Power plants and gas turbines have hazardous areas for natural gas, hydrogen and fuel dust, all needing suitable ATEX equipment. Maffioletti supplies it.
In power plants, hazardous areas are concentrated around fuels and service gases: natural gas reduction stations, fuel gas lines and turbine enclosures, hydrogen systems for generator cooling, and battery rooms, where lead-acid batteries release hydrogen while charging. Coal and biomass plants add combustible dust along conveyors, mills and silos.
Methane is IIA T1, while hydrogen requires Group IIC. For gases, Zones 1 and 2 are typical, with an extent that depends on ventilation; for dusts, Zones 20, 21 and 22 apply and the group depends on the dust (wood dust is generally IIIB).
With over 40 years' experience in hazardous areas, we design and assemble custom Ex enclosures, junction boxes, control stations and panels in-house, with a 72-hour Express service on junction boxes and control stations that helps during planned outages.
We can prepare a lighting calculation, and the energy-saving calculator estimates the benefit of LED. Through Atex Italia we offer consulting, training and inspections. Contact us for an initial discussion.
Lead-acid batteries release hydrogen, a Group IIC gas, while charging: if ventilation is not enough to rule out an explosive atmosphere, the area must be classified and the equipment must be suitable for Group IIC. In many cases the answer is adequate ventilation, sometimes combined with hydrogen detection.
It depends mainly on ventilation: enclosures are usually ventilated to dilute any gas leak and, with effective and monitored ventilation, the inside is often classified Zone 2 or of negligible extent. The classification must be carried out on the specific design according to IEC/EN 60079-10-1.
Yes, classified zones for a Group IIC gas are usually identified around the hydrogen supply and vent systems and at potential leak points on the generator. Their extent depends on pressure, ventilation and release points.