COMPONENT DESIGN Stopping the sparks
The key role of intrinsically safe electrical equipment in industrial site safety
W
henever electrical equipment is required for use in hazardous environments, such as those that are commonplace in the chemical, oil and gas, mining and processing industries, they must be designed with intrinsic safety in mind. This stops them acting as potential ignition sources in plant areas containing volatile dusts, gases or liquids. Here, Darren Barratt, product sales manager at alarm and event management specialist and key aspects, of intrinsic safety design. Electrical components designed for use in hazardous environments must follow the principles of intrinsic safety, which allow for safe operation of electrical equipment in hazardous areas by limiting the electrical and thermal energy available for ignition. Components need to be selected carefully, so any failure does not compromise safety, along with balancing functional and performance requirements with those safety considerations. This includes any constructional
requirements that may be required, along with considerations surrounding the separation of PCBs between components and terminals, the current rating and PCB tracks, and the type of environment they will operate in. Hazardous environments are separated operating conditions, while Zone 1 indicates usually caused by things such as leakage and maintenance operations. Here, energy limiting practices and considerations for possible
component failure become mandatory, due to materials. Finally, Zone 2 is indicative of an area occur in normal operation and, if it occurs, will
Regulatory considerations Intrinsically safe instrumentation is required Equipment used in these settings must adhere to strict international standards and manufacturers must stay updated with changing regulations. Electrical components in the European Union must adhere to ATEX
a Testing Lab against the original approval, though manufacturers can self-certify equipment for Zone 2 components as and 1, equipment requires testing by an ATEX
Alarm annunciation
environments can help avert any hazardous events. They inform operators of potential problems that must be addressed, notifying them of a safety action to be carried out. In turn, this prevents any unplanned downtime at a facility, so as well as bringing about safety
features, the annunciators can contribute to cost savings.
Rather than operating on a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system or other computer systems, alarm annunciators provide an independent form of detection for the safety of a facility. While performing the same role as a standard alarm annunciator, in alerting operators to a problem, the devices can be developed and manufactured by specialists to ensure less risk of electrical sparks, reducing the risk of any dangerous events or downtime that halts production or output. of the intrinsically safe electrical equipment the company can provide for international markets.
be used in Zone 2 areas, notifying operators of dangerous situations in potentially hazardous areas, and alerting any staff operating in that protected in a protective enclosure to allow location in hazardous areas.
alarm annunciator, which offers protection, ensuring critical alerts reach your team without compromising performance or safety in environments including gas and oil rigs, chemical factories and mining operations. solutions can reduce downtime, and enhance operational safety, visit its alarm sector overview document.
16 FEBRUARY 2025 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46
