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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Technical Advice => Topic started by: Allen Higginson on January 24, 2010, 01:53:23 AM
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....anyone used it as I see it as the only solution for a cabinet protection job I am working on?
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It’s a concept that has been around sometime around about 72 they fitted a similar system to storage tanks on my patch which had a floating roof with a neoprene seal around the edge. The detection tube was fitted above the seal and used methyl bromide as an extinguishing agent. Fortunately we never had any operational experience but the concept seemed acceptable.
There was also a system developed, using the same principles, for TV sets which was a sealed plastic tube pressurised with an extinguishing agent. It was never commercialised possible the reason was because of premature ejaculation sorry I mean actuation.
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...There was also a system developed, using the same principles, for TV sets which was a sealed plastic tube pressurised with an extinguishing agent. It was never commercialised possible the reason was because of premature ejaculation sorry I mean actuation.
Produced also for racing car engine compartments.
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That sounds like the Pyrene system for floating tank roofs that used BCF - I have the literature in my museum archive - they also did a small version connected to an E-BCF extinguishing system that was very similar to Firetrace despite pre-dating it by several years and intended for marine engine compartment, vehicles, etc.
Having seen Firetrace's videos and the original demonstration many many years ago on Tomorrow's World it appears to be effective and is available with a wide choice of agents.
However accurate design and installation is critical to ensure that it will work well and a poor install could reduce efficacy.
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Im looking at using it in conjunction with automatic detection,with CO2 as the extinguishing agent.
Going to work out less hassle than installing a central bottle with electric direction valves!
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What are you doing by way of detection Buzz? How will you strike a balance between early detection and unwanted discharges?
And is CO2 wise if its IT equipment? Would inergen or similar be a better bet?
Will you interface to the power supply if it discharges? Otherwise the ignition source will remain?
If I recall correctly didnt the firetrace have fusible pipes that melted and discharged the media?
Where I have looked at this in the past for a specific job we decided that early detection using HSSD equipment in the cabinet followed by manual intervention was the best balance in our case.
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What are you doing by way of detection Buzz? How will you strike a balance between early detection and unwanted discharges?
And is CO2 wise if its IT equipment? Would inergen or similar be a better bet?
Will you interface to the power supply if it discharges? Otherwise the ignition source will remain?
If I recall correctly didnt the firetrace have fusible pipes that melted and discharged the media?
Where I have looked at this in the past for a specific job we decided that early detection using HSSD equipment in the cabinet followed by manual intervention was the best balance in our case.
Having looked at the cabinets originally and taking into consideration their size (their volume is less than 2m3) it was hard to achieve an extinguishing system for such a small quantity of the agent (due to available cyllinder size etc.), which includes Inergen.
I had then came up with the solution that you have indicated using an aspirating system for early detection,with the decision then left to those investigating to discharge a portable into the risk if necessary.This wasn't acceptible to the client as his insurers have asked for an extinguishing system to protect the cabs.
The client doesn't want to use FM200 for reasons which we know and prefers to use CO2 or a nitrogen based extinguishant (Inergen is installed elsewhere along with CO2).
As far as unwanted discharge prevention goes,if I do use smoke detection as another or sole means of activation then it will be a double knock as per normal procedure.
http://www.firetrace.com/images/pdf/en-electrical.pdf
http://www.firetrace.com/index.php?lang=en
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The Gloria rack mounted system (2kg CO2 i think ?) is still manufactured, just not marketed very well. I did look into using it in our data centre last year but opted for water mist in the end.
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....anyone used it as I see it as the only solution for a cabinet protection job I am working on?
Speak to Trevor Saunders at Detection Supplies, he used to distrbute it, think he still does.
He demonstrated it to me once and it was quite impressive, don't know why it hasn't really caught on....
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The Gloria rack system does indeed use CO2. Thermal shock is a risk in very sensitive equipment, but on a lot of stuff isn't as much an issue as it once was.
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....anyone used it as I see it as the only solution for a cabinet protection job I am working on?
Speak to Trevor Saunders at Detection Supplies, he used to distrbute it, think he still does.
He demonstrated it to me once and it was quite impressive, don't know why it hasn't really caught on....
Ta Mr Rooney,are they in the yella pages??
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....anyone used it as I see it as the only solution for a cabinet protection job I am working on?
Speak to Trevor Saunders at Detection Supplies, he used to distrbute it, think he still does.
He demonstrated it to me once and it was quite impressive, don't know why it hasn't really caught on....
Ta Mr Rooney,are they in the yella pages??
http://www.yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchAction.do?keywords=fire+alarms&companyName=detection+supplies+ltd&location=United+Kingdom&x=38&y=7&scrambleSeed=36072412&searchType=advance&M=0&lastKeyword=&lastClarifyIndex=&lastClarifyOptions=&lastSearchall=&lastSearchallTax=&lastbandedclarifyResults=&bandedclarifyResults=&ssm=0&autocomplete=kw_recent
They certainly are....!
Or you can go direct.... http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=&refresh=7Xc01z2TF80j&EID=6cc2285d-ba59-4a5d-8b37-1507a2de9c41&skip=
01425 658239
:)
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I have installed within an Amerex Kitchen Fire Protection system and seen it around for years with other applications including the Gloria cabinet system, if memory serves. There is one side note to be aware of though - the flexible tube needs replacing every 3 years within the Amerex systems so would advise having a chat with Firetrace regarding longevity ;)
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I have installed within an Amerex Kitchen Fire Protection system and seen it around for years with other applications including the Gloria cabinet system, if memory serves. There is one side note to be aware of though - the flexible tube needs replacing every 3 years within the Amerex systems so would advise having a chat with Firetrace regarding longevity ;)
Ta fer dat!!
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Okay,I put forward a solution of three parts to the client using the Firetrace system (the third being activation via a double knock smoke detection arrangement which would be the most costly option).
Their insurers have knocked back both the options of using solely Firetrace and the latter electrical variation.They are insisting that the cabinets be covered by an aspirating system that activates the extinguishing system - prudency or just another example of someone who thinks they know?
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Okay,I put forward a solution of three parts to the client using the Firetrace system (the third being activation via a double knock smoke detection arrangement which would be the most costly option).
Their insurers have knocked back both the options of using solely Firetrace and the latter electrical variation.They are insisting that the cabinets be covered by an aspirating system that activates the extinguishing system - prudency or just another example of someone who thinks they know?
Look on the bright side , if it all goes t**s , you aint in the frame.
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Time for a bit of bluff calling / market testing? Theres lots of insurance companies out there!
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Time for a bit of bluff calling / market testing? Theres lots of insurance companies out there!
Big old US power generation plant so what the insurers say is paramount (despite the guys here trying to work a limited budget!!!)
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I was the maintenance engineer on a site that had the same project in mind as what you’re doing
We went the whole hog, installed a k201 extinguishing panel with 4 heads inside the cabinet (as it was fairly large) for the double knock of the gas, and a VEDA with capillary pipes into the enclosure for the early warning. All signalled back to the house system.
The site opted for Co2 as it was inside an equipment cabinet.
And just to make amusing, the cabinet was already installed inside an inergen protected room. They just wanted early suppression inside the cabinet as it was important to the sites running.
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I was the maintenance engineer on a site that had the same project in mind as what you’re doing
We went the whole hog, installed a k201 extinguishing panel with 4 heads inside the cabinet (as it was fairly large) for the double knock of the gas, and a VEDA with capillary pipes into the enclosure for the early warning. All signalled back to the house system.
The site opted for Co2 as it was inside an equipment cabinet.
And just to make amusing, the cabinet was already installed inside an inergen protected room. They just wanted early suppression inside the cabinet as it was important to the sites running.
Similar indeed - customer wanted CO2 but advised against it due to the enclosures volume being 1.6 cubic metres and the aspect of the high pressure discharge/post-discharge damage to the equipment.
My original,original (!) proposal was to install an aspirating system to signal the house system so that someone could investigate and hit it with a portable if needs be.
I have advised today against using the aspirating system as the actuation source but I reckon the insurers will insist on it as they know best!