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Training Notes: Disclaimer

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ExVeritas Limited assumes no liability to any party, other than
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author.

Intrinsic Safety (03-2015 Rev 2 short) ©ExVeritas® I.S. 1

Intrinsic Safety (03-2015 Rev 2 short) ©ExVeritas® I.S. 2

Intrinsic Safety
(Ex ‘i’)

Energy Limitation
ATEX CATEGORY 1G, 2G or 3G
EPL Ga, Gb or Gc
Permitted in zones 0, 1 & 2 as applicable
Applications: Instrumentation

I.S. 3

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Intrinsic Safety

The term Intrinsic safety is often misquoted:

• “Don’t worry all our equipment is I.S.”
• “Oh the lighting is fine, it’s all I.S.”

Intrinsic safety is a low energy technique where the

voltage, current and power available is restricted.
Intrinsic safety is a protection concept associated with
low power circuits, normally instrumentation

It is the only electrical protection concept that permits

“live working”.
I.S. 4

Advantages

• There are a number of advantages of using intrinsic

safety as a protection technique, but the most
important factor was……
• It was the only protection technique (concept) that
was allowed to be used in 1G/Ga (Zone 0) locations.
• The designer can mix and match various compatible
components to make-up the circuit intrinsically safe.

I.S. 5

Disadvantage

• The main disadvantage is…. it can only be used for

low powered circuits; you cannot have an totally
enclosed fan cooled (TEFC) intrinsically safe motor.
• Typically the circuits are powered by low voltage a.c.
or d.c. power supplies e.g. 28V.

I.S. 6

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Intrinsic Safety
Intrinsic Safety is mainly used for measuring and
control instrumentation e.g. pressure transmitters,
control valve, positioners, small capacity solenoid
valves and so on. Process control includes:
•Flow
•Pressure
•Level
•Temperature
•Speed
•Weight

I.S. 7

Intrinsic Safety

The concept ‘Intrinsic safety’ or ‘intrinsically safe’ is

unlike the other “electrical” concepts as this is
known as a system concept.

Intrinsic safety, also know as I.S., is really the only

true electrical concept.

The intrinsic safety concept is identified by a lower

case prefix ‘i, followed by a suffix of lower case ‘a’,
‘b’ or ‘c’ e.g. Ex ia, Ex ib and Ex ic.

I.S. 8

Intrinsic Safety

The other “electrical” concepts are actually mechanical

concepts.
Ex ‘d’- flameproof- concept is provided by the strength
of the enclosure and the mechanical flamepaths to
contain and not to allow hot gases to propagate gases
outside the enclosure.
Ex ‘e’ - increased safety- is about the construction of
the equipment and the installation practices to a high
engineering standard.

I.S. 9

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Intrinsic Safety

Intrinsic safety (I.S.) is a low-energy protection

technique that prevents explosions from occurring by
ensuring that the energy transferred to a hazardous
location is below the energy required to initiate an
explosion.

The two mechanisms that are considered, as possibly

initiating an explosion are:
• Sparks;
• Hot surface.

I.S. 10

Basis of Intrinsic Safety

• At a critical concentration called the most easily

ignited concentration (MEIC), the amount of
energy required to cause ignition is minimal.
MEIC

LEL or
LFL
MIE UEL or
UFL

• The critical energy at the MEIC is called minimum

ignition energy (MIE).
I.S. 11

I.S. System Components

Intrinsic safety systems are made up of, typically, three

component parts, these being the:
• Associated apparatus
• Cabling
• Field device

As well as these components there may also be other

enclosures e.g. junction boxes or marshalling cabinets.

I.S. 12

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Intrinsic safety is a system concept and by definition

applies to the complete circuit (non-hazardous and
hazardous area).

In order to limit the amount of ignition energy an

interface unit, known as ‘associated apparatus’ is used.

Power
Supply

I.S. 13

Intrinsic Safety (03-2015 Rev 2 short) ©ExVeritas® I.S. 14

Protection against damage

• Associated apparatus (e.g. barriers) and associated

wiring shall be installed in enclosures having an IP
rating of at least IP20.
• Other methods may be employed if they offer similar
integrity against interference and damage e.g. rack
mounted in a locked switch-room.

• The IP requirements actually applied to the installation

will be more stringent than that described above.

I.S. 15

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Design Principle

To make a source of supply “Intrinsically Safe” you must:

• Limit the Voltage
• Limit the Current

The amount of energy allowed in the hazardous area is

controlled by the associated apparatus .
The associated apparatus can be in a number of formats,
typically :
• Zener barrier
• Galvanic isolator or isolator

I.S. 16

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Zener Barriers

• Zener Barriers are typically made up of three

components plus the interconnecting rails or tracks
associated with the printed circuit board(PCB).
• The components are:
a) Fuse;
b) Resistor;
c) Zener Diodes.
• It is to be noted that there is a physical connection
between the input and output.
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Zener Barrier

Field Device

I.S. 19

Components
Special fuse . In the event of failure the ceramic
fuse will go open circuit, (infinite resistance).
Resistor R1

Output Infallible Fuse F1

Io
Zener Diodes.
Allows current to flow in the forward
To field device
direction, but also permits it to flow in
ZD1 ZD2 ZD3 the reverse direction when the voltage
is above the breakdown voltage

Wire wound resistor .

The resistor limits the output current. Note: zener barriers
In the event of failure the resistor will go have to be earthed
open circuit, (infinite resistance).

I.S. 20

Associated Apparatus - Zener Diodes

Normal Operation Reverse Operation

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Normal operation : 28v

Resistor R1 Fuse F1

Infallible

Um (voltage)
Output
Io Blocked Supply side
ZD1 ZD2 ZD3 28v

In normal operation the diodes will

not conduct, i.e. they’re set to conduct
at the “breakdown voltage” e.g. 30v, if the Note: zener barriers are earthed
supply voltage is 28v, the diodes will block
the voltage.
I.S. 22

Abnormal operation

Resistor R1

Infallible Fuse F1

Output Um (voltage)
Io Supply side
>31v <250v
ZD1 ZD2 ZD3

In abnormal operation, the diodes will

conduct, allowing the voltage to go to Note: zener barriers are earthed
earth, which will blow the fuse.

I.S. 23

Zener Barriers

I.S. 24

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Galvanic Isolator

• Galvanic Isolators are typically made up of four

components plus the interconnecting rails or tracks
associated with the printed circuit board(PCB).
• The components are:
a) Transformer;
b) Fuse;
c) Resistor;
d) Zener Diodes.
• It is to be noted that there is a no physical connection
between the input and output.
Intrinsic Safety (03-2015 Rev 2 short) ©ExVeritas® I.S. 26

Galvanic Isolator

Field Device

I.S. 27

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Galvanical Isolator

• Used with intrinsically safe systems, there are

different types of galvanic isolators and they are
usually designed with a specific duty in mind.

• Note: there is no earth connection.

I.S. 29

Galvanic Isolators

I.S. 30

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Marking
• If the associated apparatus e.g. zener barrier, cannot
be installed in a hazardous area, both the symbol Ex
and the protection symbol are enclosed within the
same square brackets, e.g. [Ex ia] IIC.

I.S. 32

IEC, CENELEC Marking

Intrinsic Safety (03-2015 Rev 2 short) ©ExVeritas® I.S. 32

ATEX Marking

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Safety Parameters

Intrinsic Safety (03-2015 Rev 2 short) ©ExVeritas® I.S. 34

Associated Apparatus - Marking

• Associated apparatus can now be purchased in a

format that allows the equipment to be installed in
hazardous locations, this is subject that specific
conditions are met.
• II (1) G [Ex ia] IIC or [Ex ia] IIC (Ga) identifies the
location where the associated apparatus can supply.
• II 3 G Ex nA IIC T4 or Ex nA IIC T4 Gc identifies in what
location the associated apparatus can be installed.

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The purpose of the zener barrier is to protect against

two conditions, these are:

1. Excessive voltages being applied at the non-

hazardous (safe area) side of the I.S. circuit.
2. Limit the effects of a short circuit on the hazardous
side of the IS circuit.

I.S. 39

Zener Barrier- ia

Resistor R1 Fuse F1

Infallible

I.S. Side Non I.S. Side

(Hazardous Area) (Non Hazardous Area)
(Safe Area)
ZD1 ZD2 ZD3

Safe with 2 faults

Note: zener barriers are earthed

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38

Zener Barrier- ib

Resistor R1 Fuse F1

Infallible

I.S. Side Non I.S. Side

(Hazardous Area) (Non Hazardous Area)
(Safe Area)
ZD1 ZD2

Safe with 1 fault

Note: zener barriers are earthed

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Zener Barrier- ic

Resistor R1 Fuse F1

Infallible

I.S. Side Non I.S. Side

(Hazardous Area) (Non Hazardous Area)
(Safe Area)
ZD1

Safe in normal operation

Note: zener barriers are earthed

I.S. 42

Intrinsic Safety (03-2015 Rev 2 short) ©ExVeritas® I.S. 41

Basics of Intrinsic Safety

• The basics of intrinsic safety is simple:

• Limit the Energy (Power) going into the circuit.
• You can limit the energy by controlling the voltage
and/or the current.
• Power = Voltage (V) x Current (I)
• You also have to take account of capacitance and
inductance that may be stored in an electrical circuit.

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Intrinsic Safety

• Intrinsic safety works on the principal of controlling

or limiting the electrical energy.
• The levels of energy are less than that required to
ignite the explosive atmosphere.
• The energy levels are less than the minimum ignition
energy (MIE) of the flammable substance.

• Simple …………Yes!!
• Implementation ……. Not so simple!!!
Intrinsic Safety (03-2015 Rev 2 short) ©ExVeritas® I.S. 43

Video’s

• Videos\Principle of Intrinsic Safety - Explanation of

Intrinsic Safety Technology - Phoenix Contact.mp4

• ..\..\..\Videos\Turck - Intrinsic Safety.wmv

I.S. 47

End of Section

I.S. 45

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