Evaluation of equipment used in Ex atmospheres - interdisciplinary field

Abstract

The risk of explosion becomes significant when, in the industrial field, flammable substances such as gases, vapours, mists, dusts, lint and fibres may be present. If they are present in sufficient quantity, the risk of explosion is imminent. On the other hand, the measure of shutting down the technical equipment, in the context of the presence of explosive atmospheres, is not an acceptable measure in all situations. As examples are the parts of installations that have safety functions: ventilation installations, installations for monitoring the concentration of flammable substances and other safety parameters. Explosion protection of technical equipment shall be evaluated and tested in order to validate it. The testing process of the technical equipment for the purpose of explosion protection certification is situated at the confluence of several engineering fields: mechanical, electrical, chemical, etc. The first part of the paper deals with the risk of explosion and presents the explosion protection of the technical equipment. The systematized presentation of the technical equipment tests is performed in the second part of the paper. Among the conclusions it is mentioned that although the field of tests in explosion atmospheres is an interdisciplinary one, its coherence is ensured by the specific standards.