Computer application for facilitating the choice of Ex equipment

Abstract

If electrical and non-electrical equipment used in underground mines susceptible to firedamp and coal dust or in other industries with explosion hazard is not proper selected for operating in explosive atmospheres, they are likely to generate an ignition of the atmosphere and to result in events with significant environmental and material damages and, moreover, with human victims. Therefore, it is mandatory for the responsible persons to reach the best decision when choosing the equipment which is suitable for operation in such atmospheres, from the explosion protection point of view. The current paper presents the development and operation of a Windows application for facilitating the choice of proper Ex equipment, in accordance with the specificity of the explosive atmosphere, whether there are involved the underground parts of the mines or the parts of the surface installations of these mines which could be endangered by firedamp gas/combustible dust, or other surface locations with explosion hazard