Automatic Fire Extinguisher and Suppression System

Submitted By:
Bushra Fiaz
Samreen Malik

Submitted to:
Mam Amen

Dated:
4th August, 2021
 Automatic Fire Extinguisher and Suppression System

Introduction:
In our country fire accident is a very common phenomenon. Many wealth and lives are fallen in danger.
As a developing country we have no modern technology to solve this problem. The main sector of fire
brigade has limitation to overcome it. Sometimes police, military come to the firing spot to help them.
But this is not enough. If an automatic fire extinguishing system available, offers greater flexibility.

In conventional automatic fire-extinguishing systems utilizing a fire-extinguishing gas, a bomb containing

a fire-extinguishing gas, such as halon gas, under pressure is provided at a location. Several gas jetting
nozzles are arranged at desired locations within a region when a fire occurs therein. The gas jetting
nozzles are connected through a valve and a pipe to the bomb. Fire sensors are arranged at desired
locations within the region. In response to a fire signal from the fire sensors, the valve is opened to
cause fire-extinguishing gas to jet from the gas jetting nozzles into the region so that automatic
extinguishing can be effected therein. However, since such conventional automatic fire-extinguishing
systems require a complicated system of gas pipes from a gas bomb to the gas jetting nozzles, the cost
and installation of the pipes is expensive. Moreover, since the gas pipes are fixedly arranged in the walls,
ceiling etc., of a room defining a region, it is not easy to remove the gas pipes and to change the
arrangement of the gas jetting nozzles. Furthermore, the gas bomb to be used must have a capacity
comparable with the space of the region and therefore, gas bombs having different capacities must be
prepared for different regions. This is very uneconomical.

To eliminate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned conventional fire extinguishing system a Portable
automatic fire protection system is disclosed comprising battery powered ,independent suppressor
units, each including a supply of fire extinguishing fluid and a fire detector. The connection of the
individual unit's control circuits provides a control circuit network that automatically initiates an
extinguishing fluid discharge from all units in response to fire detection by any single unit.

The main object of this paper is to provide an automatic fire-extinguishing system which eliminates the
above described disadvantages of the prior arts, and to enable easy installation or removal of the
system in or from a region wherein automatic fire-extinguishing should be effected and to allow a
flexible arrangement of gas jetting nozzles according to the size and shape of the region.

The main part of this task is the involvement of a microcontroller which may be considered to be the
nucleus of the whole system. We established a closed loop feedback system with microcontroller which
senses the temperature sensor, smoke detector signal and send it to the solenoid valve through some
control circuits to maintain the magnitude of temperature to a certain level. This paper is illustrated as
follows: Section 2 describes the brief overview of fire extinguisher. Automatic control method of fire
extinguisher is presented in section 3. Results and analysis is demonstrated in section 4. Finally
conclusions are drawn in section 5.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER:
A fire extinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in
emergency situations. Typically, a fire extinguisher consists of a hand-held cylindrical pressure vessel
containing an agent which can be discharged to extinguish a fire.

There are two main types of fire extinguishers: Stored pressure and generated pressure. In stored
pressure units, the expellant is stored in the same chamber as the firefighting agent itself. Depending on
the agent used, different propellants are used. With dry chemical extinguishers, nitrogen is typically
used; water and foam are pressurized with air. Stored pressure is the most common type of fire
extinguisher. Cartridge-operated extinguishers contain the expellant gas in a separate cartridge that is
punctured prior to discharge, exposing the propellant to the agent. These types are not as common,
used primarily in areas such as industrial facilities, where they receive higher-than-average use. They
have the advantage of simple and prompt recharge, allowing an operator to discharge the extinguisher,
recharge it, and return to the fire in a reasonable amount of time. Unlike stored pressure types, these
extinguishers utilize compressed carbon dioxide instead of nitrogen, although nitrogen cartridges are
used on low temperature (-60 rated) models. Cartridge operated types are available in dry chemical and
dry powder in the US and water, wetting agent, foam, and dry powder (ABC, BC, or D) in the rest of the
world Fire extinguishers are further divided into handheld and cart-mounted, also called wheeled
extinguishers. Handheld extinguishers weigh from 0.5 to 14 kilograms (1 to 30 pounds), and are hence
easily portable by hand. Cart-mounted units typically weigh 23+ kilograms (50+ pounds). These wheeled
models are most commonly found at construction sites, airport runways, heliports, as well as docks and
marinas. Internationally there are several accepted classification methods for hand-held fire
extinguishers. Each classification is useful in fighting fires with a particular group of fuel [7]. According to
the standard BS EN 3, fire extinguishers in the United Kingdom as all throughout Europe are red RAL
3000, and a band or circle of a second color covering between 5-10% of the surface area of the
extinguisher indicates the contents. Before 1997, the entire body of the fire extinguisher was color
coded according to the type of extinguishing agent.

The UK recognizes five fire classes: Class A fires involve organic solids such as paper and wood. Class B
fires involve flammable liquids and liquefiable solids. Class C fires involve flammable gases. Class D fires
involve metals. Class F fires involve cooking fat and oil. Fire extinguishing performance per fire class is
displayed using numbers and letters such as 13A, 55B.EN3 does not recognize a separate electrical class
- however there is an additional feature requiring special testing (35 kVA dielectric test per EN 3-7:2004).
A powder or CO2 extinguisher will bear an electrical pictogram as standard signifying that it can be used
on live electrical fires (given the symbol E in the table). If a water-based extinguisher has passed the 35
kVA test it will also bear the same electrical pictogram however, any water-based extinguisher is only
recommended for inadvertent use on electrical fires. We use Powder based agent fire extinguisher for
this performance. As in our system ABC type of fire extinguisher is used, it is suitable for a combination
of class A, B and C fires which is shown in Fig.1.

Fig.1: overview of fire extinguisher

Major assemblies and their availability in Pakistan:

Types of fire extinguisher:

When it comes to the types of fire extinguishers, there are five main types including wet
chemical, CO2, dry powder, foam and water. In order to meet the current regulations, it is
important for you to have the exact type of fire extinguisher that is needed for your premises.
Parts of a fire extinguisher:
The parts and components of a fire extinguisher all play a vital role in the effective discharge of
water or a chemical agent to suppress a fire before it can spread out of control leading to
property damage and maybe even loss of life. Fire extinguishers are engineered to spray and
spread an agent on a fire to remove one of the three elements necessary to maintain a fire
once it has started. Those elements are the fuel that is burning, the heat that is produced, and
the oxygen needed to keep the fire going. These are collectively known as the fire triangle. As
such, fire extinguishers are designed to target one or more of these elements needed to sustain
a fire by providing a barrier between the fuel and the oxygen in the surrounding air, or by
removing the heat by cooling the fuel. If either of these can be affected or eliminated, the fire
goes out.

This fundamental principle of eliminating an element of the fire triangle assuredly has a distant
history, but in modern times a tool to suppress fire, known as a fire extinguisher, began as a
pressurized vessel that sprayed water. Understanding that certain fires were not effectively
suppressed with water, that water conducts electricity making water an unacceptable agent in
fighting electrical fires, that a forceful stream of water may splatter combustible materials, and
that in cold temperatures the water may freeze, led those seeking to improve fire extinguishing
capacity and effectiveness to develop new agents wet chemical, dry chemical, halon,
and carbon dioxide.

Cylindrical Tanks:
Flat on the bottom and dome shaped on top, cylindrical steel tanks contain the extinguishing
agent and the propellant necessary to provide the pressure to forcibly push the fire
extinguishing agent out creating a spray.

Valve Assembly:

The function of the valve is to control or regulate the flow of the extinguishing agent. It consists
of a machined body made of metal bar stock on a lathe (or plastic injected molded part for
economy versions), a handle that allows for grasping and lifting and transporting the
extinguisher, a metal locking pin to prevent against accidental discharge, Plastic tamper seals to
keep the locking pin from falling out, a metal release lever and a dip tube through which the
agent is drawn up for expulsion. Stored pressure fire extinguishers may also contain a pressure
gauge.

Nozzle and/or Hose:

 A nozzle directs the direction of the extinguishing agent as it leaves the tank. A hose, typically
found on extinguishers that are heavier than 3 kg, further allows refined directing of the flow as
it leaves the extinguisher.

Extinguishing Agent: 

The substance that limits or suppresses the spread of the fire. An understanding of the
different classifications (Classes) of fires is helpful in determining which type of fire
extinguisher is best for your situation. Below is a helpful chart explaining the different
Classes of Fires and their unique characteristics such as their typical fuel source, the setting
in which a type of fire usually occurs, and the most effective type of fire extinguisher to use
in combating the fire. The second chart provides a breakdown of the various types of fire
extinguishers, the firefighting agents used, their advantages/uses and disadvantages.

Propellant:

A gas whose function is to expel the extinguishing agent from the fire extinguisher.
In stored pressure fire extinguishers, the propellent is stored in the same chamber as the
fire extinguishing agent. In cartridge-operated fire extinguishers the propellent is contained
in a separate cartridge that is punctured when activated exposing the propellent to the
extinguishing agent.
Working Principal:

Water extinguishers:
A water extinguisher is like a giant water pistol, but instead of using pressure from your finger
to fire out the water, it uses pressure from a trapped gas (the propellant). Typically, this is
nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

1. A ring or pin on the handle stops the fire extinguisher from being set off by accident. It
also acts as a tamper-proof seal: if the ring is broken or missing, you know the
extinguisher needs to be checked.
2. Inside the sturdy steel case, there's a canister containing high-pressure gas (orange with
blue hashing).
3. Most of the extinguisher is filled with water (blue).
4. A tube runs right up the inside of the tube to a nozzle outside (gray).
5. The nozzle often ends in a piece of bendy plastic so you can easily direct it toward the
base of a fire.
6. To operate the extinguisher, you pull the ring and press the handle.
7. Pressing the handle opens a valve (shown here as a green arrow) that releases the
pressurized gas from the canister.
8. The gas immediately expands and fills the inside of the extinguisher, pushing the water
downward.
9. As the water is pushed down, it rises up the tube.
10. A jet of water emerges from the nozzle.

Carbon dioxide extinguishers:

The most noticeable difference between a water extinguisher and one that fires carbon dioxide
is the large, black, cone-shaped horn, which allows the carbon dioxide gas to expand, cool, and
turn into a mixture of frozen "snow" and gas. The horn has to be designed very carefully to stop
two major potential problems: it has to allow the CO2 to exit at high speed, so any snow that
forms doesn't block it up, and it has to mix up the gas in a fairly turbulent way to stop it firing
air from the horn at the fire as well (which would effectively make the fire burn more strongly).
This typical design from a patent by Brooks Equipment in the 1970s solves both problems. I've
added the coloring for clarity, but followed the original numbering of the key parts:

 10. Tank containing pressurized liquid carbon dioxide.

 12. Valve.
 14. Trigger.
 16. Discharge horn made of plastic that can survive low temperatures without cracking.
 18. Reinforcing bands wrap around horn at intervals.
 20. Nipple with a screw thread to which the horn attaches.

As the carbon dioxide enters the horn, it swirls around in a turbulent flow (orange arrows)
forming snow (orange blobs) and gas. The swirling turbulence stops dead air zones forming in
the horn, which in turn prevents air being swept down the horn toward the fire.

Foam extinguishers

These are similar to water extinguishers but, instead of containing just water and a propellant,
they also have a concentrated foaming solution inside them. Liquid water is almost impossible
to compress, so an ordinary water extinguisher can't produce more water for fighting a fire
than the volume of the extinguisher itself, which is usually no more than about 6–9 liters. A
foam extinguisher, on the other hand, works a bit more like a carbon dioxide extinguisher when
the nozzle is open: the water and foaming solution swirl together in the nozzle, producing a
much bigger volume of foam than the volume of the can itself. Foam extinguishers are often
called AFFFs (aqueous film-forming foam), which is simply a technical way of describing how
they tackle a fire: they use water (aqueous) to make a foam that sits like a film over burning
fuel, cutting off its air supply.
Gas used in cylinder:

There are several different kinds of gases that can be used to suppress a fire. Some of the most
common gases used in fire suppression system are:

 Carbon dioxide(CO2)
 Clean agents,including HFC-227ea(FM200) and FK-5-1-12 (Novec 1230)
 Inert Gases,including inergen
 Halon

Availability of gas in Pakistan:

Pakistan has proven reserves equivalent to 12.0 times its annual consumption. This means it
has about 12 years of gas left (at current consumption levels and excluding unproven reserves).
Gas Consumption: 1,436,261

Gas Reserves: 24,700,000

Gas Imports: 48,382

Gas Production: 1,454,978

Fire extinguisher price in Pakistan:

Fire extinguisher price in other countries:

Fire extinguisher price in India: