Latest Technology in Fire

Protection Systems

Hamilton Safety Council Hamilton, OH

November 3, 2010

Presented by Andy Hebert, CPCU, ARM, CFPS Senior Consultant, Property Loss Control

Tokio Marine Management, Inc.

Outline

1. Review Recent Changes and New Developments in Fire Protection Equipment

2. Review Recent Changes in Codes and Standards 3. Review Recent Hazards Introduced Into Industrial

Settings 4. Review Recent Trends to Reduce Property Exposures

in Industrial Occupancies

Recent Changes and New Developments in Fire Protection

Equipment Water Mist Systems Hybrid Systems Video Smoke and Fire Detection Mass Notification Alarm Systems Larger K Factor Sprinklers Fire Pump and Pump Controller Developments Gaseous Fire Extinguishment Systems Update Fire Alarm Systems

NFPA 750 - US standard Conventional Water Mist

Established in the marketplace, but… Limited applications Not highly accepted

High Pressure Water Mist Significant growth

Expanded applications Gaining momentum with AHJs

Water Mist

High Pressure Water Mist Basic principle…

Water discharged at high pressure through special nozzles

Resulting in… Very small droplet size High discharge speed

“Hybrid” Defined Hybrid Fire Extinguishing System

Defined by FM Approval Standard (Class 5580) Water droplets < 1,000 micron Water + Inert Gas Both are critical to fire extinguishment mechanism

Incorporates the beneficial features of: Water Mist (NFPA 750) Clean Agent (NFPA 2001)

Victaulic introduces first system VictaulicVortex™ FM and UL tested/approved

Both Elements at Work The Inert Gas at work

Nitrogen gas actively dilutes the oxygen level Quickly suppresses small fires

Even in large rooms Yet room integrity is not required

The Water Mist at work Atomized water absorbs heat from the fire to vaporize as steam Flame is cooled while steam displaces oxygen at fire Effective on large fuel-based fires

Equal Performance to High-Pressure Water Mist systems Yet no high pressure pumps are required

Hybrid vs. Clean Agents

Hybrid vs. HP Water Mist

Video Image Smoke and Fire Detection

VISD and VIFD cameras can monitor large spaces like warehouses, arenas, atriums

Can see smoke, flames or motion at great distances within a few seconds

Cameras can send live video to remote locations, record what is happening and be interlocked to activate fire alarm systems and protection systems

How HP Water Mist works...

Chemical Reaction

0 2

Heat

Cooling Radiant Heat

Absorption Local Inerting

A combination of 3 extinguishing mechanisms:

Mass Notification Systems

Mass Notification Systems (a.k.a. Emergency Communication Systems) provide real-time information to building occupants or emergency response personnel in a building, across multiple buildings, on a campus or even across a larger area like a city during emergency situations like fire, weather, civil disturbance, etc.

Mass Notification Systems

Benefits: 1. In past had separate fire alarm and general PA

systems and now can have one 2. Can cover multiple buildings across a large area and

since have life voice and up-to-minute information can address numerous types of event

3. Better notification to disabled people since not just

relying on usual horn and strobe fire alarm signals

Larger K-Factor Sprinkler Heads

1. In past sprinkler systems limited to traditional ½” or 17/32” orifice heads, then came ESFR’s in late 1980’s (started with K14)

2. In 1990’s and up through present developed many types of large orifice sprinklers for many different applications

3. Newer larger K factor heads often can eliminate in-rack sprinklers or fire pumps

Fire Pump Advancements

Variable speed diesel engine drivers from Clarke Fire Protection Products, Inc.

Have both a suction control and discharge control version. - The suction control version allows the minimum pressure

control to be set between 5 and 30 psi. The engine’s rpm’s are slowed down, thus reducing delivered pressure, so that the incoming water pressure does not fall below the set pressure

- The discharge control version allows the pressure to be set

between 100 and 350 psi. The engine’s rpm’s are slowed down thus reducing the pressure delivered to the system.

Fire Pump Controller Advancements

Operator Interface Fire Pump Controllers (available in Jan., 2011, from TornaTech, Inc. USA)

Color Graphics - (Intuitive graphics with immediate visual status of Fire Pump System)

Touch Screen 3.5G User Memory (Event Data is unparalleled) Create Pump Curve(s) in Field (Both manually/automatically, Pump OEM

Test/Commissioning. Flow Test… store/compare/transmit) Power Curve in Field (Measure Amps/Volts and each flow point and create history of

motor operation/degradation…) Embedded Webpage (Simple Cat. 5/6 connection. View anywhere in world) Service Alarm Page – (Service contact information and time setting for future “Service

Alarms” to show on screen… Ex: In 12 months alarm on screen for service/flow test with contact information…)

(Benefits above are from ViZi Touch technology Courtesy of TornaTech Fire Pump Controllers, Inc.)

Gaseous Fire Extinguishment Systems Update

Status of Halon Clean Agents Chemical Agents Inert Gas Agents

Halon 1301 – Current Status

1. No ban on use and no pending ban

2. Manufacturing of Halon after 12/31/93 was

banned by most countries

3. In the U.S. you cannot buy foreign-made Halon

that was made after 12/31/93

4. Exemptions for DoD, DoE, Airline Industry

Halon 1301 - Availability

Agent is abundantly available.

Limited Hardware Availability (Manufacturers have little or no stock)

RE: Technical Support: Software – DOS based.

Data - not published anymore.

Technical Assistance - ?

The “Clean” Agents

Chemical Clean Agents HFC-227 ea (FM200®, FE227®) HFC-125 (FE-25®, ECARO 25®) HFC-23 (FE-13®) FK-5-1-12-mmy2 (Novec 1230®, Sapphire®)

Inert Gases IG-541 (Inergen®) IG-55 (Argonite®,

ProInert®) IG-01 (Argotec®)

Chemical Agents

Extinguish by Cooling Extinguish by Chemical Reaction 10 second Discharge/Suppression Life Sustaining Electrically Non-Conductive Non-Corrosive No Residue

Inert Gas Agents

Extinguishes by Oxygen Deprivation 60 second Discharge/Suppression Life Sustaining Electrically Non-Conductive Non-Corrosive No Residue

Physical Comparison Agent Trade Name Ext.

Conc.%

Qty 2,500ft2,

9ft ceiling, 2ft sub-floor

# ASC

Halon 1301 5 567lbs 1 HFC227EA FM200®, FE227 ® 7 938lbs 1 or 2 HFC125 FE-25 ®, ECARO25 ® 8 753lbs 1 FK-5-1-12 NOVEC 1230 ®, Sapphire

® 4.2 996lbs 1 or 2

HFC23 FE-13 ® 18 1,100lbs 10 IG541 Inergen ® 34.2 11,610ft3 27 IG55 Argonite ®, ProInert® 38/34.

2 13,145ft3 30/27

IG01 Argotec ® 34 11,440ft3 19 CO2 Cardox ® 34-50 1,375lbs 14

Physical Comparison

Inert Gases Better retention time No clouding Agent less expensive

Chemical Agents Less storage space Venting normally not

required Hardware less

expensive

Environmental Impact Comparison

Agent Trade Name NFPA Code

Ext. Conc.

%

NFPA Exp. min.

Atm Life

GWP ODP

Halon 1301 12A 5 15 65y 5600 16

HFC227EA FM200 ®, FE227 ® 2001 7 5 37y 3500 0

HFC125 FE-25 ®, ECARO25 ® 2001 8 5 33y 2800 0

FK-5-1-12 NOVEC1230®, Sapphire ® 2001 4.2 5 5d 1 0

HFC23 FE-13 ® 2001 18 5 264y 11700 0 IG541 Inergen ® 2001 34.2 5 NA 0 0 IG55 Argonite ®, ProInert® 2001 38/34.2 5 NA 0 0 IG01 Argotec ® 2001 34 5 NA 0 0 CO2 Cardox ® 12 34-50 0 NA 1 0

Recent Changes and Improvements With Fire Alarm Systems

Technology developments have led to improved system reliability

Technology improvements have led to systems and panels capable of handling more points and doing more things (i.e. Mass Notification Systems)

Systems monitoring new things (gases, flames, video smoke and flame) vs. “traditional” items of the past

Devices smaller, portable, wire-less,

Recent Changes in

Codes and Standards Recent Changes to:

NFPA 13 NFPA 72 NFPA 25 FMDS 8-9 FMDS 3-26

Changes to Density/Area Design

Curves in NFPA 13, Sprinkler Systems, 2010 Edition, for Storage

Occupancies Miscellaneous storage up to 12 ft high Class I – IV commodities stored palletized, piled, in bin

boxes or on shelves up to 20 ft high (either ordinary or high-temp. rated sprinklers)

Are fewer points on design curves and go to 3,000 sq. ft maximum design area

Recent Changes in Other NFPA Standards

NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code, 2010 Edition added chapter on Emergency Communication Systems (AKA Mass Notification Systems)

NFPA 25, Inspection, Testing and Maintenance

of Fire Protection Systems, 2011 Edition, changed frequency for electric motor driven fire pump churn testing from previous weekly to monthly (requirement for diesel driven fire pumps still weekly)

Recent Changes to Factory Mutual Data Sheets

FMDS 8-9, storage, March, 2010, incorporated following changes:

All ceiling-level sprinkler protection options for a given commodity and storage arrangement are listed in a single protection table.

All ceiling-level sprinkler protection options are based on a single design

format (i.e., number of sprinklers @ minimum operating pressure). The following parameters are no longer considered when determining

protection options:

• Storage height • Aisle width • Favorable and Non-Favorable factors

Changes to FMDS

FMDS 3-26, fire protection for non storage occupancies, March, 2010 changes:

1. Hazard Category definitions and

classification changes 2. New density requirements for certain hazard

occupancies

Recent Hazards Introduced Into Industrial Settings

Plastic tote storage Plastic Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC’s) with

combustible or flammable liquids High Velocity Low Speed (HVLS) fans, like the

BAF type, and general ceiling ventilation issues in storage occupancies

Notes on Plastic Storage …

Plastic is harder to start on fire than cardboard or paper, but once it is on fire it releases 3-4 times the Btu’s of that of paper or cardboard (plastic like 10,000 - 15,000 Btu’s) and thus requires a lot more water to cool a fire and control or extinguish it

A lot of manufacturing areas have sprinklers designed for metal machining operations and not plastic storage, so if plastic totes introduced the sprinklers likely not adequate

Exterior storage bad since likely no sprinkler protection and is susceptible to vandals or arson

Notes on IBC’s …

Plastic containers easier to breach then metal drums IBC’s typically hold 275 – 330 gallons; up to 6 times that

of common 55 – gallon metal drum Liquid pool from an IBC can be up to 1,000 sq. ft and if

on fire will challenge most sprinkler systems Exposure fire easily breach a plastic IBC Containment pallets commonly used do not provide

adequate containment protection as liquid can shoot outward a few inches beyond footprint of containment

Ceiling Ventilation Issues In Suppression-Mode Sprinklered

Occupancies Ventilation exceeding 5 ft/sec at ceiling can

delay sprinkler operation Blades of large diameter fans can be

obstructions to suppression-mode sprinklers Recent testing inconclusive and additional

testing needed, but in meantime is best to eliminate the HVLS and high velocity ventilation systems from storage areas with suppression-mode sprinklers

Review Recent Trends to Reduce Property Exposures in Industrial

Occupancies

More focus on business continuity and disaster recovery plans (BCP’s and DRP’s).

More attention from and involvement by insurance companies loss control staff (even at smaller facilities not getting that service in the past).

More creative underwriting by insurance companies (deductibles, coverages, exclusions, multi-year deals, etc.).

Insureds doing more self insurance or raising own risk retention and having own loss control staff.

Loss Limiting Factors

Properly designed, maintained and tested automatic protection

Trained Emergency Organization Coordination with fire department Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and

Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP)

Questions?

Comments?

Contact Information Thank you for your time and attention. If any questions in the future please feel free to contact me at: Andy Hebert, CPCU, ARM, CFPS Senior Consultant, Property Loss Control Tokio Marine Management, Inc. (513) 262 – 1406 andy.hebert@tokiom.com