The EKX-4 grounding control device, manufactured by TIMM Elektronik GmbH, is designed to control the grounding of road tankers and rail tankers. This is a new generation of devices designed for use in areas at risk of explosion due to gas or flammable dust, which replaced the previous EKS-3, EKN-3, EKK-3 (230 V version) devices from April 2013. The new EKX-4 device is designed to provide controlled grounding during fuel loading into a tanker or tank. It guarantees that the filling will only be carried out in the case of proper, low impedance of the grounding connection. Only when proper grounding is confirmed, the signal lamps and the control output switch, enabling the filling. If the ground connection is disrupted, the device immediately switches back to the safe mode.The EKX-4 ground monitoring device complies with the requirements of the European standards EN 600079 and EN 61241 and as an electrical device of category II 2 G and category II 2 D it is suitable for use in potentially explosive atmospheres designated as zone Z1 or zone Z21.
Technical Approvals
Key Features and Improvements:
- One device suitable for various applications
- The "tank truck" or "railway tank truck" modes are programmed using an internal switch
- The impedance range can be easily adjusted to suit individual site requirements.
- Improved protection against unauthorized manipulation at the filling station
- Meets the requirements of the EMC and ATEX Directives
- The EKX-4 is intended for use in environments with a potential risk of flammable dust explosion.
- Grounding cable up to 20 meters long
- Redundant signaling outputs continuously self-monitoring and an additional spare signaling output
- NAMUR compatible Exi signalling output which can be set to 'static' or 'dynamic' mode to provide a pulsating signal if required
- Self-diagnosis of all safety-relevant device functions
- Color LED display showing device status during filling and other functionalities for faster error diagnostics
- Higher resistance of the grounding device housing to environmental conditions, achieved by using a special coating
