Pepperl+Fuchs Blog

Specialized protective systems have to be used in environments that contain gases or vapors, combustible dusts, or fibers to prevent these dangerous materials from catching fire or exploding. Purge and pressurization systems can be used in a variety of production processes and applications where hazardous gasses or dust are present.

Purge and pressurization systems effectively help to control the risk of explosions by segregating the electrical equipment inside of the enclosure from the hazardous atmosphere. This is done by pressurizing the enclosure with clean dry instrument air or inert gas so the hazardous gas or dust cannot penetrate the enclosure.  Purge and pressurization systems are an economical alternative to heavy and expensive explosion proof enclosures.

Combustible Dusts are a known hazard in a number of industrial fields. Recognizing dust as a potential hazard and taking the steps to mitigate the risks present are critical to the safety of your facility. The recently updated NFPA® 652: Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust is a useful resource for addressing combustible dust hazards and conducting a dust hazard analysis (DHA) within your facility.

The Pepperl+Fuchs Bebco EPS® 4000 series Type X purge and pressurization system, which is rated for Class I, Division 1 to non-hazardous area applications and UL, cUL, CE and EX, classified, is no longer in production. This system has been replaced by our 6000 series Type X system, an automatic purge and pressurization system that reduces the classification within an enclosure from Zone 1 and 21 to a non-hazardous area.

Its IP66-rated stainless steel casing conveniently contains the pneumatics, controller, electrical I/O, and programming interface. An easily accessible LCD screen allows easy programming and displays the pressure, flow, and system status.

The 6000 system is commonly used in applications that involve basic electronics, electrical equipment, motors, and switchgear. Bebco EPS products meet the demands of rack-mounted instrumentation, video displays, programmable controllers, computers, printers, recorders, measurement, gas analyzers, and calibration equipment.

More information on the 6000 series.

4000 Series Document Links

• 4000 Installation & Operation Manual
• Custom I.S. Harness Specification Form
• Custom AX Harness Specification Form
• Mini-SEAL Wire Harnesses
• Custom HW Harness Specification Form
  

On Friday, August 25th, Hurricane Harvey hit the South Texas coast. Consequently, the storm front struck our new manufacturing and warehouse building in Katy, Texas. High wind from a hurricane tornado damaged our roof structure, pulling air handling units from the roof and allowing water to enter the building.

When installing a purged control panel or industrial HMI in a hazardous location, power supplied to the control panel must be regulated so that components are not energized before the panel is protected by a purge cycle.

The maximum size of an Ex pz purge enclosure is determined by the pressure and flow that can be reached inside the enclosure. For this 'how to' post, I'll use our 5500 series purge system for the examples.

Depending on your application, there are three vent options that you can use with your system. The EPV-5500-…-01, EPV-5500-…-02, or EPV-5500-…-03. Each vent opens at a different back pressure and has different flow rates, which are listed below.

Integrating complex electrical systems and components into hazardous areas typically requires combining different methods of industrial explosion protection to achieve a safe and certified solution. Our Solution Engineering Centers have the ability and the experience as a system integrator for solutions going into Zone 1 and 21 or Zone 2 and 22 areas. Our ATEX and IECEx certificates offer great flexibility, allowing  unique solutions for the challenges of putting complex electrical equipment in hazardous locations around the world.

When using the 5500 Type Z purge and pressurization system, you are given 3 vent options to choose from.  This gives you the option to choose a vent based on the needs of your application. The 3 models are:

To calculate the purging time on our 5500 series Type Z purge system, there are four variables that you need to know:

Most people are amazed that the dust from a number of everyday materials can become explosive under the right conditions: grains, sugar, metals, plastics, coal, coffee creamer, corn – just to name a few.

Because of this potential for explosion, dust hazards exist in many different industries:

• Food processing
• Pharmaceutical
• Automotive
• Textiles
• Cosmetics
• Refining