Lechtzer products

Natural Gas detection instruments are used industry wide to survey, pinpoint and grade leaks wherever they occur. Natural Gas Utilities attempt to survey as efficiently and reliably as possible. Currently two classes of instruments are widely used. The first is the Flame Ionization Detector (FID), which is used for trace (parts-per-million) detection. The second is the Combustible Gas Indicator (CGI), which is generally used for high concentration applications, such as measurements in bar holes at leak sites to pinpoint exact excavation locations.

The Optical Methane Detector arose from pioneering work at the former Westinghouse Science and Technology Center and was developed for commercialization by our group while at Carnegie Mellon. As a new product for Heath Consultants, the OMD(TM) was named as the hottest new instrument of the year in 1998 by Gas Utility and Pipeline Industries. The Optical Methane Detector has been adopted by customers throughout the world becoming a preferred instrument for high speed, wide area vehicle leak surveys.

Nitrous oxide, often referred to simply as “laughing gas,” is colorless and non-flammable at room temperature and is widely used in medical and dental surgery, as well as high performance automotive racing. When N2O leaks occur in the workplace, personnel may become exposed to low levels of anaesthetic due to fugitive emissions. There is an ongoing concern that small quantities of nitrous oxide can accumulate over time and become large enough to affect health or performance. Because of these concerns, OSHA has issued guidelines for minimum exposure to nitrous in the parts per million concentration range, driving the need for better monitoring solutions.