Intrinsic Safety

ABSTRACT

Intrinsic safety prevents instruments and low voltage circuits in hazardous areas from releasing sufficient energy to ignite volatile gases. The excess electrical energy in the form of voltage and current is limited by inserting energy-limiting devices, known as intrinsically safe barriers, in the circuits. To properly select the correct barrier the field device must be known. These field devices are classified as either simple (non-energy storing) or complex that can store energy. Complex devices must be tested and approved by a third party to be used in intrinsically safe circuits. The entity parameters of approved devices are then compared to the proper safety parameters of the barrier to ensure an intrinsically safe circuit