Frequently Asked Questions About Intrinsic Safety (IS)

Q:  What is intrinsic safety and why is it important?

A:  Intrinsic safety is generally referred to as an energy limitation protection technique. In plants and environmental areas where gasses, volatile chemicals and fine dusts are processed and used, the smallest spark of electrical energy can set off a dangerous explosion. Instruments used in these environments must be incapable of generating energy sufficient to cause ignition. Historically, instruments installed to gather and control physical quantities in these hazardous areas were limited to those of pneumatic design. With the advent of the semiconductor, including integrated circuits, the low power required to operate circuitry and process data is now considered insufficient to ignite most of these dangerous substances. In addition, the use of intrinsically safe devices precludes the necessity of completely enclosing the hazardous area in question, or of segregating the instruments in purged, explosion-proof containers. These latter methods, although used in the past, are extremely costly in terms of design, installation and serviceability.

   The full list of FAQs can be found in the article provided.