NevadaNano - Experts & Thought Leaders

NevadaNano, the innovator in gas detection sensor technology, announced the results of five years of continuous operation for its MPS™ Sensors. The sensors, manufactured and calibrated in early 2017 have been running continuously for 5 years. During this period there has been no additional calibration, and there has been no deterioration or drift, and despite regular exposure to combustible gases, the MPS™ sensors’ accuracy remains within specifications. Consistent and reliable accuracy “No other sensors available today can perform with such consistent and reliable accuracy without at least annual calibration,” said Gary Collins, Head of Sales at NevadaNano. “This historical data underscores the vital role MPS™ sensors play in creating safe work environments and detecting potential hazards without maintenance or replacement.” Independent performance tests Concurrently, Assured Testing Services performed independent performance tests on NevadaNano’s MPS™ sensors, and competitors' NDIR and pellistor sensors when exposed to methane, hydrogen, & propane gases. Both the pellistor and NDIR sensors degraded after 10 days and required recalibration in less than 60 days. Only NevadaNano’s MPS™ maintained its accuracy with no maintenance. MPS™ Gas Sensor Family MPS™ sensors last 10+ years, cannot be poisoned, never need calibration, and has lower power The MPS™ Gas Sensor Family includes the MPS™ Flammable gas sensor (0% to 100%LEL), MPS™ Methane gas sensor (range of 50 to 1M ppm), MPS™ Refrigerant sensors for a wide range of A1, A2L, A3 refrigerants, and MPS™ configurable sensor, where any analog voltage is available as a drop-in replacement. Each sensor comes in a variety of packaging formats. Based on accelerated life testing, MPS™ sensors last 10+ years, cannot be poisoned, never need calibration, and has lower power than traditional sensors. Low-cost sensor technology The MPS™ technology is the first low-cost sensor technology that can accurately measure multiple gases without manual intervention and the first sensor technology that can measure a wide variety of gases with only a software change. As a smart sensor with built-in environmental monitoring and algorithms that compensate for temperature, pressure, and humidity variations, it provides accurate readings across the entire environmental range. In making use of 27 patents for on-chip chemical analysis technology, the sensors are ideal for the most demanding safety, HVAC-R, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

NevadaNano, a pioneer in gas detection sensor technology, announced that Gastronics, Inc, a U.S.-based gas detection manufacturer known for being a pioneer in wireless gas detection, has incorporated NevadaNano’s Molecular Property Spectrometer™ (MPS™) technology into its wired and wireless product offering. Wired & Wireless Solutions “Gastronics, a company that is known for its vision in problem-solving solutions, recognized the unique capabilities and value our MPS flammable gas sensors bring to their customers,” said Ralph Whitten, President of NevadaNano. “Known for leveraging state-of-the-art technology, the company is setting the standard with its next-generation wired & wireless solutions using NevadaNano technology.” MPS Sensor technology The Gastronics range of products utilizing the MPS sensor greatly improves leak detection and worker safety The Gastronics range of products utilizing the MPS sensor greatly improves leak detection and worker safety in industries including oil and gas, chemical, tank storage facilities, pipeline, and many others. NevadaNano's MPS sensor technology, with built-in environmental compensation for temperature, pressure, and humidity, detects and quantifies 14 of the most common hydrocarbon gases with the one factory calibration, a feature referred to as TrueLEL. MPS Gas Transmitter The MPS Gas Transmitter with the MPS sensor provides a classification of the gas type, which includes hydrogen, H2 mix, methane, light gas, medium gas, and heavy gas. It delivers accurate gas concentration readings across the full environmental range, including rapid environmental transients with best-in-class accuracy while minimizing false positives. Accurate leak detection Bud Dungan, President of Gastronics, states, “By integrating the MPS sensor into our product range, we can now offer our customers the most accurate combustible gas leak detection for multiple gases using just one sensor.” “The no field calibration requirements for the life of the MPS sensor is a very significant shift from industry practices and will be of great value for all our customers. We are proud to be the first to offer this technology in both a fixed wired and wireless product.”

New refrigerants used in air conditioning systems provide less potential for global warming (GWP), but the new materials can also be potentially flammable. Sensors are designed to detect refrigerants in a specific confined area (within the unit). However, if the refrigerant leaks outside and away from the unit, the sensor may not be able to detect it, resulting in a potentially hazardous environment. Society is prioritizing the mitigation of climate change, and new, potentially flammable, low-GWP refrigerants are a key tool in broadly lessening global warming. The detection of fugitive (leaking) refrigerant is a new regulation emerging as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment manufacturers convert to low-GWP refrigerants. Detecting specific gases Both A2L and A3 low-WP refrigerants, while climate-friendly, are flammable. As such, OEMs will have to integrate refrigerant sensors that detect leaked refrigerant that could potentially cause a harmful event. Firefighters should know the refrigerant sensors are tuned to detect only specific gases Refrigerant gas sensors quickly detect gases before they reach explosive levels and alert users to the need for mitigation. Commercial buildings and medium-to-large residential units have the most essential need and gain the most benefit from detecting gases at pre-flammable levels. Firefighters should know the refrigerant sensors are tuned to detect only specific gases. These sensors will not detect other common household substances like gasoline, propane, aerosols, or others. Gas detection sensors Gas detection sensors have been used for decades in other applications, such as industrial safety and home monitoring. Adding the right sensing technology to HVAC equipment will not be a significant burden to most businesses and homeowners. As a general rule, the better and more robust the technology, the less maintenance needed over a long lifespan, and the lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) for the systems. Meeting the need in the market is the MPS Refrigerant Sensor from NevadaNano, a sensor engineered specifically for the detection of harmful refrigerants within HVAC equipment. Legacy technologies have shortcomings that limit their performance, according to NevadaNano. In contrast, the MPS is designed for a 10-plus year life, is immune to poisoning, and never requires re-calibration. Detecting leaked refrigerant Since the MPS is a smart sensor module, it performs a self-test every two seconds" “Since the MPS is a smart sensor module, it performs a self-test every two seconds and immediately reports a fault or a condition if it ever operates out of normal parameters,” says Bob Christensen, NevadaNano’s Senior Director of Business Development. NevadaNano is actively engaged with HVAC equipment providers to integrate and optimize the ability to detect leaked refrigerant quickly and accurately. “As A2L refrigerants become the standard, it’s critical that businesses, property management companies, and homeowners can be confident that their facilities are safe,” says Christensen. “In addition, our sensors remove the burden and uncertainty associated with legacy technology and faulty sensors.” Eventual replacement sensors Traditional nondispersive infrared sensor (NDIR) and pellistor technologies often require human intervention to work properly and require frequent re-calibration and eventual replacement sensors. These traditional sensor technologies require frequent tests to verify that they are operational and able to detect refrigerant gas within specification. In this bump test, a technician introduces a known volume of gas and verifies the sensor works within proper safety parameters. If the sensor does not read the gas correctly, the sensor may be corrected or recalibrated. However, most sensors’ performance decays over time and will need to be replaced. NevadaNano’s MPS does not require field-testing or re-calibration, an advantage over traditional sensor technology, says Christensen.