Fire Protection DATA

Dr Dave Smith, business support manager, British Fire Protection Systems Association

Fixed gaseous fire suppression systems

1 Types of product
Fixed gaseous systems play an important role in minimising the immediate and consequential effects of fire. People who have experienced fire situations dealt with by active fixed systems are invariably thankful that they made the modest investment which safeguarded their assets and ensured the viability of their businesses. The key new generation gaseous total flooding agents fall into two categories: liquefiable chemical gases non-liquefiable inert gases All viable gases of either designation have minimal environmental impact, are clean gases at ambient temperatures and offer efficient fire extinction performance at concentrations safe for human exposure. Furthermore, these non-corrosive and electrically non-conductive gases are recognised in current standards and are available in systems certified by independent third-party bodies. a) Chemical gases Of the chemical agents, HFC 227ea is the most widely-used and has a notable track record of over ten years in active service. Available under the trade names FM-200 and FE-227, it acts on fires by absorbing heat, lowering the flame temperature to such an extent that the combustion process cannot occur. Typical concentrations needed for most non-liquid fires are 7.5 to 8%, which include a 30% safety factor. HFC 227ea poses no asphyxiation threat and is nontoxic with reference to defined toxicity limits. As such, it may be used in occupied areas in concentrations of up to 9% without mandatory evacuation times and in Table 1: Commonly used chemical agents Designation HFC 23 HFC 125 HFC 227ea FK-5-1-12mmy2 Chemical formula CHF3 CF3CHF2 CF3CHFCF3 CF3CF2C(O)CF(CF3)2 Chemical name Trifluoromethane Pentafluoroethane Heptafluoropropane Dodecafluoro-2methylpentan-2-one Trade name FE-13 FE-25 FM-200, FE-227 Novec 1230 concentrations of up to 10.5%, provided that personnel are exposed for no longer than five minutes. The only other viable total flooding chemical gas until recently was HFC 23, which is marketed under the trade name FE-13. However, two additional chemical agents have now entered the market. HFC 125 (trade name FE-25) was previously targeted at the defence sector for applications such as fighter engine nacelles. It has similar physical properties to Halon 1301 and requires a design concentration between that of halon and HFC 227ea. The use of HFC 125 in manned areas is now possible owing to a re-evaluation of its toxicology, allowing exposure above its normal design concentration. FK 5-1-12 (trade name Novec 1230) is also available. It is a liquid at ambient temperatures but effective atomisation at the nozzles allows the agent to vaporise and behave as a gas in the protected area. While its design concentration is lower than HFC 227ea, it is similar in terms of weight of agent required. Since it degrades readily in the lowest atmospheric layer, it is the most environmentally-benign of the chemical agents. b) Inert gases Inert gases are also non-corrosive and electrically non-conductive. With no appreciable chemical action on fires, they are physically acting and rely on oxygendepletion, reducing the oxygen concentration to around 14%, at which point combustion is inhibited. There are several inert gases available which feature argon and nitrogen, singly or in combination. One of these contains a small proportion of carbon dioxide. Design concentrations for Class A surface fires vary according to the specific agent but are rather higher than for chemical gases at around 40 to 45%. Based on oxygen-depletion considerations, they are safe at normal design concentrations.

Table 2: Commonly used inert agents Designation IG-01 IG-100 IG-55 IG-541 Gas blend 100% argon 100% nitrogen 50% nitrogen, 50% argon 50% nitrogen, 42% argon, 8% carbon dioxide
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2 Types of system
Basic design principles are similar for chemical and inert gas systems, the hardware comprising single or linked cylinders and valves normally outside the protected area connected to pipe network, as well as ceiling-mounted nozzles within the room. The number and position of nozzles is determined by the amount of agent to be discharged and the maximum area of coverage of each nozzle, as found from certificated tests. A door fan test is conducted to evaluate leakage rates from the enclosure and the agent quantity adjusted accordingly to ensure that the design concentration is held for ten minutes after discharge. Most systems are automatic with manual override and are activated from a fire control panel following a coincidence or double knock signal from detectors and a suitable time delay. a) Chemical gas systems These comprise one or more cylinder/valve assemblies, each of typically 5 to 250 litre capacity and containing a liquid agent under a nitrogen pressure of 25 bar (although there are some systems at 42 bar). HFC 227ea systems have a storage requirement of just under twice that of Halon 1301, which compares favourably with other viable systems. All gaseous discharges result in some pressure increases (and possibly decreases) in the enclosure during and immediately after release of the agent. For low concentration chemical gases, there is commonly no requirement to provide dedicated over-pressure venting. Standards require that chemical gas systems discharge within ten seconds. This rapid discharge ensures fast fire extinguishment and can be invaluable when rapid fire growth is possible, or where secondary heat and smoke damage to sensitive equipment must be minimised. HFC 23 has a vapour pressure of around 42 bar at normal room temperature and requires no nitrogen super-pressurisation. These systems offer exceptional performance in a number of challenging circumstances, including low temperature and high ceiling applications, and have found use worldwide in the oil and gas industry and on large industrial vehicles. Recent developments in chemical gas systems include a separate HFC 227ea and nitrogen arrangement, which enables a greatly improved flow of the extinguishant. This offers greater flexibility in system design and lengthier and more complex distribution of agent from a single source, as well as allowing use of smaller diameter pipework. b) Inert gas systems Inert gases are non-liquefiable and are stored at high pressures of 150 to 300 bar, in cylinders typically of 80 to 140 litres capacity. Owing to the significant volume of agent to be deployed, discharge times are usually one minute. The need to avoid significant pressure excursions and to allow for displacement of air means that dedicated room pressure venting is usually required, the dimensions of which are calculable at the system design stage. Although the number of cylinders needed for inert systems is quite high, these agents flow very readily through the discharge manifold, which allows very remote storage of the gas system from the fire risk. Ease of flow also enables complex agent distribution paths for geometricallychallenging applications and for independent multiple-zone protection and central storage systems, which protect one or more areas via distribution valves. On discharge of systems, inert systems bring the further advantage of having lower refill costs than chemical gases. For inert gases, both lower and higher pressure systems have entered the market relatively recently. Low pressure systems utilise existing halon pipework where appropriate, while high pressure systems require less cylinder capacity. There is also an inert gas system with a constant flow and outlet pressure discharge valve. This can significantly reduce overpressure venting requirements and provide other benefits in respect of pipework requirements.

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3 Design and installation issues

Fixed gas systems serve a wide range of protected environments of significant complexity and varying size. Typically, protection is provided for rooms, as well as floor and ceiling voids, where appropriate. Although most systems deal with wood, paper and plastic fires, different design concentrations can be used to extinguish liquid fuel fires, for example. Such systems are suitable for use in high value asset environments, including computer suites, electronic data processing rooms and other electrical facilities, as well as situations as diverse as flight simulators, hazardous goods stores, turbine enclosures, cultural heritage sites, archives and marine vessels. Which system package is most appropriate is determined through a case-by-case analysis. The fire professional will work closely with the customer and other relevant authorities, such as the insurer, facilities managers or consultant. Of the fixed automatic total flooding systems, both chemical and inert gas systems are capable of offering the effective fire extinguishing performance sought for most applications. Where floor space is strictly limited in a dedicated location, for example, a chemical gas might prevail. Where the system must be placed some distance from the protected area, an inert option may be more practicable.

6 Other issues
The European Regulation EC 2037/2000 requires all non-essential halon systems to be removed from service throughout the European Union by the end of 2003. In common with most other European countries, this process appears incomplete and will continue into 2003, although endusers should be aware that retention of halon systems is now an offence. Systems should be selected which comply with relevant component and systems standards, which are certified by a recognised third party. Similarly, best practice in installation and maintenance may be achieved through the services of third-party-approved firms. For example, British Approvals for Fire Equipment offers scheme SP 204 for halon decommissioning and SP 203, a modular scheme for systems design, installation, commissioning/ handover and maintenence. Carbon dioxide continues to be used in fixed systems and, while these systems have changed little over many years, they retain a key role in fire protection. For unmanned areas, they often represent the most costeffective solution and, unlike the new generation of gas systems, can be used for local application to protect a wide range of unenclosed machinery units. Fire protection systems comprise integrated detection, alarm, control and suppression systems working together. These should take their place within an overall strategy for buildings, which includes good housekeeping, safe use and maintenance of equipment (including that of the fire protection systems) and staff awareness. In initiating and maintaining this approach, fire suppression systems will continue to play a pivotal role in acting against the potentially devastating effect of fire in high value asset environments.

4 Maintenance issues
Installed systems must be subject to regular maintenance by competent, preferably thirdparty-certified persons, in accordance with suppliers instructions and meeting the minimum requirements of ISO 14520: Gaseous fire-extinguishing systems. The supplier will also provide information on simple daily and monthly checks, which are readily carried out by the building occupier. Furthermore, any changes to the protected area must be notified to the supplier as they may affect the efficacy of the system. These include changes in the fire hazard present, alterations affecting enclosure integrity and relocation of internal partitions, which can impact on nozzle positioning and the protected volume.

5 Relevant standards and other documents

In the European Union, fixed suppression systems and their associated pipework must now meet the requirements of the Construction Products Directive, the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) and the Transportable PED. A host of European component standards are in various stages of publication and will be completed within the next four to five years. Fixed gas systems have, since 2000, been covered by ISO 14520, which was adopted formally as a British Standard in 2001. The first revision of the ISO is under way which will result in the requirement, for the first time, to test systems against plastics fires. At the same time, a European equivalent based on the ISO is in preparation but it may differ in several key respects. Many other parts of the world recognise the US standard, NFPA 2001: National Fire Codes. Further advice on fixed gaseous systems is available from several sources, including LPR 16: Gaseous Fire Protection Systems: Guidance for the use of insurers, system suppliers and their mutual clients on the specification, installation and on-going maintenance of gaseous fixed fire extinguishing systems, produced jointly by the British Fire Protection Systems Association (BFPSA), the Loss Prevention Council and the British Standards Institution. A useful reference from a building services perspective is Fire Extinguishing Systems, A Guide to their Integration with other Building Services, available from the Building Services Research and Information Association, and produced in association with the BFPSA.

Published by Fire Prevention & Fire Engineers Journal Bastille Court, 2 Paris Garden, London SE1 8ND

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