Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH (Mannheim; www.pepperl-fuchs.com) and R. Stahl Schaltgeräte GmbH (Waldenburg, both Germany; www.stahl.de) have signed a license agreement for using the new DART (dynamic arc recognition and termination) technology. The open DART licensing model allows the unlimited use of this patented technology in order to supports its fast international acceptance. Both companies also expressed their common interest to support the international standardization of this technology.
In order to completely exclude the development of sparks strong enough to cause ignitions, conventional solutions for intrinsically safe electric circuits drastically limit the effective power available for devices within explosion hazardous areas. In contrast, DART recognizes the typical current and voltage pattern which indicates the development of a spark. This technology immediately cuts off the power supply within a few microseconds, thereby “extinguishing” the spark before it is able to develop sufficient energy to ignite any explosive mixture of gases. With DART technology, the requirements of IEC 60079-11 regarding the protection of devices by means of intrinsic safety are raised significantly, allowing the intrinsically safe supply of up to 50 W of effective power to devices within the ex zone.