Explosive Atmospheres Overview

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Deflagration and Detonation

Two types of explosions Deflagration: Burns with great heat and light. Flame front speed 1 m/sec Speed of sound 330 m/sec Detonation: A violent explosion Flame front speed 2000-8000 m/sec Speed of sound 330 m/sec

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Explosion Properties

Ignition source

Fuel

Oxygen
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Explosion Properties
All flammable gases, vapours and mists require to be mixed with oxygen to make them burn. There is about 20-21% of oxygen in the air we breath. Mixtures of a flammable gas and certain percentages of air will burn if ignited. Too much or too little oxygen, the mixture will not ignite. The upper and lower concentrations of gas in atmospheric air, by volume, are known as their flammability or explosive limit.

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Flammable Range
All dangerous substances have a flammable range

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Flammable Range

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Examples of Flammable Range (PD IEC 60079-20)

Substance LEL (%) Methane 4.4 Propane 1.7 Ethylene 2.3 Acetylene 2.3 Hydrogen 4
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UEL (%) 17 11 36 100 77

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Explosion Properties
For any mixture of a combustible gas or vapour with an oxidizer (air) there is a critical ignition energy. Release less than the critical amount of energy into the mixture and there will not be an explosion.

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Explosion Properties
At a critical concentration called the most easily ignited concentration (MEIC), the amount of energy required to cause ignition is minimal. MEIC MIE The critical energy at the MEIC is called minimum ignition energy (MIE).
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77

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Explosion Properties
The LEL (LFL) and UEL (UFL) are not inherent properties of a combustible mixture. Their values depend on the nature of the experiment by which they are determined.

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Historical Background
The first hazardous area was discovered in the coal mines. This area held a double hazard: methane gas (firedamp) and coal dust.

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Historical Background

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Historical Background

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Historical Background
In 1815 Sir Humphrey Davy invented the Davy lamp, which was a kerosene lamp with a fine brass mesh. This was used to indicate methane concentration in the mine atmosphere.
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Electrical Equipment

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Historical Background
This method of protection lead to the development of the Flameproof (FLP) concept of protection Ex d.

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Historical Background
Mine explosion in South Wales 1912. Cause- a spark generated by the signalling system

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Historical Background

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Research at the Mines Research Establishment, Buxton, England that these low voltage circuits were capable of igniting mine gases, it also led to new circuit designs in which the stored energy was reduced to a non ignition capable level.

Historical Background

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Historical Background
This technique was labelled intrinsic safety Ex i and it was the beginning of a new era in safety methods for explosive hazardous areas. More on the Ex i concept later.

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Explosive Atmosphere
Gas Group 1(I) Gas Group 2 (II)

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Explosive Atmosphere
Group I is for mining and not covered further in this presentation. Group II is for surface industries Group II gases is further divided into 3 subdivisions.

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Explosive Atmosphere
IIA, for atmospheres containing propane or gases of an equivalent hazard. IIB, for atmospheres containing ethylene or gases of an equivalent hazard. IIC, for atmospheres containing hydrogen or gases of an equivalent hazard.
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Examples of Flammable Range (PD IEC 60079-20*)

Substance LEL (%) UEL (%) GG

Methane Propane Ethylene Acetylene Hydrogen

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4.4 1.7 2.3 2.3 4

17 11 36 100 77

IIA IIA IIB IIC IIC

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* There are 299 substances listed in PD IEC 60079-20 (Flammable Gas Data).
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Temperature class
Equipment is identified with a temperature class Identified by a T rating (or by a temperature in degrees C). The temperature class identifies the hottest temperature that the equipment can obtain in normal operation. This can be either the inside or the outside of the equipment depending on the protection concept.

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Temperature Class
The full list of temperature codes are
Temperature Class T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6
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Max Temp limit (C) 450 300 200 135 100 85

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Temperature Class
The temperature codes for the substances listed previously (temperature classification) are shown below:
Substance Methane Propane Ethylene Acetylene Hydrogen
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Temp Class T1 T1 T2 T2 T1
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Substance Methane Propane Ethylene Acetylene Hydrogen

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Temp Class Gas Group T1 T1 T2 T2 T1 IIA IIA IIB IIC IIC

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Equipment Marking Example

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Any Questions

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