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ENCLOSURE SYSTEM ALLOWING FOR HOT WORK WITHIN THE VICINITY OF FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL

  • US 20070052543A1
  • Filed: 07/07/2005
  • Published: 03/08/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An enclosure system comprised of one or more enclosures built about at least one object to be hot worked at a facility wherein flammable or combustible materials are located within a hazardous distance front where the hot work is to be performed, which enclosure system is comprised of:

  • a) at least one enclosure, each enclosure comprising;

    i) enclosing walls, ceiling and floor defining a chamber in which the hot work is to be performed;

    ii) at least one door to allow workers to enter and exit;

    iii) at least one air inlet port;

    iv) at least one air outlet port;

    V) at least one blower having an intake and exhaust, which exhaust is in fluid communication with said at least one air inlet port;

    vi) a blower control in communication with said at least one blower and to a gas detection monitor at the intake of said at least one blower and to a shutdown controller, wherein said blower control has the capability of allowing the blower to continue to operate during an emergency shutdown that is not triggered by a combustible or flammable gas detected at said gas detection monitor located at the intake of the said at least one blower;

    vii) at least one manual emergency shutdown switch inside of said enclosure; and

    viii) at least one manual emergency shutdown switch outside of, but within the perimeter of, said enclosure;

    b) a monitoring system comprised of;

    i) a plurality of gas detection monitors located at the predetermined location inside and outside of each enclosure;

    wherein each of said gas detection monitors having a means of communication with a gas detection controller console; and

    ii) a gas detection controller console comprised of;

    a) a means capable of receiving data transmitted from the plurality of the gas detection monitors;

    b) an interface means capable of communicating data from the said receiving means of the console to a central processing unit;

    c) the central processing unit containing software capable of, inter alia, accepting, storing computing, and displaying data received from said plurality of gas detection monitors;

    d) a display device in communication with said central processing unit and capable of displaying data from said plurality of gas detection monitors; and

    e) an interface means capable of communicating a signal from said central processing unit to a control system;

    c) the control system comprised of;

    i) an operator controller console comprised of;

    a) a source of electrical power for the system;

    b) at least one control device;

    c) a means for displaying the status of each enclosure;

    d) a capability of communicating predetermined bypass and system shutdown signals to a shutdown controller; and

    e) an audible alarm that will activate when a shutdown occurs;

    ii) a shutdown controller capable of sending shutdown signals to one or more enclosure control devices, one or more shutdown control devices, and to various equipment associated with the hot work to be conducted in said one or more enclosures; and

    iii) an enclosure controller comprised of a differential pressure monitor for monitoring the pressure within the enclosure relative to the pressure outside of the enclosure, a programmable logic control device, an audible alarm and a visual alarm.

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