ENERGY-SAVING ALTERNATIVES FOR CLEAN AGENT FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS
A source from smartenergy.com with the theme “Five Energy Saving Products that will Make the Planet a Better Place” relates that Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) consume about 50% of household energy each year. Average energy can be reduced by the analyze use of smart thermostats, which analysis energy needs and adjusts temperature for energy saving. Energy-saving light bulbs save 25% – 80% of energy consumption with traditional bulbs. CFL bulbs last 6 times, and bulbs last 20 times longer than traditional bulbs respectively. Incandescent bulbs have 10% efficiency with 90% wasted as heat energy, unlike LED which has higher energy efficiency. Energy Monitor can help to reduce between 4 – 15% of energy use by real-time energy reporting in kilowatts or monetary values with its analytical capability. LIGHTING CONTROLS can help in making lighting automatic by putting off indoor and outdoor lights at pre-programmed periods of time they are not needed. AUTOMATION AND CONTROLS analyze the use of solutions of non-electrically actuated devices like pneumatically, thermally, and manually actuated solutions, which saves the energy demand of electrical actuators. Loop-powered automation and control systems save more energy from field devices than conventional ones. Some of the examples of these are stated in the case of clean agent fire suppression systems.
The clean agent fire suppression (total flooding) systems here include – Heptaflouropropane (HFC227ea or FM 200TM BY Chemours), Halocarbon like Flouroketones (FK-5-1-12 or NOVECTM 1230 by 3M), Inergen (IG541), N-100 (IG-100) and Argonite (IG55). They have a high capacity to extinguish a fire without leaving residue after evaporation. Clean agents are non-toxic, non-corrosive, and electrically non-conductive.
AUTOMATIC CLEAN AGENT FIRE EXTINGUISHERS: Automatic systems of these gas extinguishing solutions are electrically actuated as a result of feedback from monitoring field devices like optical or ionization smoke sensors, CO sensors, infrared and ultraviolet point or linear flame sensors. Normally Open, Normally Closed or Normally Open/Closed valves or switches enable the flow of clean agent fire suppressants into enclosures, rooms, or spaces to extinguish fires. Some of these clean agent solutions use thermally sensitive tubes that melt due to heat and cause the discharge of gases to extinguish the fire. Pneumatic actuation normally extends discharge of fire-extinguishing gases from multiple bottles or pressure cylinders where modular total flooding systems are installed. Such include the Direct Low Pressure (DLP) systems that do not require electrical actuation due to the adoption of thermal actuation tubes which targets the fire source from the tube when extinguishing the fire, while the Indirect Low Pressure (ILP) system likewise detects heat from fire source by means of an actuation tube that is connected to an actuation valve which enables the release of gas through valve pistons that open due to pressure drop and allow flow through discharge nozzles to areas affected by the required fire. These systems are UNMANNED (AUTOMATIC) in operation and requires no electrically actuated fire extinguishing components. Minimal electrical energy is consumed for monitoring purposes for fire detection, audio alarms, visual strobes and visual indicators, and transmission of signals (data packets) output in the local or wide area network coverage. Monitoring is possible through temperature or heat sensors that may be wired or wireless. Wireless solutions are smarter, and better energy savers as energy lost due to heating in conductors, other media components, and devices are reduced in wireless solutions. The wireless fire sensing system is monitored from a control unit which is integrated into the internet-of-things (IoT) by means of an internet module or network interface card (NIC) and gives output in the cloud via smartphones, laptops, desktop computers, and smartwatches.
The Automatic Clean Agent Fire Suppression system is recommended for residential, commercial, mercantile, industrial, and other organizations in the protection of their critical infrastructure, like – power backup (inverter and battery) centers, server rooms, data rooms, telecommunication or switching rooms, flammable liquid storage, digital data repositories, laboratories, medical facilities, libraries, museums, archives, and other critical infrastructures.
William Nwaogu, Technical Advisor,
SAFETY CONSULTANTS & SOLUTION PROVIDERS LIMITED.
