Simple Apparatus--Consume vs Generate

[fifty60]

A simple apparatus as devined by 504.2 NFPA70 2014 says the component cannot GENERATE more than 1.5V, 100mA, and 25mW.

I am a confused about "consuming" vs "generating". A small alarm horn, for example, operates off of 6VDC, and 6mA, which would be 36mW. Would it be considered to "generate" the 6VDC, 6mA, and 36mW??

To me, the component would consume the above, not generate the above.

 

[K8MHZ]

A simple apparatus as devined by 504.2 NFPA70 2014 says the component cannot GENERATE more than 1.5V, 100mA, and 25mW.

I am a confused about "consuming" vs "generating". A small alarm horn, for example, operates off of 6VDC, and 6mA, which would be 36mW. Would it be considered to "generate" the 6VDC, 6mA, and 36mW??

To me, the component would consume the above, not generate the above.

Are you asking if the alarm horn qualifies as a 'simple apparatus'?

To me, the amount the device consumes is irrelevant, if the device is 'of simple construction'. The examples given are single component devices such as switches, LED's, etc. Is an alarm horn a device 'of simple construction'?

Don't you just love it when the NEC uses terms like that and then doesn't bother to define them?

To be safe, I would consider the horn to be an 'intrinsically safe' apparatus.

 

[fifty60]

By intrinsically safe do you mean that I can treat it as a simple apparatus and add an intrinsic isolator or zener barrier to it?

 

[Smart $]

A simple apparatus as devined by 504.2 NFPA70 2014 says the component cannot GENERATE more than 1.5V, 100mA, and 25mW.

I am a confused about "consuming" vs "generating". A small alarm horn, for example, operates off of 6VDC, and 6mA, which would be 36mW. Would it be considered to "generate" the 6VDC, 6mA, and 36mW??

To me, the component would consume the above, not generate the above.

If an apparatus consumes electricity, it does so by generating light, heat, motion, etc. (conservation of energy).

The apparatus cannot exceed any one parameter. Your horn does not generate any voltage, but it operates at 6VDC, exceeding the limit of 1.5V at the apparatus. It also generates 36mW in other forms of energy (Code does not distinguish between other forms of energy), exceeding the 25mW limit.