IS IT SAFE TO USE DIESEL ENGINE OPERATED PUMP SET FOR NAPTHA SERVICE

Verify with diesel engine driven pump supplier that this equipment is rated for an "explosive zone 11" environment.

I'm certain that a configuration can be made using any motor in any grade explosive environment. I am equally certain that equipment rated to be used in your explosive zone can be made to cause an explosion. Since you are asking us if what you are doing is safe, I default that it is not safe. This is not the kind of a decision that should be made by us reading your descriptions. While I'm sure that you are being honest with us, by asking this question you are clearly not qualified. So we can only get our questions answered by an unqualified person.

It would not be a good idea to use a standard diesel driven pump, but ATEX certified diesel engines are available. When I was involved with diesel driven pumps, many moons ago, I believe it was simply a matter of fitting a different silencer arrangement with spark arrestors, but much has changed since then. Ask your pump supplier if they can supply the pumpset certified for ATEX zone II use.

Agree. Also to be taken into account is that if there is a gas cloud a diesel engine can continue to run on what it is sucking through the air intake even though the fuel is isolated. If this is a possibility in your set up then the air intake must be fitted with a shutoff valve or inert gas smothering.

To our understanding diesel engine itself acts as high level hot surface body (more than 100 deg. C ) when it is in operation. During pumping of Naptha ( a higly flammable & volatile petroleum product) if there is any leakge or fugitive vapour loses through flanges, mechanical seal or valves it may come in contact with diesel engine hot surface being in closed proximity of pump and can cause fire .

Simmilary the silencer of the of the diesel engine pump also becomes quite hot source while the diesel engine pump is in operation .

I also doubt that the location (zone 11) of diesel engime pump set while pumping Naptha itself serve as zone 0 because of handling the higly inflammable product.Therefore ,the pump must also be compliant to zone 0

The diesel engine pump we are planning to install will be situated within our petroleum oil storage tank-farm but out side the dike (contaimnet) walls .

Thanks you for your advice to USE ATX zone 11 certified pumpset.I will review it and try to find out what features of this kind of ATX pump makes it safe to use in such kind of environment .