TANKER SAFETY
Q.1 With reference to the use of
electrical equipment in hazardous
areas on ships, describe the following
in detail :- A. Ex-d; B. Ex-i:, C. Ex-p:, D.
Ex-o:, E. Ex-q:, F. Ex-n
Q.2 A. what is intrinsic electric safety?
B. can live maintenance be done on
intrinsically safe circuits? C. Describe
intrinsically safe equipment used on
board ship.
Q.3 With reference to the insulation testing of
marine electrical plant-
A. state the reason for insulation testing
B. state the precautions to be observed when
testing intrinsically safe equipment type EXI
C. Describe the overhaul of dc motor which has
been subject to excessively damp condition or
flooding with the sea water.
Types of Explosion Protection
Exd Flameproof Enclosure
Type 'd' protection, uses a flameproof
enclosure to contain the electrical
apparatus.
The internal apparatus may include
parts which become hot.
Gas may be inside the enclosure so it
must fulfill three conditions:
1. The enclosure must be strong enough
to withstand an internal explosion
without suffering damage.
Exd Flameproof Enclosure
2. The enclosure must prevent the
flame and hot gases from being
transmitted to the external
flammable atmosphere.
3. The external surface temperature of
the enclosure must remain below
the ignition temperature of the
surrounding gas under all operating
conditions.
Exd Flameproof Enclosure
The transmission of flame and hot
gases from a flameproof enclosure is
prevented because all joints are
closely machined to achieve a small
gap.
The pressure of an internal explosion
is then released through the small gap
between machined faces which cools
the gas sufficiently to prevent it from
igniting any external flammable
atmosphere.
Exd Flameproof Enclosure
The maximum permitted gap depends upon three
factors:
I. The type of gas with which the apparatus is safe
for use. This is indicated by Apparatus Group.
II. The width of the joint (L).
III. The volume of the enclosure (V).
Exd Flameproof Enclosure
The cable entry into an Exd enclosure must
also be maintained flameproof by using a
certified Exd gland.
This type of gland has a compound filling
which forms a barrier between the individual
conductors and prevents entry of explosive
products from the enclosure entering the
cable.
Exi Intrinsic Safety
These are circuits in which no spark
nor any thermal effect produced under
prescribed test conditions (which
include normal operation and specified
fault conditions) is capable of causing
ignition of a given explosive
atmosphere.
Exi Intrinsic Safety
Generally, this means limiting the
circuit conditions to less than 30 V and
50 mA.
Naturally, this restricts the use of Exi
protection to low power
instrumentation, alarm and
communication circuits.
The design of the circuit will depend on
the type of gas present.
Exi Intrinsic Safety
In addition to apparatus in the
hazardous area being rated as
intrinsically safe, an electrical safety
barrier may also be fitted to the circuit.
The purpose of such a barrier is to
limit voltages and currents in the
hazardous area when faults occur on
the circuit.
A separate barrier is required for
each Exi circuit and they must be fitted
outside the hazardous area.
SAFETY BARRIER
SAFETY BARRIER
A safety (or zener) barrier comprises:
A fuse to limit the maximum current
through the shunt (zener) diodes.
A set of resistors to limit the
maximum current into the hazardous
area.
A set of shunt connected zener
diodes to limit the maximum voltage
appearing on the circuit within the
hazardous area.
SAFETY BARRIER
After clearing a fault, the complete
zener barrier must be replaced with an
identical unit.
No alterations to the original is
allowed.
Cables for intrinsically safe circuits
aboard ships should be separated from
power cables and the crossing over of
such cables should be at 90 degree.
SAFETY BARRIER
This is to minimize electromagnetic
interference from the power cables
affecting the intrinsically safe circuits.
The metallic cable screens of
intrinsically safe circuits should be
earthed at the power supply end only to
prevent circulating currents within the
sheath.
Power and intrinsically safe cable runs
should be separately identified (typically
blue for Exi).
Exe Increased Safety
Increased safety equipment is based
primarily on the elimination of open
sparking as at relay and switch
contacts or on the commutators or
slip-rings.
Extra insulation is used.
creepage distances between bare
terminals are made longer and special
enclosures to protect against damage
due to entry of moisture.
Exe Increased Safety
The enclosure is made to withstand
impact and to prevent ingress of solids
and liquids.
Applications include cage-rotor
induction motors, luminaires and
connection boxes.
Special Exe cable glands, metal or
plastic, are used with Exe apparatus
Exn Non-Sparking
Similar to Exe, the designation Exn
applies to equipment which has no arcing
contacts or hot surfaces which could
cause ignition.
The Exn requirements are less stringent
than for Exe, and designs are very close to
that of normal electrical apparatus.
The main consideration is extra care to
ensure locking of terminal connections to
avoid any risk of electric sparking or
flashover.
Exp Pressurised Enclosure
Clean, dry air or an inert gas is
supplied to the equipment slightly
above atmospheric pressure to prevent
entry of the external flammable gas.
This method is sometimes used for
motors, instrumentation enclosures
and lighting.
Exp Pressurised Enclosure
The internal pressure may be
maintained by leakage compensation
or by continuous circulation.
The pressurised enclosure must be
fitted with alarm and trip signalling for
a reduction of pressure which in turn
will switch-off the enclosed electrical
circuits.
ExO- stands for safe to work when
immersed in oil
ExQ stands for safe to work when
immersed in powder filled enclouser
Above both are not used on board
ship
Intrinsically safe equipment is currently
made to two standards of safety - Ex i(a) is
the symbol for the higher standard, which
requires that safety is maintained with
upto two faults.
This type of equipment can be fitted in
any hazardous area.
The other standard is given by the
symbol Ex i(b) and apparatus made to this
specification is safe with up to one fault.
Ex i(b) products are not used in most
hazardous areas.
Care is exercised in design, that
capacitance and inductance within the
electrical installation is kept to a
minimum in order to prevent storage
of energy, which in the event of a fault
could generate a spark.
Ex i systems are isolated from other
electrical supplies even to the extent
that the cables are not permitted to be
in the same trays as those of other
cables (to prevent induction effects).
Most of the time they cross over
perpendicularly in order to prevent any
mutual induction.
Systems are earthed and protection
is provided by inclusion of shunt diode
safety barriers between hazardous and
non-hazardous areas.
The safety barriers have current-
limiting resistors and voltage
bypassing zener diodes to prevent
excessive electrical energies from
reaching the hazardous areas
Electrical Testing in Hazardous Areas
All electrical apparatus and
associated circuits are required to be
tested periodically in accordance with
a definite testing routine with recorded
test results.
Insulation resistance, earth loop
resistance and earth continuity
resistance tests are required to be
made.
Electrical Testing in Hazardous Areas
Insulation resistance tests are NOT
made in such a way that the safety
devices and insulation used in
intrinsically safe apparatus and circuits
are damaged by excess test voltages.
No apparatus should be opened in a
danger area until it has been made
dead and effective measures have
been taken to prevent its being made
live again.
Electrical Testing in Hazardous Areas
If it is necessary to restore the power
supply before the apparatus is
reassembled, tests should be made
using a suitable gas detector and
continued during the operation to
ensure that the combustible does not
approach the explosive limit.
Electrical Testing in Hazardous Areas
Unless the hazardous area can be
made gas-free or otherwise safe, or
the electrical equipment is removed
from the area, then insulation
resistance testing should be carried
out using a 500 V d.c tester of
certified intrinsically safe (Exi) design.
The body material of instruments and
tools required for maintenance
purposes should be designed so that
they will not make a hot spark when
Electrical Testing in Hazardous Areas
The energy output of all intrinsically
safe instruments should be so small
that they do not produce hot sparks.
An insulation tester has a drooping
characteristic to prevent -high currents
and may be intrinsically safe when
applied to circuits of small inductance
or capacitance.
But a risk may arise when such
energy-storing properties of a circuit
have an appreciable value.
Electrical Testing in Hazardous Areas
Where such instruments are used the
test leads should be firmly connected
throughout.
On completion of the test they should
not be detached until the circuit has
been discharged through the testing
instrument. (leaving the tester for one
minute after test is finished).
