Hazardous Area- Theory, Classification and Equipment

selection: A short presentation

What is a hazardous area? Area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is present, or may be expected
to be present, in quantities such as to require special precautions for the construction, installation and use
of apparatus.
Why? To enable selection of suitable electrical and instrumentation equipment
Fire Triangle (Fig. 1):

 Fuel: This is what burns

 Oxygen: Required to support fire
 Ignition: Heat energy required to start fire

Fire / explosion can happen only if all three are present together in appropriate proposition.
Gas properties:

Fig. 1: Fire Triangle and Flash point of few materials

Lower Explosive Level (LEL): Concentration of flammable gas or vapour in air, below which the gas
atmosphere is not explosive.
Upper Explosive Level (UEL): Concentration of flammable gas or vapour in air, above which the gas
atmosphere is not explosive.
Ignition energy (Fig. 2): Minimum energy of a spark that can ignite a flammable gas or vapour.
Ignition temperature (Fig. 2): Lowest temperature at which flammable gas or vapour gets ignited by
itself.
Vapour density (Fig. 2): Density of a vapour or gas relative to the density of air, at same temperature
and pressure.
 Fig. 2: Gas properties of various materials
Grades of release:

 Continuous grade: Release which is continuous or is expected to occur frequently or for long
periods (>1000 hours per year). Eg: Area inside tank, sump, etc.
 Primary grade: Release which can be expected to occur periodically or occasionally during
normal operation ( > 10 hours per year > 1000 hours per year). Eg: Sampling points, equipment
nozzle
 Secondary grade: Release which is not expected to occur in normal operation and, if it does
occur, is likely to do so only infrequently and for short periods (<10 hours per year). Eg: Piping
flanges

Hazardous area – Zones (Fig.3):

 Fig. 3: Hazardous area zones
Zone classification will be influenced by ventilation also. IEC 60079-10 categorises ventilation degree as
High, medium and low. Poor ventilation may push the zone higher by one level.
Extent of zone: Distance in any direction from the source of release to the point where the
gas/air mixture has been diluted by air to a value below the lower explosive limit
Hazardous area classification:

 Pressure breathing valve (Fig. 3) in the open air, from process vessel.
 A fixed process mixing vessel (Fig. 3); liquids are piped into and out of the vessel through all
welded pipework flanged at the vessel.

Hazardous area – Gas group:

 Group I – For use in mines (Methane)

 Group II – Other than mines

Sub-divisions in group II based on ignition energy requirement

  IIA – Atmospheres containing acetone, ammonia, ethyl, alcohol, gasoline, methane , propane or
similar gases
 IIB – Atmospheres containing ethylene, acetaldehyde or similar gases
 IIC – Atmospheres containing acetylene, hydrogen or similar gases

Hazardous area – Temperature class:

Classification based on ignition temperature (Fig. 4 (a)) of gas or vapour. Maximum surface temperature
of selected equipment not to exceed the limiting value.

Fig. 4: Gas group and Temperature Class

Sour area:
Area with H2S (Hydrogen Sulphide) concentration above 50ppm. H2S is highly toxic even in very low
concentration
Properties:

 LEL – 4% (40,000ppm)
 UEL – 46%
 Auto ignition temperature – 260degC
 Gas group IIB
 Sour areas with H2S concentration below 4% in process stream need not be classified as
hazardous area
Standards:

 IEC 60079 series

 IP 15
 API 505