RAE Systems

Last updated
RAE Systems
Company type Subsidiary
IndustryGas detection systems, Industrial, Oil & Gas, Fire/HazMat Safety equipment
Founded1991;33 years ago (1991)
FounderRobert I. Chen, Peter Hsi
Headquarters,
Area served
World Wide
ProductsWireless personal, area, transportable and fixed gas and radiation detection systems
Parent Honeywell
Website www.raesystems.com

RAE Systems, Inc., or RAE System by Honeywell, is a provider of wireless, gas and radiation detection instruments and systems that enable real-time safety and security threat detection to help mitigate risk, and protect workers, contractors, the public, and assets. [1] [2] RAE Systems is located in San Jose, California. [1] The company was founded in 1991 by Robert I. Chen and Peter Hsi. [3]

Contents

The company's competitors include Ion Science Ltd, Mine Safety Appliances, Industrial Scientific Corporation, and Dräger. [4] Some of its customers include BP, Chevron Corporation, and Total Petroleum in the energy sector; United States Air Force, United States Navy, and United States Department of Homeland Security in the government sector; DuPont and Formosa Plastics Corp in other industry sectors. [5]

History

Robert I. Chen and Peter Hsi founded RAE Systems in 1991 to apply sensor technology to monitor toxic chemicals for environmental, industrial safety, energy, hazardous material (HazMat), emergency response, and government applications. [3] The co-founders started the company after selling Applied Optoelectronic Technology Corporation, a manufacturer of computer-aided test systems, to Hewlett-Packard. [3]

In 2013, the company's detectors were used in 120 countries by industrial organizations, emergency responders, and government agencies. [5] In April 2013, the company was acquired by Honeywell. [6]

Technology

The company holds over 40 chemical sensor patents in the detection-sensor field, which include patents for photoionization, wireless, and radiation technologies. [5] [7] The company's offerings include wirelessly-enabled technologies[ buzzword ] for emergency response, national security, CBRNE agent detection, fire, and military end user applications. [3] Also, the company has products[ buzzword ] for real-time detection of unseen threats such as radiation, chemical warfare agents (CWA), and toxic and combustible gases. [5] [7]

With its photoionization technology, the company provides photoionization detector (PID) that can help safety professionals monitor and measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs), [8] combustible gases and vapors, and toxic gases. [9] With its wireless and radiation technologies, the company developed portable devices that are able to detect low-level radiation in real-time, as well as dosimeters that can detect dose rates and help protect industrial workers from radiation exposure. [9] RAE Systems wireless gas detection systems enable incident commanders to extend monitoring capabilities and share critical data in real time as emergencies unfold. [10]

The company also incorporates wireless communication and data transmission capabilities into its offerings. [11] In 2001, RAE Systems introduced its first wireless data transmission product. In the first quarter of 2012, the ProRAE Guardian was launched, enabling access to real-time data on toxic gases and radiation, combined with the physiological status and location of workers and emergency response teams. [12] In January 2012, the company released its cloud-based service, called ProRAE Guardian CloudServer, for first responders to detect hazardous threats in real-time and to share gas and radiation data globally. [10] [13] This service helps emergency response teams shorten the time to analyze threats and make decisions. [14]

Industries

The company serves five industries, including energy exploration and refining/oil and gas, industrial safety, national security, fire and HazMat, and the environmental market. [1] [3]

The energy exploration and refining/oil and gas sector requires process measurements and safety alert systems to address worldwide industrial incidents, like the 2010 catastrophic explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and Total's Elgin platform gas leak in March 2012.. [15] The company's monitors are utilized by energy companies for exploration, refining as well as downstream monitoring and safety. [3]

In the industrial safety market, there is an increasing awareness that long-term exposure to even very low concentrations of toxic or hazardous gases can adversely affect workers’ health. Businesses and organizations require ongoing monitoring and detection to assess the acceptable level of toxic gas exposure for personnel. [5]

In the oil and gas, industrial production, fire and HazMat, national security, and environmental industries, the company's products are deployed by first responders to improve public protection and reduce response times. [10]

Additionally, the company's offerings, like its AreaRAE wireless monitoring system, are utilized for risk management, asset security, and employee well-being by international organizations and sports venues such as the Super Bowl, World Series games, NBA championship, and Government conventions.. [11] [16] The company's sensors were also deployed at the London 2012 Olympics and other international table tennis tournaments, where the International Table Tennis Federation (ITFF) asked RAE Systems to provide sensors to test paddles. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telemetry</span> Data and measurements transferred from a remote location to receiving equipment for monitoring

Telemetry is the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Greek roots tele, 'remote', and metron, 'measure'. Systems that need external instructions and data to operate require the counterpart of telemetry: telecommand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermography</span> Infrared imaging used to reveal temperature

Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal video and/or thermal imaging, is a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process, which are examples of infrared imaging science. Thermographic cameras usually detect radiation in the long-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms. Since infrared radiation is emitted by all objects with a temperature above absolute zero according to the black body radiation law, thermography makes it possible to see one's environment with or without visible illumination. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature; therefore, thermography allows one to see variations in temperature. When viewed through a thermal imaging camera, warm objects stand out well against cooler backgrounds; humans and other warm-blooded animals become easily visible against the environment, day or night. As a result, thermography is particularly useful to the military and other users of surveillance cameras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoke detector</span> Device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire

A smoke detector is a device that senses smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Smoke detectors/Alarms are usually housed in plastic enclosures, typically shaped like a disk about 150 millimetres (6 in) in diameter and 25 millimetres (1 in) thick, but shape and size vary. Smoke can be detected either optically (photoelectric) or by physical process (ionization). Detectors may use one or both sensing methods. Sensitive alarms can be used to detect and deter smoking in banned areas. Smoke detectors in large commercial and industrial buildings are usually connected to a central fire alarm system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Security alarm</span> System that detects unauthorised entry

A security alarm is a system designed to detect intrusions, such as unauthorized entry, into a building or other areas, such as a home or school. Security alarms protect against burglary (theft) or property damage, as well as against intruders. Examples include personal systems, neighborhood security alerts, car alarms, and prison alarms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dräger (company)</span> German manufacturer of breathing equipment

Dräger is a German company based in Lübeck which makes breathing and protection equipment, gas detection and analysis systems, and noninvasive patient monitoring technologies. Customers include hospitals, fire departments and diving companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon monoxide detector</span> Device that measures carbon monoxide (CO)

A carbon monoxide detector or CO detector is a device that detects the presence of the carbon monoxide (CO) gas to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. In the late 1990s Underwriters Laboratories changed the definition of a single station CO detector with a sound device to carbon monoxide (CO) alarm. This applies to all CO safety alarms that meet UL 2034 standard; however for passive indicators and system devices that meet UL 2075, UL refers to these as carbon monoxide detectors. Most CO detectors use a sensor with a defined, limited lifespan, and will not work indefinitely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motion detector</span> Electrical device which utilizes a sensor to detect nearby motion

A motion detector is an electrical device that utilizes a sensor to detect nearby motion. Such a device is often integrated as a component of a system that automatically performs a task or alerts a user of motion in an area. They form a vital component of security, automated lighting control, home control, energy efficiency, and other useful systems. It can be achieved by either mechanical or electronic methods. When it is done by natural organisms, it is called motion perception.

A medical alarm is an alarm system designed to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to summon emergency medical personnel. Other terms for a medical alarm are Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) or medical alert. It is especially important to recognize the need to respond to situations where the person is unable to summon help.

A photoionization detector or PID is a type of gas detector.

A gas detector is a device that detects the presence of gases in an area, often as part of a safety system. A gas detector can sound an alarm to operators in the area where the leak is occurring, giving them the opportunity to leave. This type of device is important because there are many gases that can be harmful to organic life, such as humans or animals.

Materials MASINT is one of the six major disciplines generally accepted to make up the field of Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT), with due regard that the MASINT subdisciplines may overlap, and MASINT, in turn, is complementary to more traditional intelligence collection and analysis disciplines such as SIGINT and IMINT. MASINT encompasses intelligence gathering activities that bring together disparate elements that do not fit within the definitions of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), or Human Intelligence (HUMINT).

A flame detector is a sensor designed to detect and respond to the presence of a flame or fire, allowing flame detection. Responses to a detected flame depend on the installation, but can include sounding an alarm, deactivating a fuel line, and activating a fire suppression system. When used in applications such as industrial furnaces, their role is to provide confirmation that the furnace is working properly; it can be used to turn off the ignition system though in many cases they take no direct action beyond notifying the operator or control system. A flame detector can often respond faster and more accurately than a smoke or heat detector due to the mechanisms it uses to detect the flame.

Infrared open-path gas detectors send out a beam of infrared light, detecting gas anywhere along the path of the beam. This linear 'sensor' is typically a few metres up to a few hundred metres in length. Open-path detectors can be contrasted with infrared point sensors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honeywell Gent</span> British manufacturer of life safety equipment

Honeywell Gent, formerly Gents' of Leicester, is a British manufacturer of life safety equipment based in Leicester, England. Established by John Thomas Gent, the company is thought to have started in 1872 however it could have been trading as early as the 1860s. The company had a workforce of several hundred at its height.

The Morphix Chameleon is a portable chemical detection device. It consists of a reusable armband, wearable over many hazardous material suits, on which removable sensors are mounted. The sensors have color-changing tags that indicate the presence of hazardous or dangerous chemicals in the air, allowing personnel in the field to make decisions about dangerous situations.

Xtralis, now part of Honeywell, was a privately held firm. It manufactures smoke detection, gas detection and video surveillance security products for the early detection, visual verification, and prevention of fire and intrusion threats.

The industrial internet of things (IIoT) refers to interconnected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked together with computers' industrial applications, including manufacturing and energy management. This connectivity allows for data collection, exchange, and analysis, potentially facilitating improvements in productivity and efficiency as well as other economic benefits. The IIoT is an evolution of a distributed control system (DCS) that allows for a higher degree of automation by using cloud computing to refine and optimize the process controls.

Workplace exposure monitoring is the monitoring of substances in a workplace that are chemical or biological hazards. It is performed in the context of workplace exposure assessment and risk assessment. Exposure monitoring analyzes hazardous substances in the air or on surfaces of a workplace, and is complementary to biomonitoring, which instead analyzes toxicants or their effects within workers.

References

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