23 | Fire Fighting System

1.0 | About fire fighting system

The law requires building or factories owner to install specific fighting system on their premises to minimize the risk of fires to occurred in event of faulty electrical equipment or electrical circuits and other possibility of fire causes. This requirement is mandatory by law as part for insurances coverage which relates to public safety reasons.

Components of Fire fighting system

The followings are the types of fire fighting system in building/factory.

sprinkler system
fire hose reel
Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing System (CO2)
fire hydrant
fire alarm system

How to put out fire?

To put out fire, we can remove the fire component or fire source from any point above 1, 2 and 3. Example if we remove the air by using fire extinguisher the fire can be put out.

Fire Theory and Class of Fire

Fire requires few components to start up.

fuel source
heat
air (or oxygen)
chain reactions (refer to conditions and other element factors)

Fire Triangle

Refer to figure above, to put out any fire simply remove any of the fire component.

Class of Fire

According to latest Fire regulations the class of fire.

Class A fires are fires in ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth, rubber, and many plastics.
Class B - fires involving flammable liquids. Example such as gasoline, petroleum greases, tars, oils, oil-based paints, solvents, alcohols.
Class C - fires involving gases.
Class D - fires involving metals.
Class E - Electrical and electronic causes fire.
Class F - Cooking oil or animal fats oil causes fire.

Fire fighting agents

The following list of fire fighting agents are used to put out fire.

Water - used only for Class A fires like wood.
Halon -banned-
Foam - used only for Class A fires like wood.
Dry Powder or Chemical - used only for Class E.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - used only for Class E.
FM200 - used only for Class E.

This new fire fighting agents consist of apaflurane (INN), is a colourless, odourless gaseous halocarbon commonly used as a gaseous fire suppression agent. Safety At high temperatures, heptafluoropropane will decompose and produce hydrogen fluoride. This is observable as presence of sharp, pungent odour, which can be perceived in concentrations far below a dangerous level.

2.0 | Fire Alarm system

This the control for fire detecting system which is mandatory requirement according to local fire authority (BOMBA).

Fire alarm components consists of the followings:

fire call point, manual type, pull trigger
smoke detectors, heat detectors
fire alarm panel main (controller)
sub fire panel known as supervisory panel (or fire mimic panel)
alarm bell (DC type)

Fire alarm system

local alarm - monitoring fire at own premise.
centralized system - connected to fire alarm panel and register fire happening
monitoring

Fire call point

Smoke detectors
Heat detectors
Fire alarm panel
Supervisory panel (or fire mimic panel)
Fire alarm bell

They are an essential part of any building’s fire detection system, as they can:

alert everyone inside to a potential fire danger by sounding the alarm
get the evacuation process started as quickly as possible
sound the alarm even if the automated detection system has failed
notify the fire alarm control panel about the area where the fire is

Automatic Call points

The difference between manual and automatic call point.

Manual fire alarm activation requires human intervention, as distinct from automatic fire alarm activation such as that provided through the use of heat detectors and smoke detectors.

smoke detectors are automatic call point.

Manual Call points

Manual call points are used to initiate an alarm signal and operate using a simple button press or when glass is broken revealing a button. They can form part of a manual alarm system or an automatic alarm system.

pull trigger fire call point

break glass type

3.0 | Fire Sprinkler system

This is the fire fighting system where premise will trigger action by spraying water on the affected fire areas before firemen arrives at fire site. Some times heavy traffic jams can cause fire to delay to put out, therefor according to building/factory requirements this system is required to be made available at owner premise.

Components of fire sprinkler systems:

fire sprinkler pumps
jockey pumps
sprinkler heads
piping system

3.1 Fire sprinkler system types

Fire protection is of the upmost importance in commercial buildings in case of an emergency. One of the best preventative measure to take for the safety of your employees and your property is the installation of fire sprinkler systems.

deluge system
wet pipe system
dry pipe system
pre-action system

3.2 | Wet pipe system

Wet pipe sprinkler systems are the most common. In this system the sprinkler piping is constantly filled with water. When the temperature at the ceiling gets hot enough the glass bulb or fusible link in a sprinkler will break. Wet pipe sprinkler systems are the most reliable and cost effective.

Figure of wet pipe sprinkler system. (For Reference only)

In this system the sprinkler piping is constantly filled with water. When the temperature at the ceiling gets hot enough the glass bulb or fusible link in a sprinkler will break. Since the system is already filled with water, water is free to flow out of that sprinkler head.

However, there are times when a wet pipe sprinkler system may not be appropriate. One of the major factors in determining if a wet pipe system can be used is the temperature of the space to be protected.

3.3 | Dry pipe system

Similar to pre-action systems, dry pipe sprinklers use pressurized air in the pipes, which exit before the water. This can cause a bit of a delay before water is discharged, but is a good choice for buildings in colder areas so the pipes do not freeze in winter.

Figure of dry pipe sprinkler system. (For Reference only)

Dry pipe systems are very similar to wet pipe systems with one major difference. The pipe is not constantly filled with water. Instead, the water is held behind a dry pipe valve usually some distance away from where the sprinklers are located. However, in this case, water isn’t immediately available because the pipe is not water filled. Instead, air is released from the now open sprinkler head. This creates a drop in pressure causing the dry pipe valve to open and water to fill the system. Water will then flow from the open sprinkler head. Since there is a delay between sprinkler operation and water flow, the size of dry pipe systems is limited.

3.4 | Pre-action system

Pre-action fire sprinklers systems are filled with air when not in use and water flows through them when the smoke detector goes off. Two triggers are required to start the flow of water from them.

Pre-action sprinklers are helpful, in that they can be set to prevent water from coming out of them should a mechanical failure or false alarm occur. The pre-action system is typically good for places where sprinklers are only necessary when an actual fire occurs, so that water damage is not as prevalent.

Figure of pre-action sprinkler system. (For Reference only)

3.5 | Deluge system

Similar to a pre-action system, the deluge sprinkler system required a smoke or heat detector as well. This system features open nozzles that may be use when a fire occurs.

Deluge systems are filled with unpressurized air and open sprinkler heads, while pre-action systems are filled with pressurized air and each sprinkler head is activated individually depending on the location of the fire.

Deluge systems are good for buildings with hazardous chemicals or flammable liquids.

Figure of deluge system. (For Reference only)

The advantages of deluge fire sprinkler system, since fire deluge systems are able to get to work quicker than traditional systems, they're also able to put out fires in a much shorter amount of time. As soon as they sense a fire inside of a facility, they'll almost instantly dump more than enough water on it to put it out.

4.0 | Fire Hose Reel system

A fire hose reel is a cylindrical spindle made of metal and is used for the storing of a fire hose. The typical length of a fire hose reel is 36m however longer lengths are available. A fire hose reel is used as a first attack apparatus by first responders.

Hose reel cylinders are made of metal, fiberglass, or plastic. The most common types is spring driven, which self retracts. Other varieties include hand crank and motor driven.

This cabinet is required to be lock to prevent anyone using the hose reel use for other purposes beside putting out fires.

Figure of fire hosereel with cabinet box. (For Reference only)

5.0 | Portable fire extinguisher

5.1 Fire Extinguisher Types and Classes

The six main fire extinguisher types with each of the different types of fire extinguisher is suitable for different fire classes.

water - not use anymore
foam - for oil and gas industry, airport
carbon dioxide or CO2 - for electrical fire
dry powder / chemical - for electrical fire
halon - chemical mixture - not use anymore, banned by authority

Standard color for fire extinguishers:

red - new requirement by local authority
black - previously to represent black color cylinder/tank
blue - previously for dry powder/chemical cylinder

Dry chemical

The fire extinguishing agent used in these devices is a powder composed of very small particulates. Types of agents available include sodium bicarbonate base and potassium bicarbonate base. Dry chemical type extinguishers have special treatments that ensure proper flow capabilities by providing resistance to packing and moisture absorption (caking).

Fire extinguishers of this type contain an ammonium phosphate base agent. Multipurpose agents are used in exactly the same manner as ordinary dry chemical agents on Class B fires.

more about chemical compound click here.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

The principal advantage of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) fire extinguishers is that the agent does not leave a residue after use. This can be a significant factor where protection is needed for delicate and costly electronic equipment. The concentration needed for fire extinguishment reduces the amount of oxygen in the vicinity of the fire and should be used with caution when discharged in confined spaces.

Wet chemical

Class F type fires - cooking oil, food fat)

The extinguishing agent can be comprised of, but is not limited to, solutions of water and potassium acetate, potassium carbonate, potassium citrate, or a combination of these chemicals (which are conductors of electricity). The water content of the agent aids in cooling and reducing the temperature of the hot oils and fats below their autoignition point. The agent, when discharged as a fine spray directly at cooking appliances, reduces the possibility of splashing hot grease and does not present a shock hazard to the operator.

Halon

The bromochlorodifluoromethane (Halon 1211) fire extinguisher has an agent that is similar to carbon dioxide in that it is suitable for cold weather installation and leaves no residue. However this agent is been banned by authority because of the environmental damage it causes to the earth’s ozone.

Film-forming foam type

AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) and FFFP (film-forming fluoroprotein) fire extinguishers are rated for use on both Class A and Class B fires. As the name implies, they discharge a foam material rather than a liquid or powder.

They are not suitable for use in freezing temperatures. An advantage of this type of extinguisher when used on Class B flammable liquid fires of appreciable depth is the ability of the agent to float on and secure the liquid surface, which helps to prevent reignition.

Water

Water is the primary liquid used in these extinguishers, although sometimes other additives are also included. A drawback for pure water fire extinguishers is that it is not suitable for use in freezing conditions since the water inside will freeze and render the extinguisher unusable.Water type fire extinguishers can also sometimes contain wetting agents which are designed to help increase its effectiveness against fire. These extinguishers are intended primarily for use on Class A fires.

Water mist extinguishers are a type of water fire extinguisher that uses distilled water and discharges it as a fine spray instead of a solid stream.

Colors of Portable extinguisher and Class of Fires

for more click here .

History Who invented the fire extinguishers ?

The first fire extinguisher of which there is any record was patented in England in 1723 by Ambrose Godfrey.
A portable pressurised fire extinguisher, the 'Extincteur' was invented by British Captain George William Manby.
soda-acid extinguisher was first patented in 1866 by Francois Carlier of France.
The chemical foam extinguisher was invented in 1904 by Aleksandr Loran in Russia.
The carbon dioxide (CO2) extinguisher was invented (at least in the US) by the Walter Kidde Company in 1924.
In the 1970s, Halon 1211 came over to the United States from Europe where it had been used since the late 1940s or early 1950s. Halon 1301 had been developed by DuPont and the US Army in 1954.

6.0 | FIRE SUPPRESSOR SYSTEM

FOR BUILDING AND FACTORY

6.1. CO2 Fire Extinguishing System

CO2 (or carbon dioxide) system has been around for many centuries and best against electrical causes fire. This system are commonly design for building or factory at specific areas such as IT server room and electrical room.

Component of CO2 fire extinguisher:

CO2 tank cylinder 2 or more
pressure switch or level
stand alone fire alarm panel with smoke alarm detectors - connected to main building fire alarm system.
curtain control
exhaust fan control
fire indicator lamps - commonly install outside the room with colored red and green.

6. 2. FM 200 Extinguishing System

1,1,1,2,3,3,3-Heptafluoropropane, also called heptafluoropropane, HFC-227ea, HFC-227 or FM-200, as well as apaflurane, is a colourless, odourless gaseous halocarbon commonly used as a gaseous fire suppression agent.

Fm-200 Fire Suppression System, Working Pressure: 4.2 MPa.

FM 200 is a clean agent fire suppressant that works by removing the heat from the fire triangle (oxygen, heat, and fuel). It is a colorless, odorless, and electrically non-conductive gas that leaves no residue to clean up. It is safe for use in occupied spaces and for the ozone layer.

FM200 systems are designed with an extra margin of safety for people. Refilling FM200 is simple and cost effective, therefore, it also means less downtime and disruption to your business.

Figure of FM 200 extinguishing system (For Reference)

If your space is occupied most of the time, it may be safer to choose an FM-200 system. CO2 fire suppression is not safe to be used in areas where people are present as exposure to high CO2 concentrations can lead to unconsciousness and death.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse