Practical Intrinsic Safety for Engineers and Technicians

Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 General introduction to explosion protection 1
1.2 Historical background to explosion protection 1
1.3 Scope of protection systems 2
1.4 Responsibility 3
1.5 Explosion of protection and certification 3
1.6 Legality 4
1.7 The role of standards and certification 4
2 Definitions and Terminology 5
2.1 Definitions and terminology 5
2.2 Protection concepts 5
2.3 Principles of ignition 6
2.4 Electricity as a source of ignition 7
2.5 Properties of flammable materials 7
2.6 Other relevant properties of flammable materials 10
2.7 Other properties affecting general safety 10
2.8 Summary 11
2.9 Classification system 11
2.10 Classification concepts 12
2.11 Area classification locations 18
2.12 Summary of area classification 21
2.13 Methods of explosion protection 22
2.14 Classification of equipment for use in hazardous areas 22
2.15 Certification 23
2.16 Dusts 23
3 Principles of Intrinsic Safety 27
3.1 Origins of intrinsic safety 27
3.2 Principles of IS 28
3.3 Electrical theory to explain IS 29
3.4 Implementation of IS 36
3.5 The shunt diode safety barrier 40
3.6 Associated apparatus 51
3.7 Electrical apparatus in the hazardous area 53
3.8 Simple apparatus or certified apparatus 54
3.9 Enclosures 60
3.10 Temperature 60
4 Systems Concepts 63
4.1 The IS systems concept 63
4.2 An IS system 63

4.3 System documentation 64
4.4 Assessment of safety 65
4.5 Simple apparatus 66
4.6 Safety parameters 66
4.7 Temperature classification of systems 67
4.8 Systems concepts in other standards 68
4.9 Conclusion to systems 68
5 Types of Explosion Protection 69
5.1 Methods of explosion protection 69
5.2 Separation 71
5.3 Construction 75
5.4 Containment 78
5.5 Electrical design 80
5.6 Special 80
5.7 Multiple certification 81
5.8 Selection of certification method 82
5.9 Perceived advantages of IS 82
6 Earthing Systems 85
6.1 Earthing 85
6.2 Personal safety 85
6.3 Hazardous area considerations 87
6.4 Earthing and bonding 88
6.5 Static electricity 90
6.6 Clean and dirty earthing 93
6.7 Electrical Interference 94
6.8 Earthing terminology 96
6.9 Connection of earthing systems 98
6.10 Power supply systems 101
6.11 Portable equipment using batteries 103
6.12 Earthing arrangement standard solutions 103
6.13 Earth loops 106
6.14 Computer earthing 106
6.15 Surge protection systems 110
6.16 Standards and codes of practice 112
7 Installations 113
7.1 Introduction to installation requirements 113
7.2 Installation requirements 114
7.3 IEC79-14: Standard contents 114
7.4 Other relevant installation standards and codes 115
7.5 Safety documentation 115
7.6 General requirements of the standard 116
7.7 Practical aspects of IS installations 121
7.8 Other considerations affecting installation 134
7.9 Other installation issues 134


8 Inspection and Maintenance 137
8.1 Inspection and maintenance 137
8.2 Integrity preserved 138
8.3 Scope of IEC79-17 138
8.4 General requirements 139
8.5 Inspections 139
8.6 The insulation test 141
8.7 Maintenance 142
8.8 Testing 146
8.9 Unauthorised modification 147
8.10 Earthing integrity verification 147
8.11 BS5345 inspection requirements 147
9 Standards and Certification 151
9.1 Standards and certification 151
9.2 Definition of a standard 151
9.3 Standards for IS 152
9.4 The European ATEX directive 155
9.5 The international standards organisation 158
9.6 Certification 158
9.7 Safety documentation 164
9.8 Marking of apparatus 165
9.9 Example discussed 167
10 Fault Finding 169
10.1 Fault finding 169
10.2 Fault-finding routine 169
10.3 Safety assessment of testing 171
10.4 Test equipment 171
10.5 Use of uncertified test apparatus 174
10.6 Interface testing 178
10.7 Certified apparatus 181
10.8 IS apparatus repair procedure 181
11 Applications 185
Applications 185
11.1 Loop device selection 185
11.2 Terminology 186
Status inputs 187
11.3 Switch conventions 187
11.4 Circuit faults 188
11.5 Relay objects 189
11.6 IS switch status 189
11.7 Switch transfer using galvanic isolators 193
11.8 Switch input criticality 196
11.9 Proximity switches 197
11.10 Intrinsic safety aspects of switches 197
11.11 Summary 198

Analogue applications 198
11.12 High-level signals 198
11.13 The 4/20mA transmitter 198
11.14 Operational characteristics 199
11.15 Transmitter operational characteristics 200
11.16 Smart transmitters 201
11.17 Safety parameters 201
11.18 Marking 201
11.19 Safety assessment 202
Transmitter loops with interfaces 202
11.20 Single channel barriers 202
11.21 Two channel barrier solutions 205
11.22 Referencing common connections with barrier systems 208
11.23 Safety considerations 208
Active barriers 209
11.24 Active vs passive barriers 209
Analogue galvanic isolation 210
11.25 Principles of operation 210
11.26 Functional aspects 211
11.27 Non-energy storing input 211
Loop applications 212
11.28 Safety aspects 213
Applications concepts 213
11.29 Power supply connection to interfaces 214
11.30 Earth return of faults 220
Temperature measurement 220
11.31 Thermocouples 220
11.32 Resistance thermometry 226
11.33 Two-wire high resistance elements 233
11.34 RTDs with galvanic isolating interfaces 233
11.35 Temperature convertors 233
11.36 Temperature multiplexing 234
11.37 Strain gauge bridges 236
11.38 Isolators in combination 240
Channel function concept 241
11.39 Power supply 242
11.40 Isolator supply techniques 243
11.41 Higher power techniques 244
11.42 Higher power IS channel interfaces 244
The solenoid valve 244
11.43 Safety characteristics 245
11.44 Solenoid valve operation 246
11.45 Operation of barriers with SVs 246
11.46 Application techniques 246
11.47 Operation of isolating drivers with SVs 247
Analogue outputs 247
11.48 I/P convertors 247
11.49 Operational detail 248

11.50 Controller analogue output modules 248
Vibration monitoring 249
11.51 Pulse signal transmission 249
11.52 Conductivity and pH 250
Techniques for operating through hazardous areas 250
11.53 Safety considerations of transfer across hazardous areas 250
11.54 Data communications 252
11.55 Communication techniques 253
11.56 Combined voltage and current 254
11.57 Multi-dropping 255
I/O systems 256
11.58 Redundancy 257
HART systems 260
11.59 HART monitoring systems 261
Fieldbus concepts with IS 261
Selection of apparatus and interfaces 263
11.60 Determination of important criteria 263
11.61 Barrier vs isolator philosophy 264
11.62 Option selection 265


Appendix A IEC Series Standard Titles 267

Appendix B List of IS Standards and Codes of Practice by Country 269

Appendix C IEC79 Ex i Inspection Schedule 271

Appendix D CENELEC Members 273

Appendix E IP Code 275

Appendix F Standards Reference 277

Appendix G Other Reference Documents 279

Appendix H European and International Standards 281

Appendix I Practical Exercises 287