Protect Critical Operations With Fire Suppression Systems

Suppression systems

Types Of Suppression Systems Available

Gas suppression systems for electrical applications - ensure your critical systems can operate 24/7

By installing a gaseous fire suppression system you can starve a fire of oxygen or heat & there for eliminating the 3 requirements for a fire to burn, being oxygen / fuel / heat.

Our suppression systems will detect a fire usually by smoke detectors & trigger a series of out puts which release a gas agent into the protected area, this gas will then suffocate the fire of oxygen or heat & therefore extinguish the fire.

Here are a few gases we can provide :

  • Argonite
  • FM 200
  • HFC 227ea
  • Inergen
  • Co2 flood systems

Fire Suppression - Safety First

To ensure we don't release the gas from an false alarm such as dust, we provide a series of detector activations known as "double knock" or "1st & 2nd" Stage alarm. This is where 2 different detectors on 2 different zones have to be triggered in the event of a fire.

Initially 1 detector will be triggered on Zone 1 (1st stage) , if a 2nd detector (2nd stage) is triggered then a countdown timer is started, once this timer has elapsed the gas will be released.

During the above process a series of alarms will be triggered, 1st stage a sounder would trigger, 2nd stage a different tone sounder would trigger then after the countdown timer has elapsed a bell & flashing strobe would trigger on realease of the gas.

At all times there is a main panel which provide indication & control of the current status.

During all of the above the gas can be released immeadiatley by hitting a yellow break glass call point or if you want to "hold off" the release process we can provide " hold off" buttons.

The gases we use are safe & environmently friendly & more important have no clean up requirements ensuring your critical systems keep you operating 24/7

Fire suppression applications - Server rooms, switch rooms, battery rooms, high voltage switch rooms, transformer rooms.

Fire Suppression - Gas Information

There are 2 main gases used within this fire suppression system, below is an explanation of how they work, the name shown is the scientific name of the gas, the actual gas name you usually hear (argonite FM200, Inergen) is a brand name & will be one of these 2 gases.

Introduction to HFC-227ea (FM-200) Fire Suppression

HFC-227ea (FM-200) is a compressed gas which is stored as a liquid and dispensed into the hazard area as a clear, odourless and electrically non-conductive vapour that does not obscure vision. It leaves no residue and, at the correct design concentration, is suitable for the protection of occupied areas.

HFC-227ea is a very effective fire extinguishing agent that can be used to protect a wide range of applications. It is suitable for use on class A (solid combustibles) and class B (flammable liquids) fires, including risks with live electrical equipment.

The extinguishant works primarily by physically absorbing heat so that the temperature of the flame falls to a point below which it cannot propagate. It does not displace oxygen, and is therefore safe for use in occupied areas without fear of oxygen deprivation.

HFC-227ea has a zero ozone-depletion potential and a short atmospheric lifetime, and is therefore considered as an environmentally acceptable extinguishing agent.

Introduction to IG-55 Fire Suppression

IG-55 (50% Argon, 50% Nitrogen - Argonite) is a composite gas which is mixed and stored at a pressure of 300 bar. It is electrically non-conductive, leaves no residue and, at the correct design concentration, is suitable for the protection of occupied areas.

IG-55 is a very effective fire extinguishing agent that can be used to protect a wide range of applications. It is suitable for use on class A (solid combustibles) and class B (flammable liquids) fires, including risks with live electrical equipment.

Almost all fires are extinguished in less than 60 seconds when the oxygen concentration falls below 15%. IG-55 fire suppression systems reduces the oxygen concentration to around 12.5% - a level acceptable to human exposure over short periods of time - thus eliminating the fire quickly and effectively without affecting personnel.

Argon and Nitrogen are both naturally occurring gases, which have zero ozone-depletion potential and no atmospheric lifetime. IG-55 is a 50/50 mixture of these two gases and is therefore considered to be an environmentally neutral extinguishing agent.

Water Mist Fire Suppression Systems

The use of gas to flood a room may not always solve a particular fire hazzard.

High risk applications such as ovens & fat fryers can negate the use of a gas system as they may be in an open area or confined oven space where enclosure integrity may cause an issue.

To tackle this problem we can provide water mist suppression systems operated from heat sensor probes.

By using heat sensor probes to detect a higher than average temperature we can trigger a water mist blanket which provide a sustained cooling effect over an area such as a deep fat fryer basin or similar.

By using water we can ensure safety & limited down time by enabaling a quick & easy clean up, this ensures your back up & running for business in no time at all.

Water Mist Fire Suppression System applications :

Bakeries, fryers & ovens, oil stores

Foam Deluge Fire Suppression Systems

These systems are similar to the above but will utilise the technology of expanding foam solution mixed with water.

Sometimes sprinklers may require an expensive tank & pump system which cannot be afforded or a high flammable liquid risk may need cover.

To provide cover for these systems we can provide a foam deluge fire suppression system.

Automatic or Manual fire detection can be used to release a foam & water mixture which will expand on release of the agent giving a large fire rating cover with out the need for large storage or pump tanks.

Applications for a Foam Deluge Fire Suppression System

Oil & Chemical storage cylos, tanks etc, areas which require sprinklers but cannot afford a tank & pumping system

FireTrace & Firetec Suppression Systems - Reacton tubing providing a local application

Reacton systems Reacton systems Reacton systems

A fixed fire suppression system may not always be possible or affordable, there for we can provide a cost effective fire suppression system which has no electronic or moving parts.

This suppression system uses a local application to the fire or flame & therefore negates the need to flood the area or have integrity of the enclosure to contain the gas.

By utilising a method called Recton tubing developed for aeroplanes we can extinguish a fire in small areas such as engine compartments or server cabinets.

The Reacton tube system works by installing the tube (known as detection tubing) around the area of risk (say a boat engine), this tube is connected to a extinguisher filled the required gas for the specific risk, when a flame touches the tube a hole is burst in the tube & therefore releasing the stored pressure & gas, this is then projected onto the flame & extinguishers the fire.

Applications of this type of suppression system :

Boats, fork lift trucks, car engines, any type of engine, server cabinets, filing cabinets