A hazardous area is defined as a place where concentrations of flammable gases, vapours, or dusts occur.
IRDI System’s products, including the protocol converter with safety barrier and nozzle receiver, are designed and certified to operate in hazardous areas, where hydrogen gas is present under normal conditions. See Table 1.1 for a list of flammable gases categorized into groups.
Group
Representative Gases
I
All Underground Coal Mining. Firedamp (methane)
IIA
Industrial methane, propane, petrol and the majority of industrial
IIB
Ethylene, coke oven gas and other industrial gases
IIC
Hydrogen, acetylene, carbon disulphide
Table 1.1 Flammable Gas Groups
Temperature classification of electrical equipment dictates that any part of the equipment that may be exposed to hazardous atmosphere cannot exceed 80% of the auto-ignition temperature of the gas or vapour in the area. These temperature groups are shown in Table 1.2.
Group
Temperature C°
T1
450
T2
300
T3
200
T4
135
T5
100
T6
85
Table 1.2 Temperature Classification Groups
Certification in the European Union
In the EU, hazardous locations are categorized by zones. For example, a Zone 1 area is defined by the presence of vapour of gas for long periods of time under normal operating conditions. This translates to 10-1000hours per year or 0.1-10% of the time. Refer to Table 2.1 for a description of the zones.
Zone
Presence of potentially explosive gas, vapour, or mist
Safe area
An area where there is low risk of explosion. For example, the presence of aerosols or paint cleaner in an office is more of a fire risk than an explosion risk.
Zone 2
Potentially explosive gas, vapour or mist is only present under abnormal conditions, or under 10hours/year or 0.01% of the time.
Zone 1
Potentially explosive gas, vapour or mist is present for long periods of time under normal operating conditions. Generally this is defined as 10-1000hours/year or 0.1-10% of the time.
Zone 0
Potentially explosive gas, vapour or mist is present all the time. Generally, this is defined as 1000hours/year or >10% of the time.
Table 2.1 Zones Defined By Presence of Explosive Gases
In the EU, there are different protection techniques according to the hazardous zones. For example, if the electronic equipment operates in Zone 0, Ex ia protection is required. See Table 2.2 below for the classification of protection techniques.
Ex
Zone
Ex d
Flameproof (explosion proof) enclosure – all electrical circuits are enclosed in a house strong enough to contain any explosion or fire that may take place inside.
1, 2
Ex ia
Intrinsically safe – the electrical energy available in circuits and equipment is limited to a level too low to ignite mixtures in a hazardous area.
0, 1, 2
Ex ib
Intrinsically safe – the electrical energy available in circuits and equipment is limited to a level too low to ignite mixtures in a hazardous area.
1, 2
Table 2.2 Classification of Protection Techniques According to Hazardous Zones
The Equipment Protection Level (EPL) is specified for several types of protection. This is linked to the equipment’s use in the zone it operates in and the hazardous material present. Table 2.3 shows the classifications that are relevant to gases.
Group
Ex risk
Zone
EPL
Minimum type of protection
II (gas)
Explosive atmosphere > 1000h/year
0
Ga
ia, ma
II (gas)
Explosive atmosphere between 10 – 1000h/year
1
Gb
ib, mb, px, py, , e, o, q, s
II (gas)
Explosive atmosphere between 1 – 10h/year
2
Gc
n, ic, pz
Table 2.3 Equipment Protection Level for Zones With Hazardous Gases
Certification in North America
In North America, hazardous locations are categorized by Classes and Divisions, or Zones (similar to EU zones). Refer to Table 3.1 & Table 3.2 for a description of these Classes and Divisions. When zones are used in North America, classification is categorized according to EU zone definitions.
Class
Hazardous material in surrounding atmosphere
Class I
Hazardous because flammable gasses or vapours are present in the air in quantities sufficient to produce explosive or ignitable mixtures
Class II
Hazardous because combustible or conductive dusts are present
Class III
Hazardous because ignitable fibres or flying’s are present, but not likely to be in suspension in sufficient quantities to produce ignitable mixtures.
Table 3.1 Classes of Hazardous Atmospheres
Division
Presence of Hazardous Material
Division 1
The substance referred to by class is present during normal conditions
Division 2
The substance referred to by class is present only in abnormal conditions
Table 3.2 Divisions of Hazardous Atmospheres
IRDI Product Certification
IRDI nozzle receiver and protocol converter are certified for the European Union (ATEX) and North America (NEC), Japan (TIIS) and Korea (KTL).
Below are the certifications of each of our products.
Nozzle receiver:
ATEX – Ex ib IIC T4
NEC – Class I Zone I AEx ib IIC T4 Gb
NEC-Class 1 Div 2 IIC T4
TIIS- ib IIC T4
KTL-Ex ib IIC T4
Protocol converter:
ATEX – [Ex ib] IIC Gb
NEC – Class I Zone I [AEx ib] IIC Gb
TIIS (ib) IIC
KTL-[EX ib] IIC
Test signal generator/IR Transmitter-Class 1 Div 2:
Heavy Duty Vehicle products-No intrinsic safety certfication
Let’s use the ATEX-certified IRDI protocol converter to demonstrate the meaning of the certification terms. The ATEX protocol converter is certified to operate in Zone 1, where gas group “IIC” (hydrogen, acetylene, or carbon disulphide) is present for long periods of time under normal operating conditions. The protocol converter requires an equipment protection level of “Gb”, which in turns requires the nozzle receiver to be intrinsically safe (protection technique “Ex ib”).
Note that the ATEX-certified IRDI nozzle receiver has a temperature group classification. The IRDI nozzle receiver is certified as temperature group T4, which means the nozzle receiver will not reach temperatures beyond 135C° during operation. Its ambient operation temperature is from -40 to 80 C°.
A hazardous area is defined as a place where concentrations of flammable gases, vapours, or dusts occur.
IRDI System’s products, including the protocol converter with safety barrier and nozzle receiver, are designed and certified to operate in hazardous areas, where hydrogen gas is present under normal conditions. See Table 1.1 for a list of flammable gases categorized into groups.
Group
Representative Gases
Table 1.1 Flammable Gas Groups
Temperature classification of electrical equipment dictates that any part of the equipment that may be exposed to hazardous atmosphere cannot exceed 80% of the auto-ignition temperature of the gas or vapour in the area. These temperature groups are shown in Table 1.2.
Table 1.2 Temperature Classification Groups
Certification in the European Union
In the EU, hazardous locations are categorized by zones. For example, a Zone 1 area is defined by the presence of vapour of gas for long periods of time under normal operating conditions. This translates to 10-1000hours per year or 0.1-10% of the time. Refer to Table 2.1 for a description of the zones.
Presence of potentially explosive gas, vapour, or mist
Table 2.1 Zones Defined By Presence of Explosive Gases
In the EU, there are different protection techniques according to the hazardous zones. For example, if the electronic equipment operates in Zone 0, Ex ia protection is required. See Table 2.2 below for the classification of protection techniques.
Table 2.2 Classification of Protection Techniques According to Hazardous Zones
The Equipment Protection Level (EPL) is specified for several types of protection. This is linked to the equipment’s use in the zone it operates in and the hazardous material present. Table 2.3 shows the classifications that are relevant to gases.
Table 2.3 Equipment Protection Level for Zones With Hazardous Gases
Certification in North America
In North America, hazardous locations are categorized by Classes and Divisions, or Zones (similar to EU zones). Refer to Table 3.1 & Table 3.2 for a description of these Classes and Divisions. When zones are used in North America, classification is categorized according to EU zone definitions.
Table 3.1 Classes of Hazardous Atmospheres
Table 3.2 Divisions of Hazardous Atmospheres
IRDI Product Certification
IRDI nozzle receiver and protocol converter are certified for the European Union (ATEX) and North America (NEC), Japan (TIIS) and Korea (KTL).
Below are the certifications of each of our products.
Let’s use the ATEX-certified IRDI protocol converter to demonstrate the meaning of the certification terms. The ATEX protocol converter is certified to operate in Zone 1, where gas group “IIC” (hydrogen, acetylene, or carbon disulphide) is present for long periods of time under normal operating conditions. The protocol converter requires an equipment protection level of “Gb”, which in turns requires the nozzle receiver to be intrinsically safe (protection technique “Ex ib”).
Note that the ATEX-certified IRDI nozzle receiver has a temperature group classification. The IRDI nozzle receiver is certified as temperature group T4, which means the nozzle receiver will not reach temperatures beyond 135C° during operation. Its ambient operation temperature is from -40 to 80 C°.