What explosion proof enclosure are out there to put box type cameras inside?
Explosion Rated Enclosure To Put Camera Inside?
Intrinsically safe and/or explosion proof equipment is generally very expensive.
I guess my first questions would be;
1) what is the area classification that the camera needs to actually reside in?
Class 1 Division 1 is the most stringent with hazardous 'explosive' atmosphere always present, Class 1 Division 2 not always, etc.. etc.. it does make a difference when determining the type of equipment
2) Does it really need to be 'inside' the classified zone? Can the camera be located 'outside' of the zone but have a clear field of view of what you want to monitor?
3) What are the hazards?
The camera is on a loading rack where the refueling truck connects to a fitting 2 feet or so of ground .The camera is roughly 16-18 feet from that.
I have no experience in EX-proof housings, but here's one from Videotec
A Class 1 Division 1 rated electrical enclosure, 30"x30"x12" can run as much as $6,000 just for the enclosure. So you really need to be sure that you need to install within the area or mount outside of the area and use the proper best practices for sealing the conduits that run into the areas...
In general, it is cheaper/logistically better to mount the camera outside the hazardous area, and spend money on lensing or even multiple cameras to build up FoV coverage.
Is that an option here?
For more on housings, rated assemblies, and how this is normally handled, see our: Hazardous Area Surveillance / Explosion 'Proof' Cameras note.
There are some huge, ugly units available out there that are readily available from places like Moog/Videolarm. Pelco, Bosch, and some of the other slumbering giants still make some, like so:
However, I didn't want the camera to look like a light anti tank weapon and these exact enclosures were the ones I was tasked with replacing. I went with this from APG vision, stripped the camera out of a dome enclosure, and mounted within. The below image is not my camera but illustrates it is a bit more conventionally sized.
If you haven't dealt with class 1, division 1/2 environments before expect all of the explosion proofing to be more expensive than the surveillance system... by far. The enclosure above is roughly $2-$3k depending upon the distributor and that doesn't include fittings, sealant, etc. Frequently the classification of the environment is not applicable when outside a given range or above a certain height in these areas so I would recommend investigating that route first.
I installed cameras for the exact same type of situation. The scenario was an LPG tanker truck loading rack. Class 1 Division 2 rated area. It was found to be appropriate to install a 60ft. telephone pole and mount the four day/night 4.7mm cameras at the top which placed them outside of the rating area. It met the safety requirements and was actually the best elevated FOV that is able to see the entire loading facility.
The required infrastructures were same for either type of installation, i.e. electrical, fiber, conduit etc... so it basically the major expense difference was huge in terms of not having to use C1D1 or C1D2 rated enclosures and cameras.
hope this helps...
Also, I added additional LED flood lighting in the area as the loading processes took place 24x7 year round. Do a lighting survey if needed and determine if you need better coverage. I know the truck drivers to a person really liked the additional lighting not to mention the recorded night video was excellent.
You could see all the detail of the loading process down to the proper line and valve positioning. This is especially good for any post event analysis in the event of an incident
Hello Gerald
We do offer Ex-rated enclosures and Ex-rated cameras.
Please check our fix EX solution
Thank you
Gianni Viero
Reminds when a manufacturers rep was doing a presentation and he was telling us how the camera was made for the marine industry, salt environments, 5 pound metal housing, sealed etc etc. I then asked, is it explosion rated, and he looked at me weird, and said, "well we have not exposed it to any explosions", then carried on with his demo.
...is it explosion rated, "well we have not exposed it to any explosions"...
lol. But I shouldn't laugh; I used to think when a shampoo said "Not tested on animals" meant it could be dangerous to use on your pet.
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