery cell fabrication or storage. Estimations suggest that in the US alone, thousands of fires are caused by batteries in storage or in production each year. Therefore, good practices and reliable safety systems are critical when handling hydrogen.
One of our customers in the USA handles about 1,600 lbs. of hydrogen per environmental chamber, with four chambers operating simultaneously. The potential energy stored and manipulated in this corner of the facility is equivalent to the energy of 95 kilotons of TNT.
So, while our customer follows the best practices to guarantee safe operations, it is critical to monitor the presence of hydrogen, and alert the staff on-site - as well as remotely, if detected. Monitoring hydrogen traces in the atmosphere is beneficial for detecting hydrogen build up to allow for proactive measures based on historical data.
Vitesse typically monitors two concentration ranges:
1. Safety monitoring: For safety purposes, high sensitivity sensors capture the presence of hydrogen (and combustible gases) in low concentration from 0 to as low as 100 or 1000 ppm. This enables monitoring a concentration of up to 0.1% hydrogen in the atmosphere with an accuracy of 2 ppm.
One aspect of hydrogen being its low density (it’s about 14 times lighter than air) it concentrates rapidly against the ceiling, thus facilitating the early detection of traces of hydrogen.
The US Department of Energy recommends a concentration of hydrogen as low as 1% as a necessary level of action. Warnings must be emitted so that measures to contain or evacuate the gas can be initiated. A concentration of 2% should trigger an alarm, calling for immediate actions because of the increased safety hazard.
2. Operational Monitoring: For continuous monitoring of operations, where the density of the gas can typically vary between 10% and 100%, less sensitive, broad-band sensors can be used to monitor and report concentration levels over time.
Vitesse focuses on safety while being fully capable of measuring and reporting the concentration of hydrogen and other gases for many purposes. For non-safety purposes, the need for redundancy and integrity isn’t as high as for safety-related applications.
Failure to detect the presence of combustible gases can have severe consequences. Therefore, a SIL3 is required to prevent serious incidents involving fatalities and/or serious injuries. SIL3 is achieved by using rated components such as industrial safety relays, combined with redundant detection, processing and communication systems.
For gas detection, Vitesse deploys three layers to ensure the highest level of operational safety:
LAYER 1 - SAFETY
Vitesse’s first layer is a low-level, SIL3 independent analog hardware safety
• 2 different types of sensors continuously detect hydrogen and other flammable gases such as alcohol vapors and hydrocarbons.
• Their analog outputs are compared to each other, checking the integrity of the sensors.
• Inconsistencies between the different types of sensors immediately raise an alarm.
• If all cases, the highest detected concentration is compared with a set of thresholds (typically 1% and 2%)
• When a threshold is met, safety relays trigger physical alarms and flashing lights to alert the close perimeter of the danger.
• This part of the system is secured by its own power backup system.
LAYER 2 – SAFETY MONITORING
The second layer of safety introduces software to digitize signals from the sensors
This software runs on the Vitesse safety sentinel and publishes all the values and events to a data system, such as a data broker or a database.
A Vitesse controller or a PLC can be connected to this safety sentinel to control corrective actions, such as the manipulation of valves and pumps to response to the concentration of flammable gas. This software typically acts below the critical concentrations of gas to prevent hazardous situations from occurring. More perimeter alarms can also be set up on this layer.
In certain critical applications, the closed loop controls of this layer will run on a safety PLC.
LAYER 3 – DIGITIZATION AND ANALYSIS
A system that continuously collects the concentration levels and related events gathered from the lower layers publishes them to databases and data brokers. A supervisory dashboard system should be deployed to enable the continuous monitoring of hazardous gas concentrations from everywhere.
From there, AI can leverage the time series collected from the equipment. It can either use the AI accelerator embedded in the Vitesse Controller to identify trends and detect anomalies. It can also connect the data to LLMs and therefore enable a complete AI-driven consultation of the data, enabling recommendations for process improvements.
As the energy landscape evolves with an increased focus on sustainability and safety, the need for sophisticated, reliable monitoring systems has never been more critical. Vitesse Automation’s multi-layered approach integrates advanced sensor technology and cutting-edge AI to provide comprehensive monitoring and analysis. By employing high sensitivity sensors, redundant safety systems and AI-driven data technology, Vitesse exceeds industry standards empowering continuous improvement through data insights and proactive anomaly detection.
In an era where the demand for hydrogen is rapidly increasing, Vitesse’s commitment to safety and innovation provides a reliable solution for managing the complexities of hydrogen and gas monitoring. Our sensors provide unparalleled sensitivity ranging from 0ppm to 20,000ppm and ensure comprehensive coverage across all critical safety thresholds. This advanced technology detects minor leaks weeks in advance, providing a crucial window to prevent catastrophic incidents before they begin.
Beyond mere detection, our system is designed for resilience, conducting periodic system integrity checks to maintain flawless operation under all conditions. Vitesse stands not just as a provider of solutions but as a guardian in the age of new energy. Trust Vitesse to safeguard your operations, mitigate risks, and propel your company into a safer, more efficient future.
