Electrical and Instrumentation Safety for Chemical Processes

by R.J. Buschart (Editor)

Overview

This text is about electrical and instrumentation safety for chemical proc­ esses. It covers a wide area of electrical and electronic phenomena and how they have and can significantly affect the safety of chemical processes. The importance of the subject is well known to anyone involved in the operation of chemical processes. Lightning strikes can explode storage tanks, shut down electrical power systems, and shut down or damage computer and instrument systems. Static electricity can ignite flammable materials and damage sensitive elec­ tronic process control equipment. Electrical power system failures or inter­ ruptions can produce unsafe process conditions. Chemical processes use flammable and combustible vapors, gases, or dusts that can be exploded by electrical equipment and wiring. Even low-energy equipment like flashlights can ignite a flammable vapor. Interlock and equipment protection systems can cause safety problems. How important is electrical and process control safety? A survey on "How Safe is Your Plant?", in the April 1988 issue of Chemical Engineer­ ing magazine, provided some answers. Among the results of this survey of chemical processes, it was found that over 800 respondents believed instru­ mentation and controls, shutdown systems, equipment interlocks, and other protection systems to be the least safe aspect of chemical industries. The survey also indicated that complying with OSHA and other regula­ tions, process control software security, inspections, audits, and safety training are important safety issues.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781468466225
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	03/18/2012
Edition description:	1991
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

1 Introduction.- General Safety Criteria: Protection of People, Property, and the Community.- Safety Philosophy and Principles.- Electrical and Control System Safety Incidents.- Acronyms and Abbreviations.- 2 Process Units for Electrical and Process Control Safety.- Process Conditions That Influence Safety.- Process Operations.- Plant Layout: Physical Facilities.- 3 Hazardous (Classified) Locations: Area Classification.- National Electrical Code Terminology.- Flammability Characteristics.- Leak and Release Sources.- Ventilation.- Process Conditions.- Vapor Barriers.- Nonelectrical Ignition Sources.- Electrical Classification Practice.- Analytical Approach to Classification.- Electrical Classification versus EPA and Toxicity Requirements.- Reducing Classified Locations.- Division 3.- Probability Concepts: Division 0.- Electrical Classification: Special Cases.- Conclusion.- References.- 4 Electrical Equipment in Class I Locations.- Electrical Facilities Outside Classified Locations.- National Electrical Code.- Explosionproof Apparatus.- Sealing Process-Connected Instrumentation.- Purging and Pressurization.- Advantages of Purging and Pressurization.- Intrinsic Safety.- Oil Immersion.- Conclusion.- References.- 5 Dust Electrical Safety in Chemical-Processing Facilities.- Dust Explosions and Fires.- Electrical Causes of Dust Ignition.- Characteristics of Dust Explosion.- National Electrical Code and Combustible Dusts.- Classification of Dust Locations.- Conclusion.- References.- 6 Electrical Safety in Chemical Processes.- Electrocution and Personnel Safety.- Lightning Protection for Chemical-Process Facilities.- Static Electricity as an Ignition Source.- Protection of Electrical Systems.- Electrical Power Reliability and Quality.- Cable Systems for Chemical-Process Facilities.- Conclusion.- References.- 7 Measurement and Final Control Elements.- Instrumentation Flow Diagrams.- Process Measuring Elements.- Final Control Elements.- Alternating Current Versus Direct Current Drives.- Conclusion.- References.- 8 Process Control Safety.- History of Process Control.- Distributed Control Systems.- Alarm Systems.- Interlock Systems.- Safety Interlock Systems.- Electrical Protection of Control Systems.- Conclusion.- References.- 9 Electrical and Process Control Safety Standards for Chemical Processes.- National Standards Organizations.- International Standards.- Conclusion.- 10 Safety in Maintenance.- Preventive Maintenance.- Design for Maintainability.- Electrical and Process Control System Maintenance Practices.- Surveys and Inspections.- Testing.- References.- 11 Safety in Work Practices.- Electrical and Process Control Safety Work Practices.- Hot Work.- Maintenance in Hazardous (Classified) Locations.- Hot Work in Hazardous (Classified) Locations.- Appendix An Illustrated Guide to Electrical Safety.

Editorial Reviews

[the book] gives an overview of the current state of the art of electrical engineering in this subject area... [it] makes good reading for the uninformed, and there is a lot of general knowledge that will lift the lay person's awareness of what is... a very difficult subject... - The CHemical Engineer; [the book] gives an overview of the current state of the art of electrical engineering in this subject area... [it] makes good reading for the uninformed, and there is a lot of general knowledge that will lift the lay person's awareness of what is... a very difficult subject... - The CHemical Engineer; [the book] gives an overview of the current state of the art of electrical engineering in this subject area... [it] makes good reading for the uninformed, and there is a lot of general knowledge that will lift the lay person's awareness of what is... a very difficult subject... - The CHemical Engineer

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