From: Monona Rossol <0000030664c37427-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Laboratory Gas Detection
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2019 20:16:11 +0000
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 1543073426.3444952.1552421771528**At_Symbol_Here**mail.yahoo.com


impossible to say since we don't know the projected volume of gas released, the total CFM of exchange for the room and the location and CFM of the both the makeup supply and the various locations of the hoods when both closed and open during working.


Certainly, any exchange to the room helps, but there's not enough information.

Monona


-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Goff <ericwgoff**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Sent: Tue, Mar 12, 2019 3:03 pm
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Laboratory Gas Detection

What if the cylinders are in a room with hoods that run constantly?
Just asking how this would impact a leak. If the tanks are next to the
hood does this remediate the situation itself?

Thanks in advance!

-Eric Goff

On 3/13/19, Monona Rossol
<0000030664c37427-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**lists.princeton.edu> wrote:
> Best advice is:
>
> The sensor should be placed near the most probablelocation for a gas leak.
> The gas density and molecular weight are not very crucial for sensor
> placement, because all those gases, if released at room temperature will
> disperse in all directions about evenly unless is the release is so massive
> in volume that mixing with air is not occurring because the release is
> displacing room air in the vicinity of leak.
> Conversely, every one of those gases will head straight for the floor if
> they are under pressure and expand during release which makes them
> significantly cold and dense.  Once they reach room temperature, they will
> all will disperse in all directions.
> So placement is more dependent on 2) the temperature of the gas release with
> respect to the temperature of the air in the room  and 2) the size of the
> expected release.  For slow, small leaks, placing the sensor close to the
> source is best because no matter what the gas is, it will quickly come to
> room temperature, mix with air, and begin the processes of dispersing evenly
> throughout the room without respect to the weight of the gas with respect to
> air.
> May sound counter intuitive, but check it out. 'Tis so.
>  If you isolate a bottle of air for 10,000 years and don't disturb it, will
> the heavier molecules be more concentrated toward the bottom of the bottle?
>  And where are those very heavy chlorofluoro hydrocarbon propellant gases
> today?   Once you have the  the answers to those questions and the technical
> reasons for the answers, all the rest falls into place.
>
> Monona Rossol
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Bachrach <markbachrach2015**At_Symbol_Here**U.NORTHWESTERN.EDU>
> To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
> Sent: Tue, Mar 12, 2019 10:02 am
> Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Laboratory Gas Detection
>
> From our O2 alarm policy currently making its way through our policy
> committee:
> 1.     Oxygen sensors/detectors with low and high-level alarmswill be
> located in areas that present a potential asphyxiation hazard due tothe
> presence of manifolded or central liquid nitrogen or other
> asphyxiantgases.2.     Before any large volume container of compressed gas
> orcryogenic liquid is used, Environmental Health andSafety must be consulted
> to determine the need for oxygen detectors and oxygendepletion alarms.
> Environmental Health and Safety will perform the worst-casescenario
> calculation assuming the entire volume of container contents arereleased.
> If the final oxygenconcentration is lower than 18%, oxygen sensors and
> alarms should be placed. Thecalculation to be used is: Final O2
> concentration = 20.9 - 20.9*(Vgas/Vroom)whereVgas = volume gas released in
> cubic meters Vroom = room volume in cubic meters
> |  Liquid  |  Gas  |
> |  1L Liquid Nitrogen  |  0.694 m3 Nitrogen Gas  |
> |  1L Liquid Helium  |  0.757 m3 Helium Gas  |
> |  1L Liquid Argon  |  0.847 m3 Argon Gas  |
>
>  3.     Oxygen depletion alarms should not only sound locally. Allalarms
> should be tied into the Facilities Operations building alarm system.
> 4.     The placement of the sensors should also be determinedby EH&S,
> depending on the nature of the gas.
> |  Gases  |  Gas Density  |  Sensor Placement  |
> |  Argon, Heavy Hydrocarbons  |  Greater than air  |  Closer to the ground
> |
> |  Hydrogen, Helium, Methane  |  Less than air  |  Near the ceiling  |
> |  Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen  |  Similar to air  |  At or near breathing
> level (4 to 6 ft. from the floor)  |
>
> The sensor should be placed near the most probablelocation for a gas leak.
> Whenever possible, the read-out panel or a strobeshould be placed in a safe
> area outside the room. The alarm must be audibleboth by the location of the
> read-out panel and by the sensor.
>
> On Tue, Mar 12, 2019 at 9:49 AM Stephen Beaton <Steve.Beaton**At_Symbol_Here**dal.ca> wrote:
>
> Hi all, I am researching best practice for fixed gas detection in
> laboratories in the university setting.  There are certainly a number of
> variables to consider. Does anyone have guidelines/ standards/
> decision-trees to establish whether detectors for flammable,
> oxygen-depleting and toxic gases are required in the laboratory? Thanks in
> advanceSteve Stephen Beaton, MSc, CHO, CRSP
> Chemical Safety Manager
>
> Environmental Health and Safety Office
> 902.494.1934 | steve.beaton**At_Symbol_Here**dal.ca
> DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY  ---For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list,
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--
Best Regards,

-Eric

Eric W. Goff
Chemistry Educator


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