SF6 Sniffer Leak Detector

IR-30-LD is a sniffer type leak detector specific for SF₆ gas. It is able to detect leaks of 0,3 grams per year of SF₆ by using an infra-red based sensor.

SF₆ gas absorbs very much the infrared radiation close to 10,55 micrometers of wavelength. The instrument uses an infrared source plus an optical band-pass filter of this wavelength  and that makes it very specific for SF₆ and avoids that other substances can interfere in the leak detection.

The IR-30-LD performs also autozero feature and it has two operating modes conveniently adapted to the requirements of the industry:

• Search leak mode is to be selected when you want to locate manually the leak points.
• Measure leak mode is quite useful to do a quantitative measure of the size of the leak. Example: An SF₆ filled circuit breaker is introduced in a test chamber or a test plastic bag. The SF₆ concentration on the chamber is measured, in ppm. After some hours, the ppms of SF₆ are measured again. A concentration increase of SF₆ is synonymous of a leak.

IR-30-LD is intended for manufacturers of gas insulated switchgears and other equipment that is SF₆ filled. For field commissioning and maintenance of this equipment, battery operated leak detectors can be more convenient.