Gas & IECEx update Grouping

Session 2 Explosion Protection Fundamentals

The Explosion Triangle

In order to have an explosion, all three legs of the triangle need to be present... Our objective is to remove one or more of the legs of the triangle when we apply electrical equipment in a potentially hazardous flammable atmosphere...

All the protection concepts that are currently used in the world today address one or more legs of this triangle

Sources of Ignition in Hazardous Areas

Electrical Sparks

mA

in 10V. The voltage level has an influence on how incendive a spark will be.

Flammable gases and vapors

Hot Surfaces

e the surface temperature of the motor. If the motor is

excessively overloaded and the thermal overload device i

Batteries

their terminals are short -circuited. Current of the order of 1000A can be enerated equipment may only allow their use in hazardous areas if powered by low

-power batteries. Replacement of batterie

Sources of Ignition in Hazardous Areas

Friction

producing incendive

sparks, and hot surfaces locally at the point of contact by the abrasive wheel. Power tools unle

Lightning installation, but flammable gases or vapors can be ignited by

harged to earth by the normal metal construction of

Impact

e of ignition, known as thermite action, which can produce sparks capable of igniting a flammable gas or vap

Radio Frequency

The energy transmitted by a mobile phone if used in a Zone 1 area, could be picked up by the metalwork in the area, which acting as a aerial, could produce a spark of sufficient energy to ignite the petrol vapor.

Sources of Ignition in Hazardous Areas

Static Electricity

cleaning equipment. Bonding and earthing of aircraft or tankers during refueling prevents the buildup of electros

Excerpt from Maintenance Information on EEx e GRP enclosure "Static Hazard Glass Reinforced Polyester has a surface resistance of 10E9 ohms. They can present a hazard from static electricity and should only be cleaned with a damp cloth.

ass reinforced, identified with the suffix "C" have a surface

resistance of between 10E6 and 10E9 . Ohms They do not present a hazard from

Sources of Ignition in Hazardous Optical Radiation Areas

The use of optical fibres in particular opens up many fields of application. This technique offers in fact numerous , advantages however, the effect of the energy source "light" as a potential ignition source in explosive atmospheres Chemical eacton R i chemical reactions can and does create sinificant

ls that have different y explosive

Ultrasound

ctly to ultrasound. Electrical hazards are

also present and should be considered

especially where any liquids are in

must be given consideration.

Just like your automobile, the mixture needs to be in the proper range for an explosion to occur...

Sources of Ignition in Hazardous Areas Upper and Lower Flammable Limits for flammable gases and vaors

e 2% -10% range while Acetylene and Hydrogen have much larger ranges, hence

one reason they are grouped ver

te

i as ar

Specific Density of Flammable gases and

i

and there is little

tendency for these gases to sink or move

around. ration gases to air: Density

Some gases are generally denser than air (propane) and have a tendency to creep ethane, hydrogen) and have aover long distances andunless contained by awhen exposed structure. tendency to disperse potentially ignite container or to an arc.

ering the types and gases that

are typically going to be seen in the

environment due to dispersion.

mm or more of ignitable dust evenly distributed over an entire area is

General Rules of Thumb in considered sufficient enough to create determining hazardous area

essel containing the material, much smaller volumes of gas should be considered as hazardous due to rupture fr of 10 liters of explosive gases in a confined room is always considered to be a hazardous area irrespective of the size of A simple calculation is that if the volume of hazardous gas is 1/10,000ths of the volume of the room or greater, a potential for explosion can occur. This does not mean that the entire room would be classified as a hazardous area, but possibly only a part.

Example of proper ventilation of a contained room with heavier than air mixtures.

Temperature Identification Codes

Example of Temperature increasing factors in Ex terminal boxes

Temperature Identification Numbers Gas Grouping

In general, if you can produce a product that is rated at T3 or better, (max. surface temperature of 200?C or cooler) you will cover approx. 90% of the flammable gases and vapors seen in the oil and gas industry...

that

?C

will never exceed 85 ?C. Elevated ambient temperatures can effect the T identification numer l ons to check with the manufacture to determine suitabilit y of the product bein g used or considered.

Temperature Identification Numbers Gas Grouping Relevant EN/IEC standards for Hazardous Locations

h same ensty

Cateor

Hazardous Area Classification....

Gas

Dust

Gas Grouping for EEx 'd' enclosures

Cateor

Hazardous Area Classification....

Relevant IEC standards for Dust Hazardous Locations

b d ramacay.

Dust Protection by Enclosure Updates (Ex tD) EN 50281 1 1:1998 will be withdrawn as a harmonised status under the ATEX Directive from the 1st of October 2008. The principal differences in EN 61241 0:2006 are listed below, minor differences are not listed. EN 61241 0 is general requirements that requires either 61241 1 to be used to acquire tD certification, ultimately, EN 61241 0 will be merged into EN 60079 0 Additional testing for category 3 products particularly for non metallic materials Increased requirements for batteries in line with gas standards in the EN 60079 series Thermal tests under specified dust layers required if the layer exceeds 50mm Introduction of practice A (similar to existing method) and practice B (a new approach) A is principally the same as the old standard max surface temp is determined with 5 mm of dust and end users need to de rate it by 75K. To determine dust ingress by EN 60529. B determines the temp using a 12.5 mm layer of dust and a 25K offset is to be appe li d i n ins t allation. The meoeterm ining dus t ngress th d of d i is by a hea t cyc ling tes t. Type B has specific requirements for joints (plain, spigot, gasketed, shafts and rods).
-

Relevant IEC standards for Dust Hazardous Locations

Updates on standards Hazardous Locations

The 4th edition of IEC 60079 0 was published in May of 2004. This is not currently harmonised but can be considered state of the art. Significant changes to the standard are as follows effective in 2008:
-

New type of protection n introduced (The standard for Type n was previously a stand alone standard that did not function as a sub part of IEC 60079 0. All the general requirements have been moved from IEC 60079 15 to IEC 60079 0 and adjusted as necessary). Apparatus standards for caplights (IEC 62013 1), intrinsically safe systems (IEC 60079 25), Zone 0 apparatus (IEC 60079 , 26) and trace heating (IEC 62086 1) introduced. Clarification of the status of symbol s It has been clarified in a note that s is not a recognized type of protection, but is what SHOULD be used when equipment does not comply with the specific types of protection, but does present equivalent safety. Temperature assessment has been re written to address the influences of ambient temperature, internal sources of heat, and external sources of heating or cooling Relative thermal index (RTI) added as an alternative to thermal index (TI) Impact test revised to specify drop height in lieu of energy Clarification of application of 5 K and 10 K temperature margins to type tested samples Clarification of number of samples and order of tests for non metallic materials Clarification of the order of protection concept marking (alphabetical) Addition of a clause on instructions (As the installation, operation, and maintenance was considered critical to the safe application of equipment in explosive atmospheres, a new clause was added detailing the minimum information to be prepared.) Some t ti requremens sac
-

Relevant IEC standards for Dust Hazardous

i

Locations
t transerre f d from IEC 60079 26
-

Harmonization of ATEX & IECEx update

Harmonization of ATEX & IECEx update Properties of Hazardous Flammable Materials

All Electrical sparks are capable of igniting a gas/air mixture False The glass surface of a light bulb will prevent ignition of gas/air mixture False Any concentration of flammable gas in air maybe ignited False

Acetylene has the widest flammable limit range

True

Apparatus marked Gas Group II can be used in Gas Group IIA, IIB and IIC areas True

Properties of Hazardous Flammable Materials

All flammable vapors will rise in the atmosphereFalse

False

True

Apparatus marked IIA can be used in a IIC hazardous area

False

A Zone 2 area indicates that a flammable atmosphere can occur during normal operating conditions The probability and duration of a gas leak in a hazardous area is indicated by the Zone Generally, apparatus with a T3 temperature rating can be used False in place of apparatus rated T4