This document describes the safety requirements for electronic instrumentation in hazardous environments and provides solutions for meeting these requirements.
This document is an application note or magazine article by Murphy Pickard from Hach Co., published in Linear Technology Magazine (September 2009). It focuses on the challenges of designing electronic instrumentation safe enough to operate in hazardous, potentially explosive environments such as chemical plants and refineries.
The text explains the concept of Intrinsic Safety (IS) design, which eliminates ignition sources by limiting electrical and thermal energy. It details various protection techniques, with a specific focus on how the LT4356 series overvoltage/overcurrent protection devices can be used to create active barriers that meet safety standards like IEC 60079-2006.
Electronic instrumentation must be made explosion proof for use in chemical plants, refineries, oil/gas wells, coal operations, and textile operations.
In North America, FM, UL, and CSA govern IEC-79 series standard certification.