• Ex Techniques

• Flameproof Ex d
• Increased Safety Ex e
• Legal requirements
• Population of Ex d vs,
• Population of Ex e
• Internal Components
• Cable entries / Glands
• Inspection of a population (Inserts “Ex d” / Seals “Ex e”)
• Optical radiation Ex op
• Repairs vs Maintenance
 FLAMEPROOF PRINCIPLES

1. Contains the explosion.

2. Complies dimensionally with the standards (flamepaths and
other constructional requirements).
3. Materials comply with the type certification and standards
(windows, bushings, enclosure material, fastener grade, etc.)
4. External temperature limitation.
5. Limitation on opening the enclosure
(warning labels).
Name / Principle Increased safety
(No sparking and limitation of hot
surface temp.)
Symbol “e”, “eb”, “ec”
Application Zone 1 and 2
Example Luminaries, junction boxes,
connection facilities of motors and
switches etc.
Description A technique with strict
requirements for construction and
limitation of temperatures. No
discontinuous contacts are
allowed.
 Department of Mineral Resources (DMR)
Mine Health and Safety Act No 29 of 1996 and Regulations (Revised 12th Edition)
Regulations Chapter 3
3.37 The employer must take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that
all electrical apparatus used in hazardous area shall be explosion
protected and certified by an inspection authority (IA) certificate issued
by an accredited test laboratory.
3.38 The employer shall take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that
any type and design of explosion protected apparatus shall at all times be
identified in an inspection authority (IA( certificate and an identification
number shall be allocated to such apparatus by the accredited test
laboratory.
3.39 The employer shall take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that
explosion protected apparatus is not used at a mine unless the
manager is in possession of a copy of the inspection authority
certificate. The identification number referred to in regulation 3.36
must be clearly and indelibly marked on the apparatus...
 Surface industry is regulated by the Department of Labour (DOL),
referencing the applicable clause in the Occupational Health and Safety ACT (OHS ACT)

Regulation 9(2) of the Electrical Machinery Regulations of the OHS Act

(Act 85 of 1993) (Occupational Health and Safety)

(2) No person may use electrical machinery..... unless such electrical

machinery, with regard to its construction relating to the
classification of the hazardous locations in which it is to be used,
meets the requirements of a safety standard incorporated for this
purpose in these Regulations under section 44 of the Act.

(3) Every employer or user referred to in subregulation (1) shall be in

possession of a certificate in a form acceptable to the chief
inspector, which has been issued by an approved inspection
authority in which it is certified that the electrical machinery
referred to in sub regulation (2) has been manufactured and tested
for the groups of dangerous...
• Is an Ex d enclosure a “safe”?
• Do we need to certify population?
• Is a COC from a supplier for an Ex d / Ex e
enclosure a certificate?
• What do we find...?
 Ex e Enclosure:
• Non metallic and metallic
• Gasket joints / seals
• Special fasteners

Ex d Enclosure:
• Steel enclosure
• Flanged joints
• Special grade fasteners
 DESCRIPTION COMMENTS
USUAL WARNING LABEL: “Isolate elsewhere before opening”
Capacitors / Batteries / Internal hot components
ENERGY STORING
BECOMES: “After de-energizing, delay Y minutes before opening”
or HOT
“Do not open when a gas atmosphere may be present”
COMPONENTS
After full certification, internal layout / components may not be changed without considering re-
certification. Hydrogen from battery.
• Pre-compression of gases before ignition that increases the explosion pressure:
PRESSURE PILING • When, large cross sectional area restricted.
• Significant higher reference pressures obtained. The enclosure may not be strong enough.

• Temperature class can ONLY be allocated when components are fitted.

• Temperature class is assigned at maximum ambient temperature :
TEMPERATURE
o E.g. default ambient: -20 °C  Tamb  +40 °C
CLASS
o Or modified ambient temperature: e.g. Ex d IIB T5 (-10 °C  Tamb  +55 °C)
• Temperature class considered on outside of enclosure.

Internal components E.g. Intrinsic safety barriers / isolators ambient temp.

AMBIENT [Ex ia] IIC (-20 °C  Tamb  +55 °C)

TEMPERATURES Flameproof components):
• E.g. Cementing material, windows, non-metallic bushes, other non-metallic parts.
• Gland entry 70 ºC and cable branch point 80 °C

FULL
The new marking / label requirements are given.
CERTIFICATION
NB: Equipment with a label with ONLY an empty enclosure certificate is INVALID.
MARKING LABEL
• Is Hydrogen gas IIC allowed in a Group I enclosure?

• Cell venting H2 gas...

• What is required distance between a circuit breaker

and an Intrinsically safe barrier?
• Internal population, what creates
worst case pressure in a panel?
• Empty pressure VS Populated in a Ex d enclosure.

Dummy blocks to simulate internal components.

• Green graph is piling, Red graph is empty.
• 31Bar vs 12Bar (Strength of Enclosure) bots off
Terminals for external connections
➢ generously dimensioned for the intended connections and
➢ ensure that conductors are securely fastened.
▪ ONLY certified terminal blocks may be used, with a special design =
▪ Intermediate plate with no non-metallic parts within the clamped section
and
▪ a mechanism to ensure continuous clamping, e.g. spring washer.
Internal connections
➢ not subject to undue mechanical stress on the conductors and
➢ shall be made using specified methods (e.g. soldered, crimped, bolted (spring
or serrated washer))
▪ NO discontinuous contacts allowed.
Clearance
➢ between bare conductive parts must comply with specified values (SANS
60079-7), according to the rated voltage.
Creepage distances
➢ between bare conductive parts must comply with specified values (SANS
60079-7), according to the rated voltage AND the (CTI) of the insulating
material
• Is an LED allowed in an Ex e luminaire / Enclosure?
• From the 60079-7 standard..

• “eb” as above is Zone 1.

• Temperatures??? Cables / Terminal.

• Any changes will affect certification.

• Can uncertified Ex component be used in Ex e (breaker)?
• What is allowed in an Ex enclosure?
• Is a PCB allowed in an Ex e enclosure?
• Can an Ex e IIC enclosure be used in coal mining?
• How is intrinsic safety handled in Ex e enclosures?
• Barrier with Ex nA marking [ia] output in an Ex e
enclosure... Is this suitable for Zone 1?
• How is a gland influenced by an population?

• How is a cable influences by an population?

70 C gland entry / 80 C branching point

/ Material temp. limitations
• See temp. Rise enclosure ?

16.6 Temperature at branching point and entry point.

When the temperature under rated conditions is higher

than 70 °C at the entry point or 80 °C
at the branching point of the conductors, information
shall be marked on the equipment
exterior to provide guidance to the user on the proper
selection of cable and cable gland or
conductors in conduit.
• Referring back to beginning of presentation...
Is the I.A. Certificate required?
• Does the COC list all internal components?
• Was the box tested / assessed for additional
components?
• What about the actual enclosure Ex e / Ex d type
certificate after adding additional equipment?
• Circuit breaker in a panel vs I.S. Barrier
• How is the enclosure affected mechanically? (Inserts /
Gaskets)
• Inside of an LED tube in an Ex e (Zone 1) fitting.
• Is the IP rating maintained when applying the label?

Rivet
 Description Who has the
authority?
Maintenance This includes all activities preserving the equipment Competent person
to the original certification / approval, e.g.:
cleaning, replacing identical (certified where
applicable) components, e.g electronic cards,
transformers (not soldered), glands, fuses (not
soldered), etc.
Repair Repairs include any activity of replacing electronic Under a repair
components (soldering required), potting material, Markscheme (with
adherent insulating coating etc. on the boards. approval for such a
repair)
Modification Any action that removes, adds or changes any To be re-evaluated by
component or material or safety critical part of the a test laboratory ONLY
intrinsic safety, e.g. different zener diodes are used
as replacement parts. (Even a change in
manufacturer of the component, although the
rating may be the same is deemed a modification).