Explosion Hazard
Even voltages insufficient to break down air can be associated with enough energy to ignite atmospheres containing flammable gases or vapours, or suspended dust. For example, hydrogen gas, natural gas, or petrol/gasoline vapor mixed with air can be ignited by sparks produced by electrical apparatus. Examples of industrial facilities with hazardous areas are petrochemical refineries, chemical plants, grain elevators, and coal mines.
Measures taken to prevent such explosions include:
- Intrinsic safety by the use of apparatus designed not to accumulate enough stored electrical energy to trigger an explosion
- Increased safety, which applies to devices using measures such as oil-filled enclosures to prevent sparks
- Explosion-proof (flame-proof) enclosures, which are designed so that an explosion within the enclosure cannot escape and ignite a surrounding explosive atmosphere (this designation does not imply that the apparatus can survive an internal or external explosion)
In recent years, standards for explosion hazard protection have become more uniform between European and North American practice. The "zone" system of classification is now used in modified form in U.S. National Electrical Code and in the Canadian Electrical Code. Intrinsic safety apparatus is now approved for use in North American applications, though the explosion-proof (flame-proof) enclosures used in North America are still uncommon in Europe.
Read more about this topic: High Voltage
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