Tyco Fire Protection Products showcased its experience in water mist suppression solutions 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’, the place he mentioned how the extinguishant is properly suited to the safety of irreplaceable works and artefacts in extremely valuable buildings.
Tim’s lecture targeted on a fireplace take a look at protocol that was formulated to confirm the performance and use of Tyco’s own water mist solution, AquaMist, in an historical building, house to treasured archive storage. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 750 normal requires that, when using a water mist suppression system, fireplace testing is undertaken pertinent to the danger. However, of the revealed hearth test protocols listed in NFPA 750, none details the requirements for archives that contain curler (compact) racking. Many of the racks in the targeted constructing are of the ‘roller’ type, which limit the amount of space for constructing services, together with those for extinguishing system pipework.
Together with the project stakeholders, Tyco devised the protocol to incorporate take a look at rig and layout, test kind, fire load, data acquisition (for example, sensors and imaging), hardware required (such as pumps, nozzles, pipe, tank, generator), and well being and safety procedures (for instance, the fireplace brigade). The related performance based mostly hearth tests were then designed to copy the range of utility parameters related to archive storage.
While ignition sources on the original website were recognized to be minimal, and the principle hearth source confirmed as arson, the multi-level constructing poses quite a few challenges that needed to be considered when formulating the hearth take a look at protocol to ensure effective safety. Low ceilings and numerous obstructions, similar to lighting, ducts and pillars, contribute in path of the confined environment of the archive storage basement stage. Items are saved in a combination of open racks and compact racks, which provide lower than a 150mm hole between themselves and the ceiling, and there might be limited on-site water storage. Pre-test danger evaluation also highlighted restricted access and exits below and above floor, so it is important for space for storing to be maximised and protected egress offered in case of the occasion of a fireplace. In addition, the extremely useful nature of the storage contents meant that the selected hearth suppression answer had to ensure minimal injury to these historic gadgets.
To achieve validation, the checks needed to meet numerous aims. These comprised fast management of the fireplace inside a prescribed area (in this case, outlined as within a block of racks); control of temperature; attenuation of radiation; and minimisation of collateral harm by way of water clean-up. They also needed to take into account numerous parameters, together with the required high stress mist system; a 30 minute run time; and an annual measurable achievement goal (AMAO) outlined in accordance with a method based on the amount of nozzles activating throughout testing.
The hearth tests, carried out for both open and curler racks with minimum storage gaps, have been undertaken in a customised take a look at rig, designed, built and fitted to copy the precise specification, racking preparations and storage supplies of the site. Considered a high load, the fuel materials had been identical to that found in archive storage, together with paper, books, micro-film and CD cases.
เพรสเชอร์เกจไฮดรอลิค was outlined by pass or fail standards and decided by detailed quantitative measurements on system configuration, hydraulic analysis, discharge stress, discharge sequence, hearth unfold, temperature, hearth harm and water consumption. In each tests, Tyco’s AquaMist system operated effectively and was noticed to suppress and management the fire efficiently. The challenge staff was impressed by the dearth of fireside and smoke harm to the supplies and construction and the product has since been installed in the constructing in question.
“The IWMA convention is a unbelievable alternative to spotlight the advantages of water mist as a hearth suppression resolution, as properly as demonstrate its versatility in a variety of functions,” feedback Dr Tim Nichols. “Identifying a niche available in the market and taking the opportunity to formulate a fire check protocol for archive storage enabled us to validate the professional capabilities of our AquaMist system and facilitate protection of a customer’s highly useful assets.”
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