FEATURE MACHINE SAFETY
CUSTOMISED PERFORMANCE to match specific fire risks
A watermist fire protection solution offers optimal fire protection to machinery spaces, reducing water usage while achieving a larger surface area, writes Wouter Bossink of Tyco
W
hen a fire takes hold tackling the flames and source of ignition isn’t
the only priority. Hazards must be identified, critical assets in the building protected and the safety of people inside assured. Depending on the environment, further aspects need to be considered such as minimising water damage and operational downtime. Fire protection systems are central to
achieving early intervention and delivering an effective response, however there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution to meet every need. Fire suppression and protection solutions provide the most effective defence against fire risk and damage when designed to meet the needs and risks of specific applications.
ADAPTABLE TECHNOLOGY Watermist fire suppression technology has demonstrated its suitability for particular environments including smaller and medium sized hazardous areas where a reduced water supply or effective safeguarding of high value contents are required. These include machinery protection, industrial fryers, cable tunnels and heritage buildings. The system forces water through nozzles to create a mist which is then sprayed onto the fire. The mist evaporates, expands and quickly converts to smother the fire and displace oxygen, thereby blocking it from the fuel source. Discharging a fine watermist at high velocity helps to fight fires effectively while minimising water damage in the affected environment. The technology actuates immediately and rapidly for efficient suppression and its ‘green’ status and sustainability benefits mean that it is favoured over other techniques that use environmentally harmful agents still in circulation.
PROTECTING WITH AQUAMIST When designing a fire protection system the challenge is to select the right suppression system to match the risk. Tyco Fire Protection Products uses its expertise and knowledge from over 100 years of fire safety to advise customers of the best solution for the environment. Tyco’s AquaMist range of proven watermist solutions is designed to
6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
70 to 200 bar the system produces water droplets of small diameters at high velocity which enables the mist to penetrate the hot fumes, reach the combustion area quickly and suppress the fire efficiently. Due to its high pressure and small droplet size the system creates a large effective cooling surface area of the fire and surrounding volume, making it suitable for applications such as machinery spaces, turbine enclosures, engine test cells and mechanical escalators. AquaMist Sonic is a hybrid system
suppress fires in occupied spaces with high value hazards and consists of three systems which are customised for specific applications. AquaMist Ultra Low Flow (ULF) is a low pressure watermist system that operates at working pressures of 7 to 16 bar. Discharging water creates no adverse environmental impact. A further benefit is up to a fivefold reduction in the amount of water required with no detrimental effect on fire-fighting capability. This results in lower pressure losses requiring smaller pipe diameters, making this system highly economical. Part of AquaMist ULF technology is
Industrial Fryer Protection (IFP) - an oil cooker fire suppression solution. Commonly used in the food industry, Industrial fryers contain large amounts of oil (up to 19.000 liters or 5.000 US gallons) and operate at high temperatures. The IFP system includes water mist nozzles and a pump unit combined with fire detection to provide the best integrated solution to protect the hood area, fine box and stacks. AquaMist Fog is a high pressure system that provides a fast and efficient method of fire protection which ultimately eliminates the hazard of re-ignition while reducing water consumption and pipe diameters. Operating at pressures of
Watermist fire suppression technology forces water through nozzles to create a mist which is then sprayed onto the fire
comprising both water and nitrogen and one of the latest innovations in enhanced watermist technology. Specifically engineered for a wide range of industrial applications including machinery spaces, combustion turbine enclosures and generator enclosures, this technology is safe for both people and the environment and uses one-third of the water consumed by comparable high pressure watermist systems. Discharging very small droplets at high volume and high velocity, it offers total flooding capacity, providing extended droplet reach to rapidly fill spaces and act upon the combustion area more efficiently.
ENSURING MACHINERY SAFETY AquaMist is specifically engineered to protect a range of applications in machinery spaces, offering a simple, water-based fire suppression solution which is both dependable and safe. Typical risks that fall into the
machinery category include turbine enclosures, transformers and generators. Here, watermist technology delivers optimum fire protection to quickly suppress fire in areas containing pressurised flammable liquids, hot surfaces and ‘non tight’ enclosures. By understanding the different hazards
within their facility, plant engineers can select a fire suppression solution with the characteristics that best suit their particular application.
Tyco Fire Protection Products T: 0161 259 4000
www.tfppemea.com Enter 300
/ FACTORYEQUIPMENT
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56