Continued from Part 1
During the design process of fire protection systems for high-rise buildings, it is necessary to take into account the particular problem of fire safety of these buildings in terms of architecture design, construction, materials, presence of various types of rooms – from atriums to underground garages, large number of people and the long evacuation time.
A major problem that must be overcome is that in case of fire, the smoke released by fire spreads very quickly vertically and horizontally throughout the building, even if the fire was localized only in one room. The smoke is highly toxic and it is a major reason for gassing and suffocation. The firefighting system must be chosen so as to eliminate the adverse effects of the smoke.
SYNCHRON-S offers such an approach and a new solution for firefighting, which unlike traditional systems not only stops the spread of smoke, but detects the fire at a very early stage, increases the speed and efficiency of fire extinguishing several times, significantly reduces the amount of water used, saves an architectural space, it is adaptive to the modern architectural concepts and
offers maximum security for people and property, and the building itself.
Early fire detection methods
The early detection and extinguishing of the fire in the critical 4-5 minutes before it spreads is an extremely important safety parameter. There are several ways of early fire detection. This is possible through detection of:
- Different types of smoke
- Heat
- Electromagnetic IR and UV radiations
- Substances released during combustion – CO, hydrocarbons, etc.
The devices used for early fire detection can be divided into so called standard detectors (smoke-optical point detectors, smoke-optical linear detectors, thermal maximum and thermal differential detectors, multi-sensor detectors) and special detectors (aspiration detectors, flame detectors for IR and UV radiations, intrinsically safe Ex detectors, electrochemical cell for gas analysis, Spot detectors for spectral analysis of the environment and thermographic inspection cameras).
Fire alarm installations based on an addressable system
The addressable fire alarm systems locate not only the zone in which the fire was detected, but also the specific activated sensor. Typical applications are large buildings with many office or residential spaces and complex architecture design.
Fire alarm installations based on aspirating smoke-optical detection
Aspirating systems are a special solution, particularly suitable for the specific conditions in implementation of fire alarm systems in high-rise buildings. The high-rise building has a complex vertical structure made up of many levels with different architecture design and purposes.
Particularly important, which determines the use of a special fire alarm solution, is the presence of a double floor and suspended ceiling, where all the installations in the building are located – plumbing, HVAC, air ducts, electrical installations, etc.
The aspirating optical-smoke detection is a method of very early fire detection by continuously drawing air through openings in a pipe network and directing it to a precise, highly sensitive detector. This ensures the earliest possible warning of a potential fire. The method is applicable in highly ventilated or polluted environments, unlike other smoke-optic detection methods. It can be applied to an entire room, locally to specific equipment, or a combination of both applications.
Typical applications of the aspirating installation are warehouses, server rooms, data centers, double floors and suspended ceilings, open spaces, hard-to-reach areas such as cable collectors and air ducts, buildings with high ceilings, specialized buildings such as hospitals, etc.
Water mist fire extinguishing systems – the solution for all fire risks
Water mist fire extinguishing systems are a highly reliable, economical and safety means of controlling and extinguishing fires. They are environmentally friendly and safe for people, property and equipment. Water mist systems are a new, extremely fast and efficient extinguishing method, for which the following main characteristics can be summarized:
- Fast fire detection within the first 10-30 seconds when the effective fire extinguishing starts
- Extremely fast extinguishing within the first 2.5 to 3.5 min from fire occurrence
- Fast and effective extinguishing of class A, B and C fires
- Extremely suitable for extinguishing of fast growing fires and deep fires
- Suitable for local and volume fire extinguishing
- Suitable for protection of both people and property, as well as of complicated and expensive equipment
The water mist is a specific way of using water as an extinguishing agent. With help of special spraying heads with micro-nozzles, the water is dispersed in the form of a water mist – droplets with a very small diameter and very high speed. Thanks to this technology, the amount of water used is minimal, and the extinguishing result – maximal.
Main differences between water mist systems and sprinkler installations
Water mist systems produce about 8,000 drops with the amount of water that sprinkler systems use to produce a single drop. As a result of this fact, it is obtained:
- Faster and more effective extinguishing
- Less amount of water
- Minimal damage to property and equipment
- Faster workflow recovery
Unlike well-known sprinkler systems, water mist systems extinguish fires very quickly – 7 to 10 times faster and use up to 90% less water.
Water mist attacks the fire through two of the components of combustion – heat and oxygen, resulting in simultaneous cooling and “suffocation” of the fire. When the system is activated, a rapid cooling effect occurs, during which the micro-droplets absorb the heat energy of the combustion process 7 times faster than the traditional sprinklers. At the same time, a rapid and significant reduction of the oxygen content occurs, during which the water droplets evaporate almost instantly and the formed vapor occupies about 1800 times the volume compared to its liquid state.
Safety for people in case of fire is guaranteed. The water mist “absorbs” the smoke particles containing toxic gases, which are the main cause of gassing and suffocation of people.
Water mist can be used to fight all types of fires, providing a very low risk of damage caused by fire or water as an extinguishing agent. The number of spray nozzles in the water mist systems is up to 2 times less compared to the regular sprinkler, and the vision is significantly improved so to be in line with the interior design of the rooms.
The water mist installation is compact and uses a little space to accommodate the piping and equipment. Unlike a conventional sprinkler installation, no additional technical level is needed of the building to accommodate tanks and pumps. Moreover the pipe network made of stainless steel ensures trouble-free operation and longevity of the installation.
Conclusion
The water mist fire extinguishing systems are an advanced alternative to traditional sprinkler systems in the fire protection of high-rise buildings. They are a sustainable, environmentally friendly firefighting solution that offers maximum safety for people and maximum protection of material assets. Providing a safe and secure living environment, saving space and water resources, the water mist systems are a cost-effective solution for investors and owners of high-rise buildings.
Contact details:
SYNCHRON-S Ltd.
Phone: + 359 2 944 14 04
E-mail: synchron-s@synchron-s.com
Website: www.synchron-s.com
