Helping Solve Gas Cylinder Testing Challenges Worldwide

Gas cylinders are essential in many places where industrial gases are used, from manufacturing to healthcare. These cylinders store compressed gases under high-pressure which can be used to power tools, operate machinery and provide medical treatments. However, the high-pressure inside gas cylinders also makes them potentially dangerous if they are not properly maintained.

Testing gas cylinders is essential to ensure safety and reliability. Usually, cylinders are tested every 3 to 5 or 10 years, depending on the application. One challenge faced by companies is testing gas cylinders that are located in different locations within a facility. It can be time consuming and labor intensive task, especially for companies with a large number of cylinders or cylinders thar are located in different parts of the facility. Additionally, it can be dangers to move gas cylinders, especially if they are not properly secured.

In this case, companies can consider using a portable testing unit they can be brought to the cylinder locations. This can eliminate the need to move the cylinders to a central testing location, which is safer and can save time and money.

As a partner to industrial gas suppliers worldwide, a global industrial gas giant and leading provider of essential gases, needed a way to streamline their cylinder testing process.

With such a massive footprint and impact on the world’s gas supplies, cylinder testing on site is vital, and as demand continues to grow, so too does the need for more efficiency.

When performing testing, the company’s expert service engineers typically place equipment within service vehicles. However, their primary challenge lay in safely transporting the large cylinders from the vehicle to the testing area and back again.

For pressure testing the cylinders, or the pressure relief valves (PRV), they use a range of pressures typically between 20 and 200 bar, and occasionally reaching up to 400 bar. Although they discovered they could use trolley-mounted small cylinders for pressures up to 200 bar, they still needed a solution for larger cylinders that required higher pressures.

So, they turned to Haskel, who worked closely with the company’s internal teams and carefully considered every nuance of the challenge before coming up with a comprehensive solution for both low- and high-pressure testing scenarios: portable booster cases.

For lower-pressure testing, the Haskel design team created compact cases to efficiently transfer gas from the external cylinders to the test cylinder, allowing the gas to reach the desired test pressure with a lot less hassle than previously encountered.

Haskel built these cases to accommodate various internal parts, including an inlet gas manual valve, an inlet pressure gauge, an inlet PRV, an outlet precision regulator, an outlet pressure gauge, an adjustable outlet PRV, and necessary fittings and pipework. Thanks to the adequate pressure from the supply cylinders, an air drive booster was not needed for the lower-pressure application. For high-pressure tests up to 400 bar, Haskel designed a similar portable case, but with an added internal gas booster to efficiently increase the gas pressure to the desired test pressure.

Haskel measured the available storage space in on of the company’s service vehicles, then designed the compact case to fit. The designed case is able to incorporate a Haskel air-driven AG-75 single-stage gas booster, an air inlet regulator/gauge and isolating valve, a gas inlet isolating valve with a gauge, and an outlet pressure gauge.

Through analytical problem-solving and creative design, Haskel was able to help the company aptly address its transportation and testing challenges, ultimately enhancing the overall safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of the testing process.

As trusted high-pressure experts, Haskel offers more than just assistance selecting the right test equipment. Our industry longevity is rooted in a commitment to customer success powered by relationship-centric, strategic consultation. We embrace the responsibility associated with critical applications, and come alongside your vision working in concert to make your need a reality. With a robust global support network of experienced professionals and channel partners, we are ready to respond locally to any need you have, wherever you have them.

Contact a Haskel representative today to find out more about how we can help you meet your high-pressure gas requirements.