Sprinkler Systems Flashcards
Learn the differences in commercial sprinkler systems. (11 cards)
Wet pipe fire sprinkler system
Wet pipe systems are the most common fire sprinkler system, in which water is constantly maintained within the piping. When activated water is immediately discharged onto the fire.
Advantages:
Simplicity and reliability - The least number of components therefore, the lowest number of items to malfunction. This produces reliability since sprinklers may sit in waiting for years before needed. This simplicity is important when system maintenance may not be performed with desired frequency.
Low installation and maintenance expense - Due to overall simplicity, the least amount of installation time and cost. Maintenance savings are realized since less service time is needed compared to other systems.
Ease of modification - Modifications involve shutting down the water supply, draining pipes and making alterations. Following the work, the system is pressure tested and restored. Detection and special control equipment is avoided saving time and expense.
Short down time following a fire - In most instances, sprinkler protection is reinstated by replacing the fused sprinklers and turning the water supply back on.
Disadvantages:
Not suited for sub-freezing environments.
Concern where piping is subject to severe impact damage.
ESFR
ESFR (Early Suppression, Fast Response) ceiling mounted sprinklers can be used in warehouses in place of in-rack fire sprinkler systems. ESFR provides protection that exceeds that of in-rack systems.
ESFR high output, high volume systems are located in ceiling spaces like conventional fire sprinkler systems. It incorporates very large high volume, high-pressure heads to provide the necessary protection without the need for in-rack sprinklers.
ESFR is predominately used for the protection of High Piled Storage. The primary advantage associated with ESFR Sprinkler Systems is a protection scheme that does not require the use of in-rack sprinklers. Using ESFR sprinklers may eliminate the use of in-rack sprinklers and can help avert the discharge of water caused by rupture of a sprinkler or pipe. Allows rearrangement of racks without reconfiguration of in-rack sprinkler piping.
ESFR sprinkler systems can protect high hazard commodities such as plastics without the use of in-rack sprinkler protection. ESFR is designed to suppress a fire, not necessarily extinguish the fire but rather suppress the fire to its original point of origin. ESFR uses large volumes of water, nearly 100 gallons per minute of water per head. Systems require large water supplies and often require the installation of fire pumps.
Dry pipe sprinkler system
In a dry pipe sprinkler system the pipes are filled with pressurized air or nitrogen, rather than water. The air holds a remote valve, known as a dry pipe valve, closed. Located in a heated space, the dry-pipe valve prevents water from entering the pipe until a fire causes the sprinklers to operate. The air escapes and the dry pipe valve releases. Water enters the pipe, flowing through open sprinklers.
Advantages:
Automatic protection in spaces where freezing is possible. Typically in unheated warehouses and attics, outside exposed loading docks and commercial freezers.
Disadvantages:
Additional control equipment and air pressure supply components increase system complexity. Without proper maintenance may be less reliable than a comparable wet pipe system.
Higher installation and maintenance costs
Lower design flexibility - There are strict requirements regarding the maximum permitted size.
Increased fire response time - Up to 60 second delay.
Increased corrosion potential - Following operation, dry-pipe sprinkler systems must be completely drained and dried.
With the exception of unheated building spaces and freezer rooms, dry pipe systems do not offer any significant advantages over wet pipe systems.
Deluge sprinkler system
A deluge system is similar to a pre-action system except the sprinkler heads are open and the pipe is not pressurized with air. Deluge systems are connected to a water supply through a deluge valve that is opened by the operation of a smoke or heat detection system. The detection system is installed in the same area as the sprinklers. When activated water discharges through all of the sprinkler heads in the system. Deluge systems are used in high hazard places such as power plants, aircraft hangars and chemical storage and processing facilities. Deluge systems are used where high velocity suppression is necessary.
All sprinkles or nozzles employed in the system are open and when water is released into the system it flows from all discharge devices. The control of water is accomplished by the use of a Deluge Valve which prevents water from entering the system piping until required. A detection system may incorporate heat, smoke, or flame detectors. Some deluge systems will incorporate the use of a foam concentrate to provide a blanket of foam to help control the development of a fire.
Typically they are employed on hazards that contain low flash point liquids or large amounts of combustible liquid, like oil extraction processes, transformers, tank or vessel protection, or distillation processes. Water or Foam Deluge systems are used in large Aircraft Hangers as primary means of fire protection.
Pre-action sprinkler system
Pre-action fire sprinkler systems employ the basic concept of a dry pipe system. The difference, is water is held from piping by an electrically operated valve, known as a pre-action valve. Operation is controlled by independent flame, heat, or smoke detection.
Two separate events must happen to initiate sprinkler discharge. The detection system must identify a fire and then open the pre-action valve, allowing water to flow into system piping. Thus, creating a wet pipe system. Second, individual sprinkler heads must release to permit water flow.
Advantages:
Dual action for water release - The pre-action valve must operate and sprinkler heads must fuse. Frequently employed in water sensitive environments such as archival vaults, fine art storage, rare book libraries and computer centers.
Disadvantages:
Higher installation and maintenance costs - More complex with additional components.
Modification difficulties - Specific size limitations may impact future modifications.
FE-13
FE-13 is an alternative to Halon 1301 for protecting large rooms, computer centers, oil and gas processing facilities, turbine enclosures in power plants, pumping facilities, laboratories, flammable liquid storage rooms, anechoic chambers and compressor facilities, high ceiling structures and low temperature environments. Low temperature environments include: locomotives, mining equipment and unheated storage.
Benefits:
Safe for people
Does not leave a residue
Electrically non-conductive and non-corrosive
Environmentally preferred alternative to Halon
Due to low toxicity, FE-13 can be used in areas normally occupied. This makes it useful in total flood applications such as control rooms where people occupy the protected space during discharge.
FE-13 acts to suppress a fire by absorbing heat. FE-13 is stored at room temperature as a liquid in high-pressure cylinders and uses its own storage pressure for discharge and distribution. This agent can be used in temperatures as low a -40°F and its high-pressure discharge means a quick even distribution within the hazard. FE-13 has the highest nozzle height location available at 25 feet.
CO2 Fire suppression system
CO2 systems are fast, efficient and adaptable to a wide range of hazards, the discharge of carbon dioxide is non-damaging to property and electrically non-conductive.
CO2 systems are used for:
Power Generation Cement Plant/Blast Furnace Indirect Coal Firing Systems Metal Production and Processing Printing Automotive Electronics Operations Electronics/Computer Production Research Facilities Shipboard (Marine) Systems Automated Storage and Retrieval Facilities
Low-pressure CO2 systems and equipment are best suited for applications where large quantities of CO2 are needed. A high-pressure system is recommended for smaller hazards or limited space.
Benefits of CO2:
Fast - Within seconds, CO2 penetrates the entire area to smother the combustion.
Environmentally Friendly
Non-damaging - CO2 does not cause spoilage, requires no clean up and leaves no residue.
Non-conductive - CO2 is electrically non-conductive
Adaptive - CO2 is effective on a wide range of flammable and combustible materials.
A CO2 system consists of one or more banks of cylinder storage to supply the CO2. Flexible discharge hoses connect the cylinders into a piping manifold. Nozzles regulate the flow of CO2 into the protected area.
Vortex
The Victaulic Vortex Fire Suppression System uses both water and nitrogen homogeneously to extinguish fires. This technology uses a small water drop that will absorb more heat while the nitrogen will reduce the oxygen feeding the fire.
With smaller water drops there is minimal wetting
Nitrogen is safe to use with people still in the room
GREEN design that is completely safe for the environment
Vortex is the newest of the fire extinguishing systems available on the market today. It is a unique combination of Mist Fire Suppression and Clean Agent Fire Suppression technologies. Vortex uses a combination of water and nitrogen to create an environment that will not sustain combustion and yet not be a detriment to human occupancy.
The nitrogen in the system has a two-fold purpose. It is stored under pressure and atomizes water droplets to an average size of 10 microns. This fine water vapor acts to cool and absorb the heat from a fire. The nitrogen also lowers the oxygen content in a hazard below 16 percent which is the minimum threshold to support combustion. Human life support can be sustained in oxygen concentrations as low as 12 percent. A typical Vortex system will target the depletion of oxygen in a room to 14 percent which is low enough to eliminate combustion yet high enough to sustain human occupancy.
Vortex nitrogen supply is also the greenest of the fire extinguishing mediums. As our atmosphere is made up of 79 percent nitrogen it has an ozone depletion rating of “0”. Water is expelled at a rate of one gallon per minute so the residual effects of water in the hazard are minimal.
Another advantage to Vortex technology is the absence of having to provide a “sealed” enclosure. Unlike other gaseous agents that must maintain concentrations in a “sealed” enclosure, Vortex has no such requirements and is effective within compartments without the need of sealing off openings or penetrations. This ability eliminates the need of patching openings and “fan tests” when certifying system installation.
Vortex
The Victaulic Vortex Fire Suppression System uses both water and nitrogen homogeneously to extinguish fires. Small water drops absorb heat while the nitrogen reduces the oxygen feeding the fire.
With smaller water drops there is minimal wetting and Nitrogen is safe to use with people in the room. It is a combination of Mist Fire Suppression and Clean Agent Fire Suppression technologies. Vortex uses a combination of water and nitrogen to create an environment that will not sustain combustion and not be a detriment to human occupancy.
The nitrogen in the system has a two-fold purpose. It is stored under pressure and atomizes water droplets to an average size of 10 microns. This fine water vapor acts to cool and absorb the heat from a fire. The nitrogen also lowers the oxygen content in a hazard below 16 percent which is the minimum threshold to support combustion. Human life support can be sustained in oxygen concentrations as low as 12 percent. A typical Vortex system will target the depletion of oxygen in a room to 14 percent which is low enough to eliminate combustion yet high enough to sustain human occupancy.
Water is expelled at a rate of one gallon per minute so the residual effects of water in the hazard are minimal.
Another advantage is the absence of having to provide a “sealed” enclosure. Unlike other gaseous agents that must maintain concentrations in a “sealed” enclosure, Vortex has no such requirements and is effective within compartments without sealing off openings or penetrations.
Quell
Quell fire sprinkler systems are designed for cold storage and unheated warehouses using a “surround and drown” method.
Quell is a double interlock pre-action system for the protection of frozen high piled storage.
The Quell design is an alternative means to allow for the protection of high piled storage in buildings as high as 48ft without the need of in-rack systems in a high piled storage configuration. The elimination of in-rack sprinklers averts the potential of an accidental discharge caused by mechanical failure of a sprinkler or piping damage in the rack structure.
The design offers an alternative approach to fire protection systems in freezers without the need of an in-rack system.
Foam/Chemical Suppression
Foam is used when there is a possibility of a liquid fire. The Foam mixes with water and expands over the liquid, cools the fire, and suffocates it.
Used in:
Flammable Liquid Storage Loading Racks Processing Areas Refineries Dike Areas Aircraft Hangars Heliports Jet Engine Test Facilities LNG Storage/Manufacturing Marine Applications Warehouses
Foam fire sprinkler systems offer proven control of burning flammable liquids. Foam systems operate by mixing a foam concentrate with water to create a foam blanket that smothers a fire. The foam blanket will extinguish a fire by eliminating the oxygen supply and providing a cooling effect on the burning fuel.
Foam concentrate is stored within a tank and can be introduced into the system through a bladder tank or the use of a foam pump.
