IEC\/IEEE 60079-30 Standard, Parts 1 and 2: An Introduction to the Joint Standard for Trace Heating in Explosive Atmospheres

In 2015, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the IEEE released the jointly developed standard IEC/IEEE 60079-30, Parts 1 and 2 [1]. The IEE sponsor was the IEE Industry Applications Society (IAS) Petroleum and Chemical Industry Technical Conference (PCIC), and the IEC sponsor was IEC Technical Committee (TC) 31, Equipment for Explosive Atmospheres. The joint development combined the requirements and recommendations of IEEE 515 [2] with IEC 60079-30-1, 2007-01 [3] and IEC 60079-30-2, 2007-01 [4]. This joint development represented the complete harmonization of the international, IEC , and North American certification and design requirements for trace heating in explosive atmospheres. In addition to type tests for product certification, this standard has extensive requirements so that certifying bodies can determine the manufacturer's ability to predict maximum sheath temperatures for trace heaters in explosive atmospheres. This article provides a background for understanding the joint development process and provides an overview of the key technical requirements found in the standards.