Catalytic detecting apparatus for detecting combustible gases and vapors

摘要

Apparatus for detecting combustible gases and vapors, and comprises catalytic sensors selectively sensitive to the presence in a given environment of a potentially dangerous constituent such as a hydrocarbon gas and arranged to produce a signal representative of the presence of the constituent, a normally deactivated transducer responsive on activation to the output of the sensors and effective to produce an output signal indicative of the presence of the constituent in a concentration above a predetermined level, a pulse generating circuit arranged automatically and periodically to activate the sensors for a selected relatively short interval during which detection but not poisoning can occur and subsequently to deactivate the sensors for a relatively long period, fault detecting circuits for producing a fault signal in the event of circuit failure or impending power failure, and alarm circuitry for providing a differentiated warning in response to the fault signal and in response to the output signal.