It goes without saying that purge panels are not something that every common man would know. It is because its applications are extensively confined to the use of electrical or electronic devices in hazardous areas.
To put it in simple words, purge panels are a simple yet effective solution to use electrical and electronic devices in hazardous areas by maintaining a positive pressure inside the enclosure. This eliminates the presence of external gases in the enclosure and hence completely preventing sparks and explosion.
The Benefits
“What meets the eye is the tip of the iceberg.” It is very much true in the case of purge panels.
It is because the one benefit of purge panels that stands out is the prevention of sparks in the enclosure, but there is a lot more than that.
- Hazardous locations are no more a hurdle to use general-purpose equipment
- It’s cost-effective compared to most other preventative measures.
- One purge panel is all that is required, to protect many enclosures. Not every enclosure needs one specific to them.
- The cherry on the top of the cake is that it is easy to install.
The Applications
It goes without saying that the ratings of purge panels are entirely dependent on their capability to keep the foreign bodies out of the enclosure. To be more specific, it should have the ability to withstand an internal pressure of 4” of water. The pressure of 4 inches of water is 0.145 PSI. For an area of 60” x 60” the force generated is almost 520 lbs.
Different purge panels are used for different industries as their requirement varies. According to IEC the minimum enclosure rating should be IP40. But many experts in the field would suggest going for UL type 4 which has a rating IP65.
Some of the common industries where purge panels are used include oil and gas, pharma, power generation/power plants, paint production and coating, textile and cotton mills, and a lot more. But these are industries where purge panels are used for completely eliminating explosions from electric sparks.
Purge panels applications are not just confined to hazardous applications. They can also be used in non-hazardous applications. So it is not just used to eliminate sparks. There are a lot of industries where the work environment needs to be dust-free. For example, the chemical industry needs to operate in a dust-free environment. The purge panels get the job done by preventing any kind of dust particle from entering the facility.
Conclusion
It would not be an understatement to say that purge panels are cost-effective and have revolutionized many industries. This just goes on to prove that even simple ideas and innovation can create impacts in a massive way.
At Preipolar we believe in pushing our limits to bring out the best that would contribute to the development of industries and mankind. The very reason why there is always an unquenchable thirst for excellence which is pushing us to be the best in what we are doing.