ASSISTANT PROFESSOR CHARTERED ENGINEER-INDIA (ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING) DEPARTMENT OF MINING MACHINERY ENGINEERING INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (INDIAN SCHOOL OF MINES), DHANBAD INTRINSICALLY SAFE CIRCUIT A single small spark is sometimes capable of igniting firedamp; some types of circuit, however, can be designed so that the discharge of reactive energy is controlled, and does not produce an incentive spark when the circuit is broken. A circuit which is so designed that it is incapable of producing a spark which will ignite firedamp is described as an intrinsically safe circuit. ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS OF INTRINSIC SAFETY There are two requirements for intrinsic safety in an electric circuit: 1. The power obtainable from the source of supply must be limited so that the reactive energy in the circuit does not at any time exceed the limit of safety. 2. There must be a means of absorbing the reactive energy which is released when the circuit is broken. LIMITATIONS OF SOURCE OF SUPPLY An intrinsically safe circuit may be supplied from either a direct current or an alternating current source, provided that the open- circuit voltage at no time exceeds 25 volts. Direct current circuits are supplied by certified primary batteries, usually of 22·5 volts. Alternating current circuits are supplied by certified step-down transformers. The open-circuit voltage of an alternating current source is limited to 15 volts R.M.S. In order to ensure that the peak voltage cannot exceed 25 volts. INTRINSICALLY SAFE TRANSFORMER METHODS OF LIMITING THE ENERGY AVAILABLE AT SPARK