Handling hydrogen gas safely is becoming an ever-increasing concern as applications increase, particularly with the pressure to move towards cleaner energy solutions.
As the UK’s leading manufacturer of fans for explosive atmospheres, Woodcock & Wilson has a unique perspective on hazardous area safety. The need to safely handle hydrogen gas is obvious, but industry awareness of the requirements that regulate the design of equipment is sadly lacking among end users and manufacturers alike. In terms of explosive potential, hydrogen is classified as a Group IIC gas. Even relatively low concentrations of hydrogen in any environment are extremely vulnerable to ignition by spark or flame. Any hazardous area equipment should be designed to limit potential ignition sources.
At Woodcock & Wilson, we believe safety should be paramount. As part of our safety culture, we have taken our products to the next stage. We have worked with UK accredited bodies, EU notified bodies and IECEx to produce a range of IIC certified fans with third-party certification to the correct ISO and EN standards that are critical in the assessment and testing of these products.
What is an IIC Fan?
An IIC fan is a type of ventilation fan specifically designed to operate in environments where hydrogen gas is present. Hydrogen is highly flammable and requires specially designed equipment to ensure safe operation. IIC fans are engineered to prevent ignition sources, reducing the risk of explosion in hazardous areas.
Download our Product Specification Sheet
Where are IIC Fans Used?
IIC fans are used in various applications where hydrogen gas might be present, including:
- Wind turbines with energy storage systems to store surplus energy.
- Hydrogen generation and fuel cell systems.
- Hydrogen filling stations.
- Hydrogen distribution and storage plants.
- Battery rooms for backup and uninterruptible power supplies.
Certification Standards for IIC Fans
While other manufacturers may offer IIB + Hydrogen, Woodcock and Wilson are able to offer independently certified IIC (Hydrogen) fans. These fans can be ATEX certified, UKEX certified & IECEx certified or all three.
The certification covers:
- EN14986: Design of fans working in potentially explosive atmospheres.
- EN80079-36: Non-electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres. Basic method and requirements.
- EN80079-37: Non-electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres. Non-electrical type of protection (constructional safety “c”. control of ignition sources “b”, liquid immersion “k”).
- The implementation of the EN ISO 80079 standard series in 2016 for None- Electrical Equipment
Marking
Markings for None- Electrical Equipment follows the same methodologies as for electrical equipment including all provided protections
| Type of Protection | Ex Code | Zone | ISO/IEC & En Standards |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Requirements | h | 1, 2, 21, 22 | 80079-36 |
| Construction safety | h | 1, 2, 21, 22 | 80079-37 |
Ignition prevention is NOT only for electrical equipment.
It’s crucial to understand that both mechanical and electrical parts of fans must be certified to ensure complete safety. Customers can sometimes be misled into believing that Ex equipment only needs to be self-certified for mechanical requirements and fully certified for electrical parts. This is not the case, as fans have both electrical and mechanical elements that must be fully certified to the correct standards.
Ensuring that your IIC fan is properly certified for both electrical and mechanical components is essential for safety and compliance.
What is the F4H2 standards
This is a standard which highlights Woodcock & Wilsons ability to understand the needs & requirements of the Hydrogen economy. We have worked closely with Nuclear AMRC (part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult) to advance our capabilities & performance for the growing Hydrogen market.
To achieve the standard we demonstrated business excellence, along with understanding sector-specific applications & continually demonstrate high standards of quality management.
IIC certified product range.
All our products can be IIC certified for Hydrogen applications including, IIC Centrifugal Direct driven & Belt driven fans, IIC Axial Direct driven & Belt drive fans, IIC Plate mount axial fans plus IIC Bifurcated fans
