Battery Energy Storage Systems are designed to operate for years in sealed, high-temperature enclosures, often in remote or unattended locations. Over time, materials such as sealants, adhesives, gaskets and thermal interface compounds naturally release siloxane vapours.  

While these vapours pose no direct risk to battery cells, they present a significant and often overlooked challenge for gas detection.

How Siloxane Vapours Affect Gas Sensors

Standard catalytic bead gas sensors rely on a heated sensing element to detect flammable gases. When exposed to siloxane vapours, this heated element can decompose the compounds, forming a thin silica layer on the bead. This microscopic glass-like coating, often referred to as sensor glazing, permanently degrades sensor performance.

Independent testing has shown measurable drift and loss of sensitivity in standard catalytic sensor technology, even after relatively short exposure periods. Once affected, sensor performance does not recover through ventilation or normal operation.

A Hidden Reliability Risk Over Time

Over the lifetime of a BESS installation, this degradation becomes a hidden reliability risk:

• Alarms trigger later than they should

• Sensor sensitivity continues to decline

• Performance does not recover with ventilation

• A sensor can appear operational, powered and communicating while no longer providing accurate protection. 

This creates a false sense of security, particularly in installations where routine manual inspection is limited.

Proven Resistance to Siloxane Poisoning

Independent testing demonstrated that the K-Detect-iON sensor is resistant to siloxane poisoning, exhibiting 0% drift and 0% loss of sensitivity throughout the test period.

The sensor does not suffer from catalytic poisoning or sensor glazing, and its performance does not degrade over time. It does not rely on increased ventilation, recalibration, or additional maintenance to remain reliable, making it well-suited to long-life, sealed BESS environments.

Choose the right gas detection for BESS. Choose K-Detect-iON.