Newson Gale has launched its next generation static grounding relay, the Earth-Rite OMEGA II. Featuring ATEX, IECEx and cCSAus Intrinsically Safe certified circuits for the highest gas, vapour and dust groups the device monitors the resistance of circuits designed to ground equipment that are subjected to electrostatic charging.
The new DIN rail mountable relay caters for installations where dedicated grounding systems like the Earth-Rite® RTR or Earth-Rite® PLUS would not normally form part of an electrical contractor’s turnkey control panel project for an EX hazardous area installation.
It features four adjustable resistance monitoring settings that can cater for the specific requirements of a wide range of static grounding applications. The resistance monitoring settings available for selection are 2, 4, 10 and 600 ohms. By ensuring the grounding circuit has a low resistance path to a verified earth ground, the risk of an ignition caused by an electrostatic discharge is controlled to safe levels.
Newson Gale’s range of 2 pole ATEX certified / Factory Mutual approved static grounding clamps and Cen-Stat grounding cable connect the Earth-Rite OMEGA II to hazardous area equipment and with its internal two volt-free changeover contacts can be interlocked with process equipment to stop the generation of static electricity if the equipment is not grounded. It can also be interlocked with an indicator station to provide operators with a visual reference point to indicate if the equipment is safely grounded prior to, and during, the operation.
The relay has a certified operating temperature range of -40° C to +60° C and carries SIL 2 certification in accordance with the requirements of IEC 61508. It requires a 24VDC power supply with up to four relays powered simultaneously by a single power supply. The relays are normally mounted in the non-hazardous area but can be mounted in a suitably certified Ex(d) flameproof enclosure located in the hazardous area.
