Electrical equipment sometimes must be installed in areas where combustible vapors and gases are used or may be present. These are commonly referred to as hazardous locations, and are defined by the National Electrical Code (NEC) in the US, or the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) in Canada. When equipment must be installed in hazardous locations, there are strict requirements for the construction of the installation, including materials and design requirements. To prevent inadvertent ignition of flammable gases and vapors by electrical equipment, the two most common methods of protection are Intrinsically Safe and Explosion Proof.
- An intrinsically safe classification and design means that an electronic circuit and it’s wiring will not cause any sparking or arcing and cannot store sufficient energy to ignite a flammable gas or vapor, and cannot produce a surface temperature high enough to cause ignition. Such a design is not explosion proof, nor does it need to be. For permanent installations, such an installation may include intrinsically safe barriers that are located outside the hazardous location, and limit the amount of energy available to the device located in the hazardous area.
- An explosion proof classification for a sensor or transmitter means that the housing has been engineered and constructed to contain a flash or explosion. Such housings are usually made of cast aluminum or stainless steel and are of sufficient mass and strength to safely contain an explosion should flammable gases or vapors penetrate the housing and the internal electronics or wiring cause an ignition. The design must prevent any surface temperatures that could exceed the ignition temperature of the gases or vapors covered by its Group rating.
We carry a full line of Intrinsically safe products and Explosion Proof products. View the links below or call us direct at (518) 843-3322 or toll free at (866) 500-5625 to discuss your project requirements.