EQUIPMENT FOR CLASSIFIED AREAS

IP, NEMA STANDARDS AND INTRINSICALLY SAFE

 WHAT ARE CLASSIFIED AREAS?
A specific place with
termporaly or permanent
risk of fire or explotion by
the presence of
flammable
• Gases
• vapors
• Liquids,
• Dust
• Fibers.
The dangerous area must be defined by
specifying three characteristics.

 CLASSES (1, 2 or 3)

 DIVISIONS (1 or 2)

 GROUPS (a, b, c, d, e, f or g)

CLASSIFICATION
 CLASS 1

Gases

Flammable In the air

mixtures

Vapors
 CLASS 2 CLASS 3
Combustible Dusts. Combustible fibers or
Based in the type of particles that are not
the material. suspended in the air.

 Metalic

 Carbonaceous

 Organic
 DIVISIONS
DIVISION 1 There are flammable
concentratios of gases
or vapors:
• Continuously.
• Long periods.
• Normal operating
conditions.
• Repair operations.
• Failure the
maintenance
operations of the
process equipment,
cause the failure of
the electrical
quipment.
DIVISION 2 • Liquids or flammable
gases, are confined
inconteiners or
closed systems.

• The concentration of
flammable gases or
vapors are normally
prevented by
mechanical
ventilation
 CLASS 1 CLASS 2
Gases and Vapors
Combustible Dusts
(Atmosphere)
(Atmosphere)
Group A Acetylene
Group B Hydrogene Group E Aluminum powder
Group C Ethylene, Carbon monoxide Group F Coal dust
Group D Gasoline, natural gas,
Group G Flours, grains powder
ammonia

GROUPS
The Zone system is based on Article 505/506 of the National Electrical Code
(NEC)

o Zones (0, 1, 2, 20, 21 and 22)

o Groups (1, 2 and 3)

ZONE SYSTEM
 ZONE 0 ZONE 20

Ignitable concentrations of flammable: An area where:

Gases Combustible dusts

Vapors Ignitable fibers and flyings

which are present continuously or for long periods of time

 ZONE 1 ZONE 21

Ignitable concentrations of flammable: An area where:

Gases Combustible dusts

Vapors Ignitable fibers and flyings

which are likely to occur under normal operating conditions.

 ZONE 2 ZONE 22

Ignitable concentrations of flammable: An area where:

Gases Combustible dusts

Vapors Ignitable fibers and flyings

which are not likely to occur under normal operating conditions and do so
only for a short period of time.
 GROUPS
Group Type of Hazardous Material and Location of
Atmosphere
Group I Mines

Group II Zone Explosive Gas

(0, 1and 2)
Group III Zone Explosive Dust
(20, 21 and 22)
 INTRINSICALLY SAFE
(ISS)

 Intrinsic safety is a method

of protection used in
potentially explosive
environments.

 The instruments are

designed in a way that they
cannot emit energy levels to
cause ignition of flammable
materials.
HOW DOES
INTRINSIC
SAFETY
EQUIPMENT
WORK?

The equipment mounted in the

hazardous area must first be
approved for use in an
intrinsically safe system.
 INTRINSICALLY SAFE EQUIPMENT

 Traditionally, protection from explosion in hazardous environments has

been accomplished by either using EXPLOSION PROOF or
PRESSURIZATION

 Intrinsically safe apparatus cannot replace these methods in all

applications, but where possible can provide significant cost
savings in installation and maintenance
WHAT TYPES OF INTRINSIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT ARE AVAILABLE?

 Equipment which has been designed for and is available for use in hazardous areas with intrinsically safe barriers
includes:
 4-20 mAdc Two Wire Transmitters  Proximity Switches

 Thermocouples  Infrared Temperature Sensors

 Rtds
 Potentiometers
 Strain Gages
 Pressure, Flow, & Level Switches  LED Indicating Lights
 I/P Converters  Magnetic Pickup Flowmeters
 EQUIPMENT FOR CLASSIFIED AREAS

Class I
Equipment for Class I must be made strong enough bodies to contain an explosion; These equipment should be
cooled and the combustion ventilated, ensuring that the surrounding atmosphere does not ignite.
They must also operate at a surface temperature below the ignition temperature of the volatile gas.
Since the different vapours and gases that make a hazardous area have properties that vary, they have been classified
by groups according to a common scale of ignition temperatures and explosion pressures.
Class I

Group A Group B Group C Groud D

Atmospheres containing gases or

Atmospheres containing gases or Atmospheres containing gases vapors such as acetone, alcohol,
ammonia, benzene, benzol, butane,
Atmospheres containing vapors such as butadiene, propylene or vapors such as cyclopropane,
gasoline, hexane, petroleum naphtha,
acetylene. oxide, or hydrogen (or gases or vapors ethyl ether or gases or vapors natural gas, propane, solvent vapors or
equivalents dangerousness hydrogen) of equivalent hazard. gases or vapors varnish equivalent
hazard.
Class II
Equipment for Class II areas should be made to keep dust out; The contact between the airborne dust and the
ignition source should be removed to avoid any explosion.
The equipment must operate with a temperature lower than the ignition temperature of the volatile powder surface.
Should consider heating the luminaire as a result of dust settling on the equipment.
Class II

Group E Group F Group G

Atmospheres containing combustible

metal powder, including aluminum,
magnesium and their commercial alloys,
or other combustible powders whose
particle size, conductivity and present
dangers abrasiveness Similar in using
electrical equipment.
Atmospheres containing combustible coal
Atmospheres containing other combustible
powders having more than 8% of total
dusts, including flour, grains, wood dust, plastics
volatiles trapped or that have been sensitized
such as polyethylene, and chemicals such as
by other materials potentially explosive.
sulfur.
Coal, black coal, charcoal and coke powders
Class III
Equipment for Class III areas should be designed to keep the fibers or particles volatile outside, prevent leakage of
sparks or internal ignitions and operate at temperatures below the ignition temperature of the fibers or particles.
It has no classification
Gases and vapors
• Refineries
• Chemical and
Petrochemical industry

Combustible dust
• Food and beverage
industries

Volatile fibres and fuels

• Textil Industrie
• Sawmills
IP CODES

Also known as the ingress protection rating or international

protection rating. As defined by IEC(60529) : Degrees of
protection
INGRESS PROTECTION(IP)
IP code classifies and rates the degrees of protection provided against the
intrusion of solid objects, dust and water in mechanical casings or electrical
enclosures.
The IP code typically consist of the letters IP followed by two digits

The first digit represents protection from solid particles.

The IP code typically consist of the letters IP followed by two digits

The second digit in the IP code represents protection from liquids.

INTERPRETATION OF THE FIRST NUMBER.
INTERPRETATION OF THE SECOND NUMBER.
WHAT ARE IP CODES?
NEMAS

NEMA is defined as an abbreviation for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association

NEMA is a rating that is used as a standard to define the types of environments where an electrical device can be used
NEMA ENCLOUSURE TYPES

The purpose of this document is provide general information on the definitions of NEMA Enclosure Types to
architects, engineers, installers, inspectors and other interested parties.
The specific enclosure Types, their applications, and the environmental conditions they are designed to protect
against, when completely and properly installed, are as follows.
 Type 1 Enclosures constructed for indoor use to provide a degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against falling dirt.

 Type 2 Provides the protection type 1 it and adds protection with respect to harmful effects on the equipment due to the ingress of water
(dripping and light splashing).

 Type 3 Enclosures constructed for either indoor or outdoor use to provide a degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against
ingress falling dirt and windblown dust. Moreover, provides protection with respect to rain, sleet, snow and that will be undamaged by the external
formation of ice on the enclosure.

 Type 3R No protection against windblown dust.

 Type 3S The external mechanism(s) remain operable when ice laden.

 Type 4 Enclosures constructed for either indoor or outdoor use to provide protection respect to harmful effects on the equipment
due to the ingress of water (rain, sleet, snow, splashing water, and hose directed water) and that will be undamaged by the external
formation of ice on the enclosure.

 Type 4X over Type 4, provides an additional level of protection against corrosion.

 Type 5 Enclosures constructed for indoor use to provide protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against falling dirt and
settling airborne dust, lint, fibers, flyings and also to provide protection respect to the ingress of water by dripping and light splashing.

 Type 6 Enclosures constructed for either indoor or outdoor use to provide protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against
falling dirt; furthermore, provides protection with respect the ingress of water (hose directed water and the entry of water during
occasional temporary submersion at a limited depth); and that will be undamaged by the external formation of ice on the enclosure.
 Type 12 Enclosures constructed (without knockouts) for indoor use to provide a protection of the equipment
inside the enclosure against ingress of solid foreign objects (falling dirt and circulating dust, lint, fibers, and flyings);
and to provide a degree of protection with respect to harmful effects on the equipment due to the ingress of
water (dripping and light splashing).

 Type 13 Enclosures constructed for indoor use to provide protection against falling dirt and circulating dust, lint,
fibers, and flyings additionally ingress of water (dripping and light splashing);and protection against the spraying,
splashing, and seepage of oil and non-corrosive coolants.
NEMA types summary
NEMA AND IP CODE

We can convert most common NEMA ratings to IP codes and vice versa
The closest equivalent ratings between the standars are:
NEMA 1 to IP 20,
NEMA 3 to IP64,
NEMA 4X to IP 65,
NEMA to IP 67
NEMA 3 to IP68.
You ought to consider these to be close equivalents but not necessarily interchangeable.