An Overview of Explosion-Proof Enclosure Research

This paper presents an overview of explosion-proof enclosure research currently being conducted by the Bureau of Mines. It emphasizes the increasing importance of research related to the safety considerations of explosion-proof (XP) enclosures used in underground coal mines. Selected topics are included that summarize results of research in the areas of electrical clearances, reliability of enclosures with windows, safety factors in XP enclosures, potting materials, performance tests for XP enclosures, high-voltage explosion protection techniques and innovative XP devices.