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Introduction
Hazardous locations are those where there is a hazardous environment. The Codes for hazardou environments are specifically concerned with the possibility of a fire or explosion due to forseeable or avoidable human errors like:
Improper installation, selection, and design Lack of proper maintenance Improper use Carelessness or oversight
Hazards
Fire is rapid oxidation/combustion which results in producing heat, smoke, and light An explosion is a violent and sudden expansion of gases produced by rapid burning; it produces a very strong force when shut in a small space and generally has a loud, sharp noise and may have a supersonic shock wave The fundamental nature of electricity is to create a spark or generate energy which provides ignition in the right mix of fuel and air which leads to a fire or explosion
Both sparks AND heat have to be considered in electrical equipment design
Category System
Class I: Gases and flammable liquids such as gasoline Class II: Dusts and particles such as coal, flour, grain, and paint pigments Class III: Fibers such as carpet fiber Within these categories, the type of material also defines several subclasses depending on material properties Division 1: A situation where a hazardous atmosphere is present either continuously or for long periods of time under normal operation, or in which they exist frequently because of repair and maintenance or leakage Division 2: A situation where a hazardous atmosphere is not normally present except in the case of an accidental rupture or breakdown of equipment, or there is an adjacent Division 1 area that can potentially spill over. Unclassified: Not normally containing a hazardous atmosphere under normal or abnormal conditions. Example: Piping without valves, checks, meters, or similar devices would be unclassified. Pneumatic coal lines designed and maintained according to NFPA 85 is unclassified See NFPA 30A, 36, 51, 52, 54, 55, 58, 61, 85, 88A, 99, 407, 409, 495, 496, 654, 655 for specific classification guidance. See NFPA 30, 497, and 499 for general guidance. All can be viewed on NFPA web site (www.nfpa.org)
European Classifications
European system uses zones instead of class/division
Does not have a direct equivalent to division 2 NEC allows either system (choose one)
Solutions
There are MANY approaches, and each has particular advantages and disadvantages As a PHA team, it is better to ensure that electrical equipment meets hazardous location requirements and avoid a specific implementation Some methods: dust tight, dust-ignition proof, nonincendive, explosion proof, hermetically sealed, oil immersion, purged, pressurized, intrinsically safe, quartz/sand filled, encapsulated, ventilated Each method has developed to serve specific equipment and atmospheres. Each has advantages depending on the classification and the process
Method Overview
The following notes outline details on the major design methods for performing safe electrical installations in hazardous locations as background material Some (but not all) equipment will be specifically certified for use with a particular method by a certifying agency (FM Global, TUV) Some equipment is automatically approved
Example: TEFC (Aurora standard) motors are approved for use in Class II, Division 2 areas
Some methods have greater flexibility or higher power limitations at the expense of cost and weight. Others (oil filled) are equipment specific. Againa PHA team will want to ensure that the hazardous locations are documented and that the electrical team is aware of them, not specify solutions
Pressuring/Purging Methods
Most flexibleany equipment can be used in any size enclosure Can be high cost to operate and maintain
Often less expensive due to flexibility and enclosure size
Methods are to pressurize an enclosure to prevent hazardous atmospheres from entering, or to purge with enough fresh air to achieve the same effect Usually requires some sort of monitoring and control to shut down if the purge/pressurizing system fails Must consider maintenance access especially with pressurized systems, and repressurizing/repurging Can require process calculations to verify effectiveness
Flameproof Gap
Misconception: Not gas tight Allows gas/dust to exist inside equipment Hot gas jets through the opening which causes it to cool Openings are designed so that an escaping flame will be cooled to the point where it will not ignite any gas or dust outside the enclosure
Nonincendive Method
Every make/break component (relay, switch, etc.) must:
Be nonarcing Use an electrical circuit that limits the power so that the arc cannot cause anything to ignite Be sealed so that a spark cannot cause ignition
The only remaining concern is heat, which is addressed by enclosure design Enclosures must be weather proof and impactresistant Wiring must also be rated for the hazardous location Note: Many intrinsically safe ventilation fans and other parts are actually mislabeled and are nonincendive
IS Design
Barriers
Barriers electrically limit both current and voltage to within the safe limits required by the intrinsically safe design Barriers must be located within the non-hazardous area Generally this is less than 1.3 Watts (low power) Some portable devices on the market have a special battery (back to the old wet cell concept) which is designed to allow the IS power supply inside the hazardous area
Some PLC hardware has barriers integrated into it as a convenience. However manufacturers (Honeywell, AB) charge far more for convenience and it is usually less expensive to use a separate barrier
IS Devices
Field devices must be designed to not accumulate energy to a level where a spark or heat could form Devices must be either rated as IS or else be a simple apparatus:
All standard wiring (no special wiring required for IS) Passive components: switches, junction boxes, resistors, and some simple semi-conductor devices Sources of generated energy that do not exceed 1.5 volts, 100 mA, and 35 mW (thermocouples and photocells) LVDT type position sensors Magnetic pickup coils if the inductance does not exceed the limit on IS equipment Vibration sensors were previously excluded but are now allowed
Most 120 VAC equipment cannot be approved but most 24 VDC instrumentation and controls are approved
IS Wiring
IS wirng is simply standard wiring methods No special wiring is required
Nonincendive
Explosion proof/dustignition proof
Unlimited
Limited
Special
Special
Medium
Medium to high
Dust tight
Sealed/oil filled/sand filled
Unlimited
Limited
Tray/Conduit
Special
Low
Low
Unliimted