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 equipment for the detection and measurement of flammable gas or vapour concentrations with air. The equipment, or parts thereof, is intended for use in explosive atmospheres and in mines susceptible to firedamp. This part of IEC 60079-29 is applicable to flammable gas detection equipment with a measuring range up to any volume fraction as declared by the manufacturer, and which is intended to provide an indication, alarm or other output function; the purpose of which is to indicate a potential explosion hazard and in some cases, to initiate automatic or manual protective action(s). For the purposes of this part of IEC 60079-29, the term “indicating up to a volume fraction of X % or X %LFL” includes equipment with an upper limit of the measuring range equal to or less than X % or X %LFL. This part of IEC 60079-29 is applicable to equipment, including the integral sampling systems of aspirated equipment, intended to be used for commercial, industrial and non-residential safety applications. This part of IEC 60079-29 does not apply to external sampling systems, or to equipment of laboratory or scientific type, or to equipment used only for process monitoring and/or control purposes. It also does not apply to open path (line of sight) detectors which are within the scope of IEC 60079-29-4. Only equipment with very short optical paths intended for use where the concentration is uniform over the optical path are within the scope of this standard.