3. Equipment Selection Flashcards
Where can Group I equipment be used?
Below ground and associated areas where methane (firedamp) is the flammable gas.
Where can Group II equipment be used?
Primarily above ground where any other flammable gas may be present.
May be further divided into sub groups in order to define gas subdivisions with which it may be used (IIA, IIB, IIC).
Where can Group III equipment be used?
Where flammable dust may be present. May be further subdivided.
What are the ATEX categories of equipment for gas?
1G, 2G and 3G.
When were EPLs introduced and what are they?
Introduced in 2006 as part of IEC 60079. They are Equipment Protection Levels and mirror the ATEX equipment categories unless marked on the Area Classification Drawings.
When would the EPL not mirror the ATEX equipment categories?
Where a risk assessment, taking into account the consequences of an ignition, has been carried out and the resulting EPL requirements differ from the norm, the required EPL/Categories are to be marked on the Area Classification Drawing.
What are the main types of protection and their standard?
Flameproof enclosure - d 60079-1 Increased safety - e 60079-7 Intrinsic safety - i 60079-11 Encapsulation - m 60079-18 Reduced risk (non-sparking) - n 60079-15 Oil immersion - o 60079-6 Pressurisation - p 60079-5 Powder filling - q 60079-5
What does deluge protection do?
Provides additional ingress protection when a large volume of water, such as from fire-fighting supply, cascades over the equipment.
What is IP54?
Dust protected.
Protection against splashing from any direction.
All equipment installed after 2006 must comply with ATEX. What does this mean?
It must be marked with a category.
What markings must be visible on ATEX equipment?
To conform to ATEX directives:
- CE mark and notified body identification number.
- Ex inside a hexagon.
- Equipment group.
- Category
- Gas/Dust
