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Norske Backer AS’ new Exd certified immersion heater is an electrical immersion heater with a 2-inch pipe threat connection.
Norske Backer AS has recently launched a brand-new immersion heater which, with its ATEX and IECEx certifications, should be of interest both internationally and here at home. Designer Ole Kristian Såheim believes this Exd-certified immersion heater can open completely new markets for the traditional Norwegian company.
– The difference from the company’s previous Ex e certified electric heating products, which involve a safety philosophy where no source of ignition is allowed, this Ex d immersion heater is constructed according to the safety philosophy that any explosion must be contained within the junction box, so that it will not constitute a source of ignition for any potentially explosive surrounding gasses. This gives us the opportunity to offer solid products that at the same time are slightly smaller and more manageable, says Ole Kristian Såheim.
Tailored
For several years Norske Backer AS has supplied advanced solutions for intelligent heating and control. Norway was early on with a national Ex-directive, but the production of Ex-certified products at Norske Backer AS really gained momentum when European ATEX – and eventually the international IECEx standard – was used as the basis for the product certifications.
– We have designed, manufactured, and delivered products according to the Ex e standard for a number of years, for use in the offshore petrochemical industry or other industries where the danger potentially explosive gas atmospheres have been present. This has been about tailoring, and we have actually delivered Ex certified heating solutions with a heating effect from just a few hundred watts up to 35 megawatts. We have also delivered such products to typical low-cost countries in the East such as India, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, and several others. e Although we have shown ourselves to be competitive in an international market, Exe certified products tend to be expensive, and this especially affects smaller heating solutions where there is not a huge power requirement, says Såheim. He further explains that the new Exd certified heating element is a much more affordable solution. d sertifiserte varmekolben er en mye mer prisgunstig løsning.
Off the shelf product
The new Exd certified immersion heater from Norske Backer AS is an electric immersion heater with a 2-inch pipe thread connection, and it is intended for heating liquids in areas where there is a risk of explosive gas in the surrounding atmosphere. According to designer Såheim, this product will be “almost off-the-shelf” as production gets underway, and hopes that, in addition to the oil and gas industry, it will open several new markets where the company has not been present before.
– Among other things, we have had inquiries from smaller distilleries that have Ex-zones in their production premises, who want affordable Ex-certified immersion heaters. There has also been a gradual spread of a greater awareness within agriculture and especially within livestock. Explosive methane gas is being developed which can be defined as Ex-zones and thus also require Ex-certified equipment. Furthermore, we have noticed that the increasing electrification of vehicles and other infrastructure has brought a greater focus on the development of explosive gases in both larger and smaller facilities. Areas where batteries are being charges will have to be defined as Ex-zones to a greater extent than today.
– We believe that our Ex d certified immersion heater will be perfect for such installations.
