Health & Safety
halon alternatives that are not affected by the F-gas Regulation, including water and inert gas based systems and some engineered extinguishing agents. Water-based systems have the benefit of zero GWP and naturally low toxicity, although there is the issue of safe disposal of contaminated water in the event of a system discharge to consider. Tese systems are suitable for many situations, but not those where sensitive, delicate or expensive equipment is involved such as computers – because of damage that water can cause to electronics. Plus, water-based systems cascade downwards (two-dimensional activity), so it is important to ensure that all equipment is adequately covered from all angles. Another option is inert gasses, typically combinations of argon and nitrogen, which work by replacing air in the risk area and reducing the oxygen below the level of combustion. Again, they have low GWPs and are not affected by the F-gas Regulation. Tey may not be the best choice where very rapid fire extinguishing is required, because they can take a couple of minutes to effectively discharge and then 30 seconds to put out a fire. Plus, they are not ideal in occupied areas, because the elimination of oxygen can cause these gasses to be hypoxic at the concentration level required to extinguish a fire. Tey also need high pressure to operate and since high volumes of gas are required, the size of the overall system can be comparatively large. A third option is to use systems based on engineered clean extinguishing agents. Systems that use these agents typically require lower pressure and have smaller footprints so they take up less valuable space. Tis category includes non- sustainable agents such as HFCs, but also environmentally sustainable agents that are not affected by the new EU legislation, nor any other legislation worldwide. For instance, perfluoroketones (also
known as FK 5-1-12) have a GWP of less than one and zero ozone depletion. Tis agent discharges in 10 seconds and extinguishes a fire within 30 seconds, by removing heat rather than oxygen.
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As these clean extinguishing agents are electrically non-conductive and do not leave any residue on equipment, they are safe for use without any interruption to service, following discharge. In the oil and gas market, there are other issues to consider. For instance, engineered clean extinguishing agents which are fluids at room-temperature (such as FK 5-1-12) can be shipped using any form of transportation, including air cargo. Consequentially, these agents can be rapidly delivered to remote locations – such as offshore oil rigs – and lend themselves well to local refilling by trained personnel, eliminating the need to remove cylinders off-site for maintenance. Tis brings us to a final and important point: whatever system is chosen, total cost of ownership needs to be understood, because variable factors, such as refilling, maintenance, space and storage, can vary. Regardless of which type of system is selected, the message to the oil and gas market is that current environmental legislation does not have to inhibit the ability to select and install fire suppression systems that meet a wide range of criteria: looking after health and safety; protecting valuable assets; and of course, effective extinguishing of any fire outbreak. l
Fig. 2. There are some viable and well-established halon alternatives that are not affected by the F-gas Regulation, including water and inert gas based systems and some engineered extinguishing agents.
Bart Goeman has been Business Development Manager for 3M Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid for the EMEA region since 2003. He is based in Belgium.
www.3M.co.uk
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