Fire-rated circuit integrity cables for the petroleum industry compliant to API, IEEE, and IEC standards

Fire safety has become increasingly important and vital to the Petroleum and Chemical Industries. New fire-rated, power, control, and instrumentation, Circuit Integrity Cable (CIC) technology has been developed to comply with fireproofing practices, guides, and testing standards such as API-2218, API-14FZ, and IEC-60331 and new standards and guides under development such as IEEE-P1717 and IEEE-P1810. These cables are designed for emergency and safety shutdown systems and are normally used for critical circuits powering and monitoring remote operated shut off valves (ROSOV), emergency isolation valves (EIV), and motor operated valves (MOV), which are designed to limit the duration and severity of a fire by shutting off the fuel source. The United States (US) Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is now requiring the use of ROSOVs in the fire envelope area of a Refinery as a result of a recent fire in the United States (U.S.). In US, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission also will require fire-rated CICs and barriers in critical safety areas of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). One of the objectives of this paper to compare and contrast the most widely used testing standards relative to fire safety including new ones under development. There are numerous testing standards available to the users. Some of these standards are similar in nature but others vary in their scope and objective. This paper will also clarify the confusion that sometimes exists relative to the concepts of heat, flame and fire resistance. Data regarding fire, smoke, and toxicity (FST) of selected polymers and cable aging experiences will be presented. The paper will elucidate the various types of fire-rated, power, control, and instrumentation circuit integrity cables available to the Petroleum and Chemical Industries designed to comply with these fire safety standards and practices. The cost/benefits (C/B) and consequences of not having proper fireproofing systems and CICs will be discussed.