Classificação de áreas e seleção de equipamentos elétricos em atmosferas explosivas

Abstract

Explosive atmospheres are present in the pharmaceutical, food, chemical, beverage, petrochemical, underground mining, among others. Classifying the areas and selecting the electrical equipment properly are therequirements that ensure safety at these locations.Controlling ignition sources in electrical equipment is expected to cause explosions and fires.With the bibliographic revision of the standards ABNT NBR IEC 60079-10-1/2009, 60079-0/2013 and 60079-14/2016, this work aims to present, in the form of a manual, the procedures to elaborate a project of classification of areas and selection of electrical equipment in explosive gas atmospheres.Gas areas are classified as zone 0, zone 1 and zone 2.According to the substance data sheet it is possible to select the equipment by determining the equipment group, the temperature class, the protective enclosure and the EPL protection level.Finally, a case study is presented at a manufacturing plant for agricultural pesticides, where the area classification and the verification of the electrical equipment installed inside the perimeter with an explosive atmosphere were performed.