Explosive atmospheres - Part 29-1: Gas detectors - Performance requirements of detectors for flammable gases

This part of IEC 60079-29 specifies general requirements for construction, testing and performance, and describes the test methods that apply to portable, transportable and fixed apparatus for the detection and measurement of flammable gas or vapour concentrations with air. The apparatus, or parts thereof, are intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (see 3.1.8) and in mines susceptible to firedamp.

This standard is also applicable when an apparatus manufacturer makes any claims regarding any special features of construction or superior performance that exceed these minimum requirements. In these cases, all such claims should be verified and the test procedures should be extended or supplemented, where necessary, to verify the performance claimed by the manufacturer. When verifying the superior performance of one criterion, other performance criteria are not required to meet the standards minimum requirements, however, these reduced claimed performance criteria (as confirmed in the manufactures Installation Manual) should also be verified. (e.g. temperature range of 0 °C to 60 ° C; 0 °C to 40 °C at ±10 % accuracy and 40 °C to 60 °C at ±15 % (manufacturers claimed accuracy). The additional tests should be agreed between the manufacturer and test laboratory and identified and described in the test report.

This standard is applicable to flammable gas detection apparatus intended to provide an indication, alarm or other output function; the purpose of which is to give a warning of a potential explosion hazard and in some cases, to initiate automatic or manual protective action(s).

This standard is applicable to apparatus, including the integral sampling systems of aspirated apparatus, intended to be used for commercial, industrial and non-residential safety applications.

This standard does not apply to external sampling systems, or to apparatus of laboratory or scientific type, or to apparatus used only for process control purposes. It also does not apply to open path (line of sight) area monitors. For apparatus used for sensing the presence of multiple gases, this standard applies only to the detection of flammable gas or vapour.

This standard supplements and modifies the general requirements of IEC 60079-0. Where a requirement of this standard conflicts with a requirement of IEC 60079-0, the requirement of IEC 60079-29-1 will take precedence.

NOTE 1 IEC 60079-29-1 is intended to provide for the supply of apparatus giving a level of safety and performance suitable for general purpose applications. However, for specific applications, a prospective purchaser (or an appropriate authority) may additionally require the apparatus to be submitted to particular tests or approval. For example, group I apparatus (i.e. apparatus to be used in mines susceptible to firedamp) may not be permitted to be used without the additional, prior approval of the relevant authority in mines under its jurisdiction. Such particular tests/approval are to be regarded as additional to and separate from the provisions of the standards referred to above and do not preclude certification to or compliance with these standards.

NOTE 2 All apparatus calibrated on specific gases or vapours can not be expected to correctly indicate on other gases or vapours.

NOTE 3 For the purposes of this standard, the terms "lower flammable limit (LFL)" and "lower explosive limit (LEL)" are deemed to be synonymous, and likewise the terms "upper flammable limit (UFL)" and "upper explosive limit (UEL)" are deemed to be synonymous. For ease of reference, the two abbreviations LFL and UFL may be used hereinafter to denote these two sets of terms. It should be recognized that particular authorities having jurisdiction may have overriding requirements that dictate the use of one of these sets of terms and not the other.

NOTE 4 For the purposes of this standard, the term -indicating up to a volume fraction of X %- includes apparatus with an upper limit of the measuring range equal to or less than X %