There are all kinds of ammonia detectors and sensors. Start at the ISA directory (www.isa.org) and go from there. Typically used to alarm if ammonia exceeds setpoint. As a point of interest, you will be driven out of the room from the smell long before the level of ammonia becomes fatal. Often people out on the floor notice ammonia leaks before the detectors go off.
Any refrigeration parts and supply company can supply such apparatus. It is routinely used in servicing refrigeration equipment to detect small refrigerant leaks.
Refrigeration supply firms can be found in the Yellow Pages phone directory of most any good-sized city.
Michael E. Klothe ELECTRICAL DESIGN & CONTROL, INC. Detroit, USA
Yokogawa Corp of America 1-800-889-0871 (HGM200 series)
Thermal Gas Systems 1-800-896-2996 (Haloguard IR series)
We currently support a mix of about 20 of these at our plant. After some initial "teething" problems, they have provided good service. They are NOT "pakaged transmitters", rather more along the line of on stream process monitors or analyzers.
There was a company which had a briefcase-sized, portable, rugged, gas/liquid chromatograph line which could measure refrigerants and most chemicals in air and in water, including such as R-22 and R-123(?), and R-11 or R-12 but not both, due to a too-low (or too-high?) electron potential (or something like that, some little-known chemico-physical parameter whose value differs according to the composition of each compound), a couple of years ago. The co. was making it, but like a lot of innovative and competent small high-tech manufacturing companies, it was built up by one man and when he wanted to cash out, was acquired a couple of years ago by somebody with deeper pockets, I can't remember whom, now. Gas chromatography quantifiable with accuracy is not cheap, though. The instrument started a bit over $10,000, featured software and a PC interface (integrated laptop) and had great programmability for control of the test, sampling times could be set for days apart and so forth and great digital data analysis, display, and output data capabilities resident in the laptop. Good app. notes and competent tech. support. This co. was in Massachusetts or Connecticut, I think. There are other gas chromatography equipment mfrs.
In Texas or Ark., maybe Okla. and N.M., you used to be able to get them through Collinsystems in Arlington, Texas. Try www.collinsys.com The Collinses were nice people and would help you on a telephone call or e-mail.
Hello, you didn't mention what type or refrigerant you are trying to detect however, Yokogawa makes both portable and permanent monitor stations that detect the standard refrigerants. I have never used the product so I can't tell you much about them except they can be reached at: