Tyco Fire Protection Products showcased its experience in water mist suppression solutions on 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 nicely suited to the protection of irreplaceable works and artefacts in highly priceless buildings.
Tim’s lecture focused on a fire take a look at protocol that was formulated to confirm the performance and use of Tyco’s own water mist answer, AquaMist, in an historic constructing, residence to treasured archive storage. เครื่องมือที่ใช้วัดความดัน (NFPA) 750 standard requires that, when employing a water mist suppression system, hearth testing is undertaken pertinent to the chance. However, of the revealed fire test protocols listed in NFPA 750, none details the necessities for archives that include curler (compact) racking. Many of the racks within the focused building are of the ‘roller’ type, which limit the amount of house for constructing services, together with those for extinguishing system pipework.
Together with the challenge stakeholders, Tyco devised the protocol to incorporate test rig and format, take a look at sort, fireplace load, knowledge acquisition (for example, sensors and imaging), hardware required (such as pumps, nozzles, pipe, tank, generator), and well being and security procedures (for instance, the fireplace brigade). The related performance based hearth checks had been then designed to replicate the vary of application parameters associated with archive storage.
While ignition sources at the original website have been identified to be minimal, and the primary fire supply confirmed as arson, the multi-level constructing poses numerous challenges that needed to be thought-about when formulating the fire test protocol to ensure effective safety. Low ceilings and numerous obstructions, similar to lighting, ducts and pillars, contribute in the course of the confined surroundings of the archive storage basement level. Items are stored in a mixture of open racks and compact racks, which supply less than a 150mm hole between themselves and the ceiling, and there is limited on-site water storage. Pre-test danger analysis also highlighted restricted access and exits below and above ground, so it is essential for storage space to be maximised and safe egress provided in case of the event of a fireplace. In addition, the highly priceless nature of the storage contents meant that the selected hearth suppression solution had to make sure minimal harm to those historic objects.
To obtain validation, the tests had to meet varied goals. These comprised rapid management of the fire within a prescribed space (in this case, outlined as inside a block of racks); control of temperature; attenuation of radiation; and minimisation of collateral injury by way of water clean-up. They also had to bear in mind varied parameters, including the desired excessive pressure mist system; a 30 minute run time; and an annual measurable achievement objective (AMAO) defined according to a formula based mostly on the amount of nozzles activating during testing.
The fireplace checks, carried out for both open and roller racks with minimum storage gaps, were undertaken in a personalized check rig, designed, constructed and fitted to duplicate the precise specification, racking preparations and storage supplies of the location. Considered a excessive load, the gasoline materials were identical to that found in archive storage, together with paper, books, micro-film and CD instances.
Success was defined by move or fail criteria and determined by detailed quantitative measurements on system configuration, hydraulic analysis, discharge pressure, discharge sequence, fire unfold, temperature, hearth harm and water consumption. In each tests, Tyco’s AquaMist system operated successfully and was observed to suppress and management the hearth effectively. The challenge staff was impressed by the lack of fireside and smoke damage to the materials and structure and the product has since been put in in the constructing in query.
“The IWMA convention is a unbelievable opportunity to focus on the advantages of water mist as a fireplace suppression answer, as nicely as reveal its versatility in a variety of functions,” comments Dr Tim Nichols. “Identifying a gap available within the market and taking the opportunity to formulate a fireplace take a look at protocol for archive storage enabled us to validate the professional capabilities of our AquaMist system and facilitate safety of a customer’s highly useful property.”
For extra data, go to www.tfppemea.com
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