Hazardous Area Classification Philosophy for Combustible Dusts

1 General
This document is prepared to provide philosophy of hazardous area classification
and equipment selection for the following project.

Project: xxxxx

The hazardous material handled in the project is coal and coal dust. The coal may
gradually emit methane gas, however, the system is in outdoor, thus well
ventilated, so the accumulation of methane gas sufficient to be hazardous is so
remote that methane is ignored as a flammable gas.

1.1 Note to applying this philosophy.

For protection against combustible dust, normal house keeping work to remove
any accumulation of combustible dust from electrical installation is essential.
Dust accumulation is allowed for 0.5 millimeters for Zone 22, if excedded, the
area is considered as Zone 21. Thus, to minimize the potential danger of
combustion, any accumulation of combustible dusts must be removed from the
surface of electrical equipment.

2 Codes, Standards and other reference.

IEC 61241
ATEX guide lines based on directive 64/9/EC
NFPA 70, Article 506
NFPA 496 2003
Appleton Guide for use of Electrical product in Hazardous Locations.
Electrical installations in Hazardous Areas by Alan McMillan 1998

3 Definitions
This section shows definitions used for explosion protection for combustible dust.

3.1 Zone for combustible dust or ignitable fibers/flyings.

3.1.1 Zone 20 Hazardous (Classified) Location. An area where combustible dust or

ignitable fibers/flyings are present continuously or for long periods of time in
quantities sufficient to be hazardous.

3.1.2 Zone 21 Hazardous (Classified) Location. An area where combustible dust or

ignitable fibers/flyings in quantities sufficient to be hazardous are likely to exist
(a) occasionally under normal operation.
(b) frequently because of repair or maintenance operations or because of leakage
(c) because of equipment breakdown (and simultaneous failure of electrical

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 equipment) may cause such release
(d) or, because of adjacent to Zone 20 area combustible dust or ignitable
fibers/flyings could be communicated.

3.1.3 Zone 22 Hazardous (Classified) Location. An area where combustible dust or

ignitable fibers/flyings in quantities sufficient to be hazardous are;
(a) not likely to occur under normal operation, or will only persist for a short
period
(b) to occur as a result of abnormal operation of the equipment
(3) or, because of adjacent to Zone 21 are, combustible dust of ignitable
fivers/flyings could be communicated.

3.2 Protection techniques

3.2.1 Based on ATEX directive 94/9/EC

3.2.1.1 Protection by Enclosure “tD”. Type of protection for explosive dust

atmospheres where electrical apparatus is provided with an enclosure providing
dust ingress protection and a means to limit surface temperatures.

3.2.1.2 Protection by Intrinsic Safety “iD”. Type of protection for where any spark or
thermal e3ffect is incapable of causing ignition of a mixture of combustible dust,
fibers, or flyings in air under prescribed test condition.

3.2.1.3 Protection by Pressurization “pD”. Type of protection that guards against the
ingress of a mixture of combustible dust or fibers/flyings in air into an enclosure
containing electrical equipment by providing and maintaining a protective gas
atmosphere inside the enclosure at a pressure above that of the external
atmosphere.

3.2.1.4 Protection by Encapsulaton “mD”. Type of protection where electrical parts that
could cause ignition of a mixture of combustible dust or fibers/flyings in air are
protected by enclosing them in a compound in such a way that explosive
atmosphere can not be ignited.

3.2.2 Not based on ATEX 94/9/EC, the protection method before ATEX 94/9/EC was
introduced.

3.2.2.1 Dust ignition proof (DIP) Equipment enclosed in a manner that excludes dusts
and does not permit arcs, sparks, or heat otherwise generated or liberated indide
of the enclosure to cause ignition of exterior accumulations or atmospheric
suspensions of a specified dust on or in the vicinity of the enclosure. Type 9
enclosure in ANSI/NEMA 250-1991.

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3.2.2.2 Pressurized The process of supplying an enclosure with a protective gas with
or without continuous flow at sufficient pressure to prevent the entrance of
combustible durst or ignitable fibers/flyings. Based on NFPA 496.

3.2.2.3 Intrinsic Safety

3.2.2.4 Dust tight Enclosures constructed so that dust will not enter under specified
test conditions.

3.2.2.5 Nonincendive Circuit. A circuit, other than field wiring, in which may arc
or thermal effect produced under intended operating conditions of the equipment
is not capable, under specified test conditions, of igniting the flammable gas-air,
vapor-air, or dust-air mixture.

3.2.2.6 Nonincendive Equipment. Equipment having electrical/electronic circuitry that

is incapable, under normal operating conditions, of causing ignition of a specified
flammable gas-air, vapor-air, or dust-air mixture due to arcing of thermal means.

4 Hazardous material

This project involves the following combustible dusts or ignitable fibers/flyings.

Name of material Coal

Auto ignition temperature 250 deg C

Dust Self-ignition Temperature (deg C) Remarks

Layer Cloud
Reference Coad 170 610 This data is sample.
(Pittsburgh) Ask process to
update.
This table is extracted from Appleton, Guide for use of Electrical Products in
Hazardous Locations

Maximum surface temperature of electrical equipment shall satisfy the following.

(a) Self-ignition temperature, layer – 75 deg C. = 95 deg C
And
(b) Self-ignition temperature, Cloud x 2/3 deg C. = 406 deg C.
Thus, maximum surface temperature is 95 deg C.

5 Applicable Protection type

Protection Type Zone 20 Zone 21 Zone 22 Remarks

tD x x

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 iaD x x x
ibD x x
pD x x
maB x x x
mbD x x
Dust ignitionproof (DIP) x x x NEMA type 9 enclosure
Pressurized x x NFPA 496
Intrinsic safety x x x
Dust tight x
Nonincendive circuit x
Nonincendive equipment x
x : Applicable protection type.

Example of equipment marking for hazardous location.

II 2 D T60°C II is for above gound

2 is for is for Zone 21
D is for dust
T60°C maximum surface temperature is 60°C

II 3 D Ex tD A 22 IP 55 T125°C
II is for above ground
3 is for Zone 22
Ex, explosion protecton by IEC
tD is protection by enclosure
A is version A of EN 61241-1
22 is for Zone 22
IP 55 is Degree of protection of enclosure
T125°C maximum surfacr temperature is 125°C

6 Extend of Zones

6.1 Zone 20
Inside of hopper, manhole, chute etc.

6.2 Zone 21
1 meter above and around discharging hopper, manhole etc.

6.3 Zone 22
2 meters surrounding hopper, manhole etc. Material on belt conveyor is normally
wet with supplied water, thus in normal operating conditions, belt conveyors are

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 not classified. However, when the material become dry, it is considered as
hazardous with distance of 1 meter form the belt conveyors.

The distances above is taken from Electrical Installations in Hazardous areas by Alan
McMillan. Section 6.3.2.