Explosion-proof HVAC system for oil & gas refineries

August 21, 2015 5:45 pm

 Intertec has developed an ATEX-compliant HVAC system that provides all-in-one climate control and personnel safety solution for walk-in style process analytical instrumentation shelters. It is customisable and scalable to suit a broad range of applications, and can be supplied fully integrated within the shelter or as an external standalone unit.
Designed specifically for hazardous area applications, the system delivers a steady flow of conditioned and filtered clean air to the shelter, maintaining it slightly above atmospheric pressure to prevent the ingress of dust or gas. It is especially suitable for oil and gas refineries, petrochemical and chemical plants that operate in extremely hot or cold climates, or where atmospheric contaminants pose safety, health or corrosion issues with conventional through-flow air conditioning systems.
To help ensure measurement accuracy, sensitive equipment such as process analysers and sample conditioning systems needs to be maintained at a constant temperature. This is usually achieved by using a thermally regulated shelter. And to avoid long sample transport tubes, which can affect accuracy and delay response times, the equipment is often located as close to the process as possible. These factors can necessarily involve housing operating personnel and equipment in a potentially hazardous area of the plant, demanding that adequate safety precautions are taken. The prime requirement is that the shelter and any associated equipment such as air conditioners must to be explosion-proof.
The entire housing of Intertec’s new HVAC system is constructed from the GRP (glass reinforced polyester) triple-layer composite material. This comprises inner and outer layers of GRP enclosing a thermally insulating core; the wall thickness and core properties can be varied to suit the application and operating environment. The GRP is the same electrically conductive variant that Intertec uses for its explosion-proof analyser shelters. It fully complies with the antistatic requirements of the DIN/EN/IEC 60079-0 safety standards for equipment intended for use in explosive atmospheres.

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