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ProtectionPriorities
Indecidingonthedegreeofprotectionwhichshouldbeofferedbyyourelectricalequipmentforthe
environmentinwhichyouintendtooperateit,youneedtogiveattentiontothefollowingthreepriorities.

Priority1
Inordertopreventgasexplosionsanddustexplosionsyouneedtoconsidertheprobabilityofthepresenceof
apotentiallyexplosivegas,dustorvapourandairmixtureintheareainwhichtheequipmentistooperate.
Areaswherethereisthelikelihoodofthepresenceofexplosivegasair/dustairmixturesarereferredtoas
zones.Zonesareclassifiedasshowninthetablebelow.Thehigherthenumberinthis"zonalclassification",
thesmallertheriskofanexplosion.
Theatmosphereoftheenvironmentinwhichthehazardousareaequipmentistooperatewillhaveabearing
onthedegreeofprotectionagainstexplosionthatshouldbeprovidedbytheequipment.

ZoneClassifications

Zone0
/20

Zone0:
Anareainwhichanexplosiveatmosphereislikelytobepresentcontinuouslyforlongperiodsor
frequently.
Zone20:
Continuouspresenceofdustcloud

Zone1
/21

Zone2
/22

Zone1:
Anareainwhichanexplosiveatmosphereislikelytooccurduringnormaloperation,occasionally.
Zone21:
Primarygradeofadustcloudrelease
Zone2:
Anareawheretheoccurrenceofanexplosiveatmosphereisunlikelyinnormaloperationandif
willbeofashortduration.
Zone22:
Secondarygradeofdustcloudrelease

Designationofzonesdependingonpresenceofcombustiblegas/vapour
Designationofzonesdependingonpresenceofcombustibledust

Priority2
Youneedtogiveconsiderationtothequantityofheatenergyneededtoproduceanexplosionofthegas
air/dustairmixtures.
Youalsoneedtogiveconsiderationtotheintensityoftheexplosionthatwouldoccurifthereweretobean
ignitionofthevapourorgasair/dustairmixtureintheareainwhichtheequipmentistooperate.
Gasesandvapourscanbegroupedaccordingtotheenergybeneededtoignitethegasandtheintensityofthe
explosionproducedbythegas.
AtableofsomeofthegasesandvapourslistedingasgroupsI,IIA,IIBandIICisshownbelow.
Thechemicalpropertiesofthegasesorvapourthatmaybepresentintheareainwhichtheequipmentisto
beoperatedhaveabearingonthedegreeofprotectionwhichshouldbeprovidedbytheequipment.

ZoneClassifications
GasGroupings
GasGroup GasorVapour
I(mining) methane(firedamp)
IIA
industrialmethane,propane,aviationfuel
IIB
ethylene,towngas
IIC
hydrogen,acetylene,carbondisulphide

Priority3
Youneedtogiveconsiderationtothetemperatureatwhichthevapour,gasairordustairmixturewould
igniteandbecomeaselfsustainingreactionintheareainwhichtheequipmentwouldoperate.
Thesurfacetemperatureoftheelectricalequipmentmustbesuchthatitneverexceedsthetemperatureat
whichthevapour,dustorgasairmixtureintheequipmentenvironmentwilligniteandsustaincombustion.
Asystemoftemperatureratings,socalled"Tratings",hasbeendevisedtocovertherangeoftemperaturesin
whichitissafetooperatetheelectricalequipmentintheexplosiveenvironment.

TherelationshipbetweentheTrating,theignitiontemperatureoftheambientexplosivegasairandthe
maximumallowablesurfacetemperatureoftheelectricalequipmentisgiveninthefollowingtable.

TemperatureRating
TemperatureRating(oftenreferredtoasTratingortemperatureclass)
Trating
Ignitiontemperaturerangeofthe
Maximumpermittedsurfacetemperatureof
(temperature
explosivegasairmixture
electricalequipment
class)
T1
greaterthan450C
450C
T2
between300Cand450C
300C
T3
between200Cand300C
200C
T4
between135Cand200C
135C
T5
between100Cand135C
100C
T6
between85Cand100C
85C
Forexample,towngashasanignitiontemperatureof600C.Fromthetableyoucanseethatthisplacesitin
theT1temperatureclass.Thereforethemaximumpermissiblesurfacetemperatureforequipmentthat
operatesinatowngasandairenvironmentis450C.Carbondisulphidevapourontheotherhandhasan
ignitiontemperatureofonly100C.
ThisgivesthevapouraTratingofT6.Thereforethemaximumpermissiblesurfacetemperaturefor
equipmentinthisenvironmentis85C.TheTratingforsomeofthegasesingasgroupingsIIA,IIBandIIC
isgiveninthetablebelow.

TemperatureRating
GasGroup T1
T2
T3
T4
T6
apropanenhexanepetrol
acetyl
IIA

toluene nbutane aviationfuelaldehyde

IIB
towngas ethylene

carbon
IIC
hydrogen

disulphide
Theminimumignitiontemperatureofadustcloudisthelowesttemperatureofaheatedimpactplateat
whichthedustblownintotheovenignitesordecomposes,producingflamesoranexplosion.
Powdersshowabroadspectrumofignitionsensitivityandthevastmajorityneedaveryenergeticignition
source.Theminimumignitiontemperatureisnotatrueconstantforagivendustcloud,butdependsonthe
geometryofthehotsurfaceandthedynamicsofthecloud.
Thefollowingtableshowssomeexplosiveparametersofdust.

MinimumIgnitionTemperatureofaDustCloud
Material TCloudTLayerIgnitionEnergy(mj)
Flour
380C 300C >30
WoodFlour410C 200C >100
Aluminium560C 270C >5
Sulphur
240C 250C >10

TechnicalTables

Hazardousareaequipment
Selectioncriteria
Protectionpriorities
Explosionprotection
ATEXDirectives
Ingressprotection
Certification
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