Portable multi-gas detector offers fit and forget functionality

Honeywell has introduced the BW Clip4, a new four-gas, portable monitor which the firm is promoting with the message that, once turned on, it can operate continuously for two years without the need to change sensors or charge batteries. This will help customers boost safety compliance and reduce maintenance costs, according to the product launch literature.

Photo by Brandon Shaw, Analog Dog Creative Ltd.

Intended for oil and gas, wastewater, heavy manufacturing, confined space and other applications, BW Clip4 is said to significantly reduce the maintenance costs associated with fleets of portable gas detectors by eliminating repair work and the need to stock additional sensors and spare units. Because it’s always on, the BW Clip4 helps drive safety compliance by assuring that workers wearing the device are protected.

“The BW Clip4 operates on a fit and forget cycle—simply turn it on once and replace the detector two years later when the unit prompts you to do so,” said Ken Schmidt, VP/General manager for Honeywell Industrial Safety. “It offers a whole new combination of benefits in multi-gas detection that haven’t been possible until now: two years of battery runtime without re-charging or changing batteries, small size and ease-of-use, the functionality of a multi-gas detector, and improved safety compliance.”

Using non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) technology, previously available only in fixed-gas detectors from Honeywell Analytics, the BW Clip4 consumes 1,000-times less battery power than a catalytic bead (pellistor) sensor, the traditional technology used to detect flammable gases in a portable device.