ADVANTAGES OF COMBINING INTRINSICALLY SAFE EQUIPMENT AND ... · advantages of combining...

ADVANTAGES OF COMBINING INTRINSICALLY SAFE EQUIPMENT AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY IN PROCESS MANUFACTURINGA Honeywell White Paper

Combining Intrinsically Safe Equipment and Wireless Technology in Manufacturing | sensing.honeywell.com 2

AbstractIn the process manufacturing industry, pressure and temperature need to be carefully monitored and controlled across a variety of chemical processes. The United States Department of Labor Occupational Health and Safety Administration has published requirements for the management of hazards associated with processes using highly hazardous chemicals to help ensure safe and healthful workplaces. Specific considerations must be made for electrical equipment and wiring in locations where flammable vapors, liquids, gasses, or combustible dusts may be present.

There are two methods for safely installing an electronic or electromechanical device in a hazardous location. The first one is to use devices that is certified as “Intrinsically Safe” (IS) for a specific set of hazards. The other method involves the use of “Explosion-Proof Enclosures.” Even though both methods are equally reliable from a safety perspective, the cost to achieve a safe operational environment varies. An intrinsically safe design provides the needed operational safety by using internal circuitry that is not capable of releasing electrical or thermal energy to ignite an explosive atmosphere. Using an explosion-proof enclosure involves installing the device in a housing that must be able to contain any explosion originating inside it and prevent sparks from igniting the vapors, gasses, dust, or fibers in the air surrounding it. The installation of the enclosure often requires many hours of manual labor for drilling conduit holes, wiring, and sealing the conduits with explosion-proof seals.

Monitoring pressure and temperature in hazardous locations using wireless technology is gaining popularity in industrial facilities. By eliminating physical connections such as wires and cables, wireless technology not only reduces overall system installation costs but also enhances system performance and efficiency. Combining intrinsically safe equipment with wireless technology can result in cost-effective remote process sensing, an achievement hard to imagine not long ago.

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Introduction

Intrinsically Safe – Defined

Explosion-Proof – Defined

Using Wireless in Hazardous Areas Improvements

Honeywell Limitless™ Wireless Solutions

Conclusion

Table of contents


Advantages of Combining Intrinsically Safe Equipment and Wireless Technology in Process Manufacturing

Introduction Monitoring pressure and temperature in hazardous areas using wireless technology is becoming a

popular choice in industrial facilities whether it be an Industrial Plant, Chemical and Petrochemical

Plant, Waste Water Treatment Facility, or an Oil and Gas Refinery. Some of the benefits of wireless

technology include:

• Enhanced worker safety. Wireless technology enables a worker not to be physically present in a

potentially hazardous location whenever he needs to take instrument readings or monitor systems.

• Simplified connectivity. Thanks to wireless systems, there is typically no need to setup conduits,

trenches, dedicated power supplies, and junction boxes.

• Improved overall maintenance and servicing of the instruments and system.

Intrinsically Safe – Defined

Intrinsically Safe design offers safe operation of

electrical or electronic equipment in hazardous

locations by using internal circuitry that is not

capable of producing thermal energy or electrical

sparks sufficient enough to ignite the flammable

gasses in the atmosphere.

Explosion-Proof – Defined

Explosion-proof enclosure is a protection

method where electrical/electronic devices,

power supplies, sensors, I/O modules, etc.

are housed in a heavy protective enclosure,

usually made of die cast steel, aluminum, and

occasionally plastic. The enclosure is designed

to contain sparks, arcs, or even an explosion

resulting from the devices that are housed

inside.



Intrinsically Safe Explosion-Proof Enclosure

1. IS devices are designed so that the internal

circuitry is not capable of producing thermal

energy or electrical sparks sufficient enough

to ignite the surrounding atmosphere

that may have high concentrations of

flammables gasses, vapors, and liquids.

An explosion-proof enclosure is capable

of containing an explosion that may result

from the electrical/electronic devices housed

inside it. The devices housed in an explosion-

proof enclosure may or may not be certified

as intrinsically safe.

2. IS devices provide more flexibility. They can

be simply un-installed and re-installed in any

new location that requires sensing for testing

or validation purposes.

Explosion-proof enclosures are often less

flexible because of the mounting, wiring,

and installation of the enclosure. It may or

may not provide proper visibility to inspect

the health status of the devices inside.

Furthermore, the enclosure may or may not

be accessible for maintenance and service

related tasks.

3. IS devices are cost-effective. It takes little

time and manual labor to install and

maintain an intrinsically safe system.

Installing an explosion proof enclosure

system is more expensive since it requires

significant hours of manual labor,

installation time, commissioning, and

maintenance services.

4. No third party integration necessary.

The manufacturer of the IS device can

work with an end user directly during the

installation process. The end users need

not be concerned about unnecessary power

supply, cable conduits, cables, barriers, and

explosion-proof seals.

Requires third party system integration for

(1) drilling conduits in the explosion-proof

enclosure, (2) safe wiring practice, and

(3) providing explosion-proof sealing for

the conduits and barriers. Thus the overall

installation process is more expensive,

complicated, and less time efficient.

5. IS devices often have built-in power supply

which is also certified as intrinsically

safe. An end user will have the ability to

perform servicing, maintenance, testing or

troubleshooting-related tasks at the device

location without relocating it to a safer place.

Electrical/electronic devices and power

supplies that are housed within an

explosion-proof enclosure may not be

certified for use in hazardous locations.

6. Since IS devices limit the energy available

for ignition, it is best suitable for low-power

equipment.

Explosion-proof enclosures are suitable for

high-power equipment.

7. IS devices are visible to the working

personnel since they don’t need to be

housed in any enclosures.

No direct visibility to the components

housed inside an explosion-proof enclosure.

Table 1. Instrinsically

Safe Compared to

Explosion Proof


Table SummaryAs shown in Table 1, although intrinsically safe and explosion-proof enclosure protection systems may

be equally reliable, intrinsically safe devices tend to offer slightly better benefits to end users since they:

• are cost-effective with a greater potential return on investment;

• offer more flexibility in terms of installation, maintenance and servicing; and,

• are less time consuming when it comes to troubleshooting since a technician can work on the device

at the site itself.

Using Wireless in Hazardous Areas Improves

Enhanced Safety In any hazardous industrial facility, there are hundreds of wired pressure gauges or wired pressure

sensors. A factory worker has to visit these areas many times each day for routine instrument/sensor

health checkups, regular system maintenance activities, and sometimes for system troubleshooting.

An intrinsically safe wireless pressure sensor offers a more efficient and more secure method for remote

measuring of absolute or gauge pressure for a variety of processes.

Increased Flexibility Flexibility is a key to success in the process manufacturing world today. A flexible wireless system may

not only result in cost savings for a company annually but it also may provide options for expanding the

wireless network to accommodate future sensor additions.

Explosion-proof enclosures may not be cost effective because the installation and commissioning of

the system often require significant upfront investment. Because of this increased cost of explosion-

proof enclosures, an end user might use electrical/electronic devices, power supply modules, and

sensors and I/O modules that may not be rated as intrinsically safe.

It could take days or weeks to set up and commission a wired explosion-proof system. Once installed,

because of the size constraints of the enclosure, the end user will not have the flexibility to easily

expand the system should he need to add more sensors for measuring additional process parameters.

Furthermore, an end user will not be able to easily relocate an explosion-proof enclosure system and

reinstall it in another location that requires sensing.



Cost Effectiveness and Ease of Installation Wireless technology lowers equipment costs in many ways. First, the cost of installation is considerably

reduced. The expense associated with physical wires is eliminated; therefore conduits, junction boxes,

and dedicated power supplies are no longer required. End users no longer have to deal with wire

routing problems and pulling wire during installation, and have fewer restrictions overall on where to

place a wireless sensor. Second, maintenance costs can decrease. Elimination of wiring may simplify

troubleshooting and reduce overall system maintenance and servicing times. Wireless connectivity can

even simplify the retrofit of existing systems with additional wireless pressure sensors as needed for new

sensing demands or regulatory requirements.

Reliability and Security System reliability is critical in the process manufacturing industry. Control systems in this domain are

heavily dependent on instruments and sensor readings which are used for controlling or regulating a

variety of steps in a wide array of processes. Failure of any control system because of delayed or missing

data can result in the shutdown of certain process loops or even irreparable damage to expensive

process instrumentation.

Honeywell Limitless™ Wireless SolutionsHoneywell’s Limitless Series of switches and sensors attempts to free applications from the restrictions

of wired installations while offering increased reliability and reduced lifetime cost. Compared to

traditional wired solutions, Honeywell’s Limitless platform offers greater flexibility in terms of remote

actuation, faster response, and reduced costs over wired options. The simplicity of the system means no

wiring, conduits, clips, or connectors to purchase or install, which results in increased system reliability,

easier installation, and reduction of errors.

Honeywell Limitless Wireless Point-to-Point Intrinsically Safe Wireless Pressure Sensors (IS-WPS

Series) offer pressure monitoring capabilities in hazardous area applications where it is not feasible

or is more dangerous to run live wires, or where wiring and connections are just too costly. The

wireless technology of the IS-WPS sensor seeks to simplify the overall installation, enhances system

performance and efficiency, and reduces the need for employees to get close to pressure gauges. The

IS-WPS communicates with the Honeywell Limitless WMPR Series multi-protocol ethernet receiver.

Figure 1. Limitless™

Wireless

Intrinsically Safe

Pressure Sensor,

IS-WPS Series


Figure 2. Limitless™

Wireless Multi-

Protocol Receiver,

WMPR Series

The IS-WPS is powered by an internal battery module, making it considerably convenient to deploy the

device anywhere within a facility that requires pressure sensing. This is a major advantage in hazardous

areas where wiring or wire maintenance is physically challenging or economically expensive. The IS-WPS

battery is also intrinsically safe certified by UL, ATEX and IEC Ex. This enables an end user to replace the

battery with ease and without compromising safety.

Honeywell’s wireless technology is field proven and is successfully commissioned and implemented in

various process industries around the globe. It operates in the license-free 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific,

and Medical Band (ISM). The 2.4 GHz frequency consumes scarce amounts of battery power which

improves battery performance and life of the IS-WPS wireless pressure sensor.

Furthermore, our wireless technology uses the Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) frequency

modulation technique. In the DSSS, the Radio Frequency (RF) data packet is spread across the entire

range of the 14 available channels. The spread data is encoded prior to transmission with a randomly

generated numerical key called Pseudo Random Code (PRN), for data security. The transmitted data

packets include the key that enables decoding on the receiving end. DSSS uses low power density,

making the data transmission harder to detect. DSSS also sends out redundant copies of the encoded

data to ensure full reception. As a result, data packet loss is infrequent, if it ever occurs. The data bits

that do not reach the receiver in the first transmission will be promptly re-transmitted in the second

transmission.

The Honeywell wireless products are equipped with the site survey feature. This enables an end

user to measure the strength of the wireless signal. Honeywell’s wireless products are designed to

communicate effectively and efficiently within a range of 1000 feet (305 meters) with a direct line of

sight. Furthermore, with higher gain antennas and proper antenna positioning it is possible to achieve

an even longer signal range.


For more informationTo learn more about Honeywell’s

sensing and switching products,

call 1-800-537-6945 or visit

sensing.honeywell.com.

Honeywell Sensing and Internet of Things 9680 Old Bailes Road

Fort Mill, SC 29707

honeywell.com

Bluetooth® is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries.

002420-1-EN | 1 | 06/17© 2017 Honeywell International Inc.

ConclusionAs a new and emerging technology, wireless is facing some distinct challenges. End users have been monitoring pressure and temperature in industrial or chemical processes for generations with dedicated wired systems, so they are slightly reluctant to use wireless solutions. An exposed live wire, however, can very easily cause an explosion in hazardous areas that have high concentrations of flammable gases, vapors, and chemicals. This is where wireless technology sets itself apart. Furthermore, as long as the signal quality is good, the end user avoids some of the failure modes associated with a wired system.

Present-day wireless technology is using highly complex and secure communication protocols. For instance, the Honeywell wireless technology is based on the internationally accepted IEEE 802.15.4 wireless PAN standard that defines a low-duty wireless signaling scheme targeting basic instrumentation and control applications. The IEEE 802.15.4 specifications are both robust and field-proven to eliminate crosstalk between different wireless networks. They are also more resistant to interference from out-of-network users in the same frequency band such as Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, and portable phones. Once the sensors are paired with a wireless receiver, they will communicate only with their corresponding receiver. Moreover, the DSSS frequency modulation technique further enhances data and system security.

Finally, wireless technology delivers not only reliable performance, but also cost effectiveness and ease of use. Wiring infrastructure is, across the entire spectrum of industrial facilities, labor-intensive and expensive. By using wireless technology, a company can save money by simply eliminating the need to buy sensor wires, install cable conduits, trenches, junction boxes, and dedicated power supplies. The labor costs associated with electrical wiring layout and commissioning are also removed. Combining intrinsically safe equipment with wireless technology can result in cost-effective remote process sensing, a technological breakthrough that increases system reliability and bottom-line profitability.

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