Scholarly record
CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE APPLICABILITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF EXPLOSION PROTECTION TYPES IN EXISTING INDUSTRIAL INSTALLATIONS INTENDED FOR USE IN POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE GAS AND VAPOUR ATMOSPHERES
Abstract
Existing industrial ammonia production installations operating in potentially explosive atmospheres usually contain a wide range of explosion protection concepts implemented during different stages of plant modernization and expansion. In such brownfield installations, the coexistence of equipment originating from different technological periods often leads to a non-uniform distribution of protection concepts at installation level. This aspect is particularly relevant for industrial sectors associated with oil and gas processing, chemical industries, hydrogen handling, and energy transition infrastructure. This paper presents a comparative analysis of explosion protection concepts identified in two existing ammonia production installations where hydrogen may be present during operation. The study was based on the analysis of technical documentation and ATEX markings for more than 2000 equipment items. The analyzed equipment was classified according to explosion protection type, gas group, and temperature class in order to evaluate the distribution and applicability of protection concepts under real industrial operating conditions. The results indicate a clear predominance of flameproof protection (Ex d) in both analyzed installations, together with a high proportion of equipment classified for IIC atmospheres. Combined protection concepts such as Ex d + Ex i and Ex d + Ex e were also identified, particularly in installations with a higher degree of instrumentation and process control integration. The analysis additionally highlights the occurrence of multiple temperature class markings (e.g., T6/T5/T4), influenced by ambient conditions and installation near heated or cooled technological pipelines. The obtained results provide a plant-wide perspective on the practical implementation of explosion protection concepts in existing industrial installations. The study contributes to a better understanding of equipment selection practices in hazardous areas and may support future activities related to risk assessment, modernization, lifecycle management, and operational safety in industrial process installations associated with oil and gas, hydrogen technologies, and energy transition applications.
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