Verification of intrinsic safety on instrumentation loop

Abstract

AbstractIntrinsic safety is one of the explosion protection techniques implemented in an industry where a flammable substance is present. It is a technique that reduces the electrical energy level at the hazardous area below the ignition curve so that it is not sufficient to initiate an explosion. In addition to limiting the energy to the field, the energy stored in the circuit and thermal ignition due to hot surfaces in hazardous areas must also be considered. Intrinsically safe is the preferred explosion protection method for instrumentation and control signals as it allows live maintenance, the use of an uncertified simple apparatus, and is applicable to all Zones. All intrinsically safe circuits must carry out a safety assessment and verify their compliance with intrinsic safety before implementation to avoid explosion. The verification process could be complex for mixed circuits and non‐simple intrinsically safe systems; moreover, there has been much confusion for many years until the 4th Edition of the installation standard, IEC 60079‐14, provided a clearer picture. This paper carries out an intrinsic safety verification assessment on a mixed circuit involving surge protection devices according to IEC and NEC standards. It also highlights the common mistake made by system designers when verifying the safety parameters.