Thursday

26/1/2012


Daily News

Print this page
02/11/2011 - Electrical Safety Offshore
In the oil and gas sector, safety, reliability and efficiency are key
concerns. Of these, safety is, of course, paramount. Offshore
safety, however, is not simply about protecting the environment;
effective protection of personnel and equipment is also crucial. In
electrical installations specifically, one of the most serious hazards
is arc flash. Eaton has, however, developed technologies and
philosophies that allow this hazard to be tamed.
Thankfully, arc flash accidents, which happen when a large
electrical current passes through ionised air, are rare. When they
do occur, however, the consequences are invariably serious,
disruptive and costly. In an arc flash accident, the temperature in
the vicinity of the arc rises almost instantly to around 20,000C.
Copper conductors are vaporised, leading to an explosion that
expels molten globules of copper.
The equipment in which the arc flash occurs is invariably severely
damaged or even destroyed and anyone in the vicinity of the
event is at high risk of injury or even death. The direct costs are high but in the offshore sector in particular, the indirect costs of lost
production can be enormous.
Arc flash accidents can be triggered in many ways, for example when a circuit breaker fails during a switching operation, or when insulation
suffers a catastrophic breakdown. In reality, the risk of arc flash accidents can never be eliminated entirely. Eaton has, however, made
substantial investments of time and money over many years into finding ways in which this risk can be greatly reduced. As a result, the
company now holds a well-established position as a world leader in the field, and offers more than 40 products and solutions for arc-flash
prevention and control.
Eaton has adopted the practice of designing its switchgear from the outset to minimise arc-flash hazards. This has led it to adopt moulded
insulation for its MV products, which allows excellent control to be achieved over electric fields, thereby greatly reducing the susceptibility of
the insulation to breakdown. The company also makes extensive use of vacuum switching elements in its MV switchgear. As these are not
susceptible to the effects of contaminants and moisture, and because they require no maintenance, they virtually eliminate the risk of failures
during switching operations.
A further important benefit of using moulded insulation and vacuum interrupters is that the switchgear has minimal environmental impact
during its life and also at the time of its eventual disposal. This contrasts strongly with switchgear that uses SF6 as an insulating agent, as
this gas is a well-known agent of environmental damage.
For low-voltage systems, Eaton has developed its Arcon system, which adopts an active approach to minimising the effects of arc-flash
accidents. Arcon places bolted short-circuit across the supply within milliseconds of an arc being detected. The energy that would otherwise
feed the arc is therefore diverted to the short circuit, so that the arc never has a chance to develop. The upstream circuit breaker will
subsequently interrupt the supply in about 50ms.
Arcon uses a device that puts the bolted short in place within around 2ms of being triggered, and a detection system that is capable of
reacting to an arc in its very earliest stages. The detection system uses a photodetector comprising a flexible fibre optic cable that is routed
through all the areas of the switchboard where an arc fault might occur. The cable detects light over its entire length and, when it sees the
characteristic flash of an arc, it sends a signal to a logic module that also monitors current. If the photodetector signal is accompanied by a
rapid increase in current, the module triggers the short-circuiting device, and the arc is suppressed.
This arrangement is reliable and effective. Not only does it virtually eliminate the risk of arc flash injuries, it also minimises damage to the
switchboard, allowing it to be returned to service rapidly and cost-effectively.
As was made clear earlier, however, even the best design and most innovative technology cannot entirely eliminate the risk of arc-flash
accidents. Because of this, Eaton offers a comprehensive assessment service for electrical installations, designed to ensure that all major
risks, including arc flash, are properly assessed and that appropriate protective measures are put in place.
The companys arc-flash hazard assessments are carried out by experts, and can be expected to produce recommendations covering
arc-flash boundaries, safe working distances, practical methods of hazard reduction, personal protective equipment (PPE), and safe working
practices.
Electrical equipment is at the heart of every offshore operation and, provided it is specified and installed correctly, there is a high probability
that it will operate reliably and safely throughout its life. As we have seen, however, there are some hazards, such as arc-flash accidents,
that can never be completely eliminated.
Nevertheless, Eaton, with its wide experience of the issues involved and of the special challenges posed by offshore applications, can
reduce the risks to a minimum, thereby providing the best possible protection for personnel, plant and productivity.
For further information, please visit www.eaton.com or contact Electrical: literature-info@eaton.com Hydraulics: infoindustry@eaton.com
PandCT.com are not responsible for the content of submitted or externally produced articles and images.
Click here to email PandCT about any errors or omissions contained within this article.
Latest Nokia | 2012 Check out the new Windows phone. Nokia Lumia 800. Coming Soon. Smartphones.nokia.com
Sd Card Drivers Automatically Update PC Drivers This 5-Star Driver Tool (2 Mins). Sd-Card.DriverBoost.com
Perth Hotels from $102 Exclusive Deals + Live Bookings. Compare 1000s Live Deals & Save. discoverAustralia.com.au/Perth
Mobile Phones
Australia
Your Ultimate Mobile
Destination For
Unlocked Phones With
Warranty
www.MobiCity.com.au
Memory Card Data
Recovery
Recover lost photos
from SD/CF card
Download free trial
now!
www.CardRecovery.com
100% Mobile
Coverage
Imagine GSM &
satellite all-in-one 1
phone - 1 SIM - 1
Number - 1 Bill
www.nomoreblackspots.co
Overstock iPad 2s:
$43.20
Get a 32GB Apple iPad
2 for $43.20. 1 Per
Customer. Australia
Only.
www.NoMoreRack.com/Aus
SanDisk Australia
Guaranteed Lowest
Prices On All SanDisk
Storage Solutions
www.CheapChips.com.au

Electrical Safety Offshore: News from Eaton Electric Sales Ltd http://www.pandct.com/media/shownews.asp?ID=30897
1 of 2 27/01/2012 7:14 AM

Send this page
To send this page to a colleague or friend,
fill in the email addresses below...
Your email
address
Their email
address:
Page to be sent: shownews.asp?ID=30897
Company gateway pages
for Eaton Electric Sales Ltd:
FREE Information on the
products in this article
To request more information,
fill in your email address below.
Your email
address


Product categories: Accelerometers | Actuators | Agitators | Analysers | Bearings | Compressors | Controllers | Conveyors | Drives | Enclosures | Flowmeters | Heat Exchangers | Motors | Pumps | Relays | Sensors | Transducers
| Transmitters | Valves | Weighing
(c) Copyright 1999-2012 Process and Control Today Ltd | Reg. no 3733110 | Email Editor | Email Webmaster | Sitemap | Privacy Policy
Latest Nokia |
2012
Nokia with Windows
Phone. Coming Soon
to Australia.
Smartphones.nokia.com
Sd Card Drivers
Download Official Sd
Card Drivers with This
5-Star Rated Driver
Tool.
Sd-Card.DriverBoost.com
Perth Hotels from
$102
Exclusive Deals + Live
Bookings. Compare
1000s Live Deals &
Save.
discoverAustralia.com.au/Pe
Mobile Phones
Australia
Your Ultimate Mobile
Destination For
Unlocked Phones With
Warranty
www.MobiCity.com.au
Overstock iPads:
$43.20
Get a 32GB Apple iPad
2 for $43.20. 1 Per
Customer. Australia
Only.
www.NoMoreRack.com/Aus

Electrical Safety Offshore: News from Eaton Electric Sales Ltd http://www.pandct.com/media/shownews.asp?ID=30897
2 of 2 27/01/2012 7:14 AM