Minimax out of sight
Largest ever river cruise vessel to operate on the Elbe hides a little secret when it comes to fire protection.
S
cenic Emerald, the largest freshwater cruiser on the river Elbe, is also breaking safety records, with the
inclusion of what is said to be a unique fire protection solution for ships of this type - the GL-certified ‘undercover’ sprinkler system from Minimax. At 135m long by 11.45m across the beam,
the river cruise giant from Saxony-Anhalt’s Tangermünde Ship Building and Developing Company (SET) offers 20% more capacity than the average cruiser. Her four decks offer 86 luxury suites, a restaurant, a lounge and bar area and spacious viewing areas. Modified GL and SUK regulations now
demand new levels of fire protection for German river boats. In order to ensure complete integration of unsightly nozzles, the cabins and all public areas of Scenic Emerald have been equipped with undercover sprinklers. This system is fitted into the ceiling, thus ensuring discreet safety. With a maximum height of two metres, the
ceilings on Scenic Emerald are comparatively low. Tanks to the integrated undercover sprinkler system, valuable centimetres are also gained. Te GL-certified sprinklers consist of both
tried and tested hanging and rapid-response umbrella sprinklers as well as a new-style casing. Te undercover solution is also said to be less susceptible to collecting dirt than conventionally fitted sprinklers. For an optimal surface finish, Scenic
ESD gets Florida approval
The Florida Department of Health has approved marine waste compaction equipment supplied by Ocala, Florida-based ESD Waste2Water, Inc for use in the marine industry.
Furthermore, in a third party validation, nationally-recognised testing bodies TUV RHEINLAND and UL laboratories have endorsed the product as compliant with safety code regulations covering use and manufacture. Their new guidelines coincide with OSHA requirements for worker safety. The product line has been named “Green Squeeze” and was developed for all industrial applications to streamline
the handling and costs associated with waste removal. The process uses aircraft grade aluminum to reduce equipment weight, UV lamps and HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters to contain and treat odours. In operation, waste will be “unseen”, because it will be moved through common areas compacted in its container. One employee can move 500lbs of waste through the facility. The ESD point of generation waste removal systems can be retrofitted to any ship.
The Naval Architect February 2009 51 Scenic Emerald, the largest river cruiser ever to be built for the Elbe.
The Minimax undercover sprinkler system in its different positions.
Emerald’s undercover sprinkler was covered with a fine-mesh screen: the inconspicuous covers have been especially adapted to the different ceiling tones onboard the cruiser. When in use, the water jets are strong enough to force off the screens. Nevertheless, in order to prevent any hesitation over when the sprinkler is triggered, Minimax also equipped the covers with its patented CoverDrop eject mechanism, which exposes the sprinkler head before the nominal trigger temperature is reached.
Te CoverDrop eject mechanism is based
on two redundant working mechanisms. A coil spring locked with a fusible link is immobilised within the fine-mesh screen. When the nominal trigger temperature of the soldered strut lying below the trigger temperature of the sprinkler is reached, the coil spring is released and the cover is dropped. If, for some reason, the sprinkler is triggered before it drops out of the cover, the cover is released by the escaping water and even water distribution is guaranteed. NA
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