ไดอะแฟรม ซีล in water mist suppression options at the International Water Mist Association (IWMA) Conference in Istanbul. Dr Tim Nichols, Sales Director Water Mist EMEA, gave a presentation entitled ‘Fire Protection of Compact Archive Storage utilizing Water Mist’, where he mentioned how the extinguishant is well suited to the safety of irreplaceable works and artefacts in highly priceless buildings.
Tim’s lecture focused on a fireplace check protocol that was formulated to confirm the efficiency and use of Tyco’s personal water mist answer, AquaMist, in an historic building, house to valuable archive storage. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 750 commonplace requires that, when employing a water mist suppression system, fire testing is undertaken pertinent to the danger. However, of the revealed fireplace take a look at protocols listed in NFPA 750, none particulars the necessities for archives that contain roller (compact) racking. Many of the racks in the targeted constructing are of the ‘roller’ kind, which limit the amount of area for building providers, together with those for extinguishing system pipework.
Together with the challenge stakeholders, Tyco devised the protocol to incorporate take a look at rig and format, check sort, fireplace load, knowledge acquisition (for instance, sensors and imaging), hardware required (such as pumps, nozzles, pipe, tank, generator), and health and security procedures (for occasion, the fireplace brigade). The associated performance based mostly hearth tests have been then designed to copy the vary of application parameters associated with archive storage.
While ignition sources on the unique site have been recognized to be minimal, and the principle fire source confirmed as arson, the multi-level constructing poses numerous challenges that needed to be thought of when formulating the hearth take a look at protocol to ensure efficient safety. Low ceilings and numerous obstructions, such as lighting, ducts and pillars, contribute towards the confined setting of the archive storage basement level. Items are saved in a combination of open racks and compact racks, which supply lower than a 150mm gap between themselves and the ceiling, and there is restricted on-site water storage. Pre-test risk analysis additionally highlighted restricted entry and exits below and above ground, so it is important for storage space to be maximised and safe egress provided in case of the occasion of a hearth. In addition, the extremely useful nature of the storage contents meant that the selected hearth suppression solution had to make sure minimal harm to those historical gadgets.
To obtain validation, the exams needed to meet varied aims. These comprised rapid management of the fire inside a prescribed space (in this case, defined as inside a block of racks); management of temperature; attenuation of radiation; and minimisation of collateral injury through water clean-up. They additionally needed to bear in mind numerous parameters, including the desired high pressure mist system; a 30 minute run time; and an annual measurable achievement objective (AMAO) outlined according to a method based mostly on the amount of nozzles activating during testing.
The fire tests, carried out for each open and roller racks with minimum storage gaps, have been undertaken in a customised check rig, designed, constructed and fitted to duplicate the precise specification, racking arrangements and storage materials of the positioning. Considered a high load, the fuel materials had been similar to that found in archive storage, together with paper, books, micro-film and CD cases.
Success was outlined by cross or fail criteria and decided by detailed quantitative measurements on system configuration, hydraulic analysis, discharge stress, discharge sequence, fireplace spread, temperature, fireplace injury and water consumption. In both exams, Tyco’s AquaMist system operated effectively and was noticed to suppress and control the fireplace efficiently. The venture team was impressed by the dearth of fire and smoke damage to the materials and structure and the product has since been put in in the constructing in question.
“ digital pressure gauge is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the benefits of water mist as a hearth suppression answer, as properly as demonstrate its versatility in a variety of functions,” comments Dr Tim Nichols. “Identifying a spot out there and taking the chance to formulate a fire test protocol for archive storage enabled us to validate the professional capabilities of our AquaMist system and facilitate protection of a customer’s highly useful belongings.”
For more info, go to www.tfppemea.com
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