Purpose. To substantiate the possibility of using thermocatalytic sensors in systems for monitoring working conditions to control the content of gasoline vapours in the air of the working area of oil and fuel facilities.
Research methods. The paper applies analytical methods for studying the processes occurring in thermocatalytic sensors, which are based on the basic provisions of electrical engineering and the theory of heat and mass transfer, evaluation and generalisation of research results.
Results. The use of thermocatalytic sensors in systems for monitoring working conditions to control the content of gasoline vapours in the air of the working area of oil and fuel complex facilities is substantiated. It is shown that the sensitivity of thermocatalytic gas analyzers, which is necessary to control the content of gasoline vapours within the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC), can be ensured by selecting the sensor power mode with voltage stabilisation on the comparative element, carrying out periodic automatic checking and correcting zero readings of gas analyzers.
Originality. It consists in the use of a method of feeding a thermocatalytic sensor with voltage stabilization on a comparative sensing element, which ensures a stable temperature regime of thermoelements, and improving the method of monitoring and correcting zero readings of thermocatalytic gas analyzers by reducing the sensor supply voltage to the value at which the oxidation reaction of gasoline vapours does not occur on the working thermoelement of the sensor, which consists in the calculated determination of the zero displacement of the measuring bridge in the operating mode of the sensor power supply and taking into account the value of this displacement when determining the current value of the gasoline vapour content.
Practical value. The proposed solutions to increase the sensitivity of gas analyzers create conditions for the use of relatively simple, stable and cheap thermocatalytic sensors in the systems for monitoring working conditions to control the content of gasoline vapours in the air of the working area of oil and fuel complex facilities, which creates the prerequisites for the introduction of modern information technologies in the field of health and safety of workers.
Key words: working conditions, gasoline vapours, air of the working area, control, sensors, gas analyser, monitoring