Leak detection at large chemical sites can be both difficult and expensive. At one Belgian plant, operators were making twice-daily inspection rounds using portable leak detectors — but new and stricter government regulations required continuous monitoring instead. So, plant management decided to implement an online leak-detection system.
In 2013, after research on suppliers and technology, the plant installed a system that uses hydrocarbon fast-fuel sensors and sensor cables, and wireless discrete transmitters. An IEC-standard WirelessHART field network communicates leakage data from the remote transmitters to the plant control system.