Distance Control and Positive Security for Intrinsic Equipment Working in Explosive Potential Atmospheres

In this paper, intrinsic safety and positive security distance control for an up/down elevator which extracts the materials from an underground coal mine is approached. For a better understanding of intrinsic safety and positive security, the first part of the paper describes the potential risk the workers are facing while working in dangerous environments like coal mining with “grisou” atmospheres and what the conditions of an unfortunate event to take place are. We presented the diagram and working principle for intrinsic safety equipment used in potential explosive areas based on which we modeled and simulated the intrinsic and positive security distance control in order to get a software solution for it. We created an algorithm and simulated the process in Matlab Simulink. The simulation results done in Matlab Simulink were then entered into a Moeller PLC using a ladder-type programming language. For protection against explosive atmospheres, the PLC is inserted into a metal housing with intrinsic protection and Positive Security.