Bartec EXguard Mobile Gas Detection System

Overview

The Bartec EXguard Mobile Gas Detection System is a further development of Bartec’s proven TN2000-5 platform, purpose-built for hot work operations on refineries, onshore plants, and offshore installations where explosive gas hazards must be continuously monitored during welding, grinding, and other spark-generating maintenance activities. Designed for ATEX and IECEx Zone 1 and 2 hazardous areas, including inside habitats, the EXguard automatically shuts down connected electrical equipment and pneumatic tools the instant explosive gas is detected, while triggering audible and visual alarms to warn personnel.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Bartec EXguard system as an authorized partner to refineries, petrochemical plants, and offshore operators across Oman and the GCC that carry out hot work in classified hazardous areas. Every system shipped through Seven Star LLC is genuine Bartec equipment with full manufacturer warranty, ATEX/IECEx certification documentation, and local applications support for installations in Muscat, Sohar, and Salalah.

Measurement and Operating Principle

The standard EXguard mobile gas detection (MGD) unit is delivered with five infrared hydrocarbon (IR HC) gas detectors mounted on cable drums with 40m cable runs, allowing detection coverage across the full hot work zone perimeter. The system uses Simtronics GD10P sensors as standard, with alternative sensor types available upon request to match specific gas hazard profiles, all managed through an OMRON PLC control platform for reliable, deterministic shutdown logic.

Upon detection of explosive gas concentration, the EXguard system automatically interrupts power to connected electrical equipment and pneumatic tools via its integrated power outlets, removing potential ignition sources within seconds while simultaneously raising audible and visual alarms to alert work crews. Four power outlets rated to a combined 16A are fitted on the standard control unit, with an optional separate Power Control Unit (PCU) available offering larger 63A outlets at 380-690VAC for heavier tool loads.

Engineering Design of the Bartec EXguard

Constructed in 316L/CF3M stainless steel for both the gas sensor/cable drum assembly and the wheeled trolley and electrical enclosures, the EXguard system is built to withstand the corrosive coastal and offshore conditions typical of Oman’s oil and gas operations. The control unit measures 680 x 1275 x 625mm and weighs 105kg, while the optional power unit measures 820 x 1290 x 625mm and weighs 85kg, with lifting lugs fitted to each unit for crane or forklift handling between hot work locations.

The control unit operates on 220-240VAC 50/60Hz standard supply, while the power unit requires a specified 380-690VAC 50/60Hz supply to match site power infrastructure. Ex protection is certified to ATEX Ex II 2 G Ex db eb mb IIC T4 Gb and IECEx Ex db eb mb IIC T4 Gb, rated for operation across a -20°C to +40°C ambient temperature range suitable for Oman’s outdoor industrial environments.

Key Features

• 5 IR hydrocarbon gas detectors on 40m cable drums (standard configuration)
• Automatic shutdown of connected electrical and pneumatic equipment on gas detection
• Audible and visual alarm activation on explosive gas detection
• ATEX and IECEx Zone 1/2 certified (Ex db eb mb IIC T4 Gb)
• 316L/CF3M stainless steel construction for offshore and coastal durability
• OMRON PLC control platform with Simtronics GD10P sensors
• Optional high-power PCU with 63A outlets at 380-690VAC
• Wheeled, liftable design for mobile deployment across hot work sites

Industrial Applications

The EXguard system is deployed during hot work permit operations at Oman’s refineries, petrochemical plants, and offshore platforms, providing continuous gas monitoring and automatic ignition-source shutdown during welding, cutting, and grinding activities in Zone 1 and Zone 2 classified areas. Its mobile, wheeled design allows rapid redeployment between work fronts across Sohar refining complexes and offshore installations, supporting hot work permit compliance without requiring fixed gas detection infrastructure at every location.

As an authorized Bartec partner, Seven Star LLC supports process safety and maintenance teams across Muscat, Sohar, and Salalah with genuine EXguard systems correctly configured for the target hazardous-area classification and power requirements. This authorized-partner relationship ensures hot work safety systems are backed by manufacturer warranty and responsive local technical support.

Detection Range and Shutdown Logic

Bartec specifies the EXguard gas monitoring function over a measuring range of 0 to 100% LEL, with the automatic shutdown threshold set at 10% LEL. That 10% setpoint is the figure that matters on a hot work permit: it places the trip an order of magnitude below the lower explosive limit, so power is removed from welding sets, grinders, and pneumatic tools while the atmosphere is still far outside the flammable envelope rather than at its edge. Continuous readout across the full 0–100% LEL span also gives the permit holder and the standby fire watch a trend rather than a binary alarm, which is what allows a supervisor to distinguish a transient release from a developing one.

Electrical safety is layered underneath the gas function. The control unit incorporates earth fault protection rated at 30 mA, so an insulation failure in a trailing lead or a tool casing trips the supply independently of the gas detection channel. Each of the five detectors is a 24 VDC, 3.5 W unit returning a 4–20 mA current signal to the OMRON PLC, giving the controller a live-zero signal path in which a broken cable or a dead sensor reads as a fault rather than as a safe zero. The detector heads themselves measure 104 x 106 x 246 mm and weigh 2.9 kg each, light enough for one technician to position and secure around a work front.

Certification, Ingress Protection, and Field Deployment

The Bartec EXguard detector heads carry their own Ex certification separate from the control unit, marked Ex II 2 G Ex de IIC T6 with IP66/IP67 ingress protection and a standard ambient rating of −20 °C to +45 °C, extendable to −40 °C to +60 °C as an option. The enclosures of the control and power units are rated IP66. For Omani sites this combination is the practical requirement: IP66 on the cabinets resists wind-driven dust and washdown around refinery units, while the wider optional detector temperature range covers both desert summer surface temperatures and the cold-climate yards where offshore modules are frequently fabricated before shipment.

Cabling is sized for real hot work geometry. Each detector is supplied on a drum with a 40 m screened EMC cable, and the control and power units are each fitted with a 35 m H07RN-F supply lead, so the system can be parked outside the immediate work area and still reach the perimeter of a habitat or scaffold. Tool connections are made through GHG-series flange sockets, and the optional Power Control Unit adds a 63 A outlet at 380–690 VAC, with a twin 63 A outlet arrangement available where two heavy tool circuits must run concurrently. Bartec states compliance with Norsok Z-015 for temporary equipment on offshore and onshore installations, which is the specification most frequently cited by operators in the region when approving mobile equipment for entry into a classified area.

Technical Specifications

Why Choose Seven Star LLC

Contact Seven Star LLC today to order the genuine Bartec EXguard Mobile Gas Detection System with full manufacturer warranty, ATEX/IECEx certification documentation, and expert technical support for hot work safety projects across Oman and the GCC.

Related Products

• MEDC BG Manual Call Point – BGEB4B6B1DDCF7R (Ex de, ATEX)
• Schneider Electric Zelio Logic SR2B121BD Smart Relay
• Simtronics GD10P Infrared Point Gas Detector
• Dräger X-am 2500 Multi-Gas Detector
• Schneider Electric Modicon TM251 Performance Controller
• MEDC (Eaton) SM87LED Explosion-Proof LED Beacon
• P/N K62462 | Kidde – Pilot Gas Cylinder