Alpais develops project-specific battery monitoring concepts for industrial
locations where the installation area has been classified as hazardous and
explosion-protected equipment or installation methods are required.
The proposed architecture combines the
Alpais Battery Monitoring System architecture
with appropriately selected enclosures, cable entries, accessories and wiring
arrangements. The final configuration must be verified against the site's
hazardous-area classification and the certification scope of the supplied equipment.
What This Solution Concept Covers
- Project-specific battery monitoring architecture for classified hazardous areas
- Zone 1 and Zone 2 installation concepts where applicable
- Selection of appropriately certified enclosures and cable entries
- Battery Module, String Module and Control Module installation planning
- Measurement cable, data cable and gland-entry engineering
- Battery voltage, temperature and internal-resistance monitoring
- Alarm, trend and reporting functions through Alpais Software
Important Certification Notice
This page presents a hazardous-area solution concept and does not, by itself,
constitute an ATEX certificate or approval for every possible configuration.
The final enclosure, module arrangement, cable gland, wiring method, marking,
ambient-temperature range and installation details must be confirmed for the
specific project before supply and installation.
Why Hazardous-Area Battery Monitoring Requires Special Engineering
Battery rooms and industrial DC systems are not automatically classified as
hazardous areas. Classification depends on the substances present, ventilation,
possible release sources, operating conditions and the site's hazardous-area study.
Where a classified zone exists, the monitoring equipment and installation method
must be selected so that electrical, thermal and mechanical risks are addressed
within the applicable protection concept and certification scope.
Hydrogen generated by certain battery technologies may also need to be considered
in the site's ventilation, gas-detection and hazardous-area assessment. Alpais can
integrate alarm status from a separate
hydrogen gas sensor
as part of the wider battery-room monitoring architecture.
Zone 1 and Zone 2 Project Context
Zone 1
Zone 1 is an area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is likely to occur
occasionally during normal operation. Equipment selection and installation
require a protection concept and certification suitable for the defined zone
and the complete project conditions.
Zone 2
Zone 2 is an area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is not likely to occur
during normal operation and, if it occurs, is expected to exist only for a
limited period. The final equipment category and protection requirements still
depend on the site's formal classification.
Alpais Hazardous-Area Battery Monitoring Architecture
The standard BATMOD, STRMOD and CONMOD monitoring topology remains the basis of
the system. Hazardous-area engineering determines where each component can be
installed and which enclosure, cable-entry and wiring arrangement is required.
Enclosure-Based Module Installation
Battery Modules and String Modules may be installed in separately engineered
enclosures selected for the required protection concept. Enclosure dimensions,
internal spacing, thermal behavior, cable routing and maintenance access must be
evaluated as part of the final design.
Cable Glands and Installation Accessories
Cable glands, stopping plugs, terminals, lugs and related accessories must be
compatible with the enclosure certification, cable type, entry size and site
installation method. Components should not be selected only by mechanical size.
Control Module Location
Depending on the project architecture, the Control Module may be installed
outside the classified area or included in a separately engineered enclosure.
The selected arrangement affects communication, power supply, cable routing and
certification requirements.
Project-Specific Configuration
The number of modules per enclosure, gland quantity, conductor arrangement,
ambient range and enclosure dimensions must be confirmed for each project.
A configuration used in one hazardous-area project should not be treated as a
universal design for all sites.
Battery Parameters and Software Functions
Subject to the approved hardware and installation configuration, Alpais can
provide the same core battery-condition data used in standard industrial
battery monitoring projects.
- Individual battery or cell voltage
- Individual battery or cell temperature
- Internal-resistance measurements and historical trends
- String-level measurements according to the configured sensors
- Warning and critical alarm management
- Historical records, trends and reports
- Remote access and user notifications through Alpais Software
Additional software and reporting functions are described on the
Alpais Battery Monitoring Software
page.
Information Required for Hazardous-Area Evaluation
A preliminary project review should include the hazardous-area classification,
zone, gas group, temperature class, required equipment category or protection
level, ambient-temperature range, battery type, number of batteries or cells,
room layout, enclosure location, cable types, gland entries, power supply and
communication architecture.
The end user, EPC contractor or hazardous-area engineering authority remains
responsible for confirming the site's classification and installation
requirements. Alpais can then evaluate the battery monitoring architecture
against the supplied project data.
Typical Project Environments
- Oil and gas facilities with classified battery or electrical areas
- Petrochemical and chemical plants
- Industrial UPS or DC battery rooms located within classified zones
- Process plants requiring explosion-protected monitoring equipment
- Other hazardous industrial locations defined by a formal area-classification study
Need Battery Monitoring for a Hazardous-Area Project?
Share the hazardous-area classification, required marking, ambient range,
battery configuration, enclosure requirements and cable-entry details with
Alpais for a preliminary technical evaluation.