Fire Research Centre Safe for certain.

INNOVATION

... on the trail of fire

As a special service, we analyse – in close cooperation with ourcustomers – their specific fire protection problems, in order todevelop tailor-made solutions.

Every year fires claim many human lives, inaddition to billions of dollars in assets. In 1968,Minimax set up the “Fire Research Center”, inorder to providenew impulses forsystematic fire pro-tection research.Since then, full-scale emergencieshave been stagedhere in keepingwith the motto “Wehave a fire, so youdon’t”. The test fa-cilities are constant-ly being updatedand expanded inaccordance withnew technical de-velopments. Thecenter’s facilitieswere modernised in1992 by installing a smoke gas cleaning systemand a water retention system, making it one of Europe’s most advanced and environment-ally friendly fire research centers. In 1998, aspectator area was added, to allow visitors toobserve fire tests in safety and comfort.

The fire research center is used for the devel-opment of new and optimised fire detection

and extinguishing systems, as well as for demon-strating the function of fire fighting conceptson a realistic scale. Decades of experience have

made Minimax arecognised partnerof fire protectioninspection author-ities.

Our customers in-clude well-knowncorporations andmid-sized busi-nesses, as well asinsurance com-panies.

In addition, the fire research centerallows to test thedeveloped compo-nents under realistic

conditions, i.e. in a fire. This is what makesMinimax components so effective and reliable.

Finally, the facilities of the fire research centerare used for training purposes, to provideMinimax employees with the practical experi-ence that you expect from fire protectionexperts.

RESEARCHFOR A FIRE-PROOF FUTURE

The experienced fire research center team isready to design tests adapted to individual firerisks and stage them in the fire test halls.

Test-related data acquisitionVisual observation alone is not enough, espe-cially when optimising extinguishing conceptsand comparing various fire fighting methods.Visibility is often impaired by smoke and steam.In order to make qualitative and quantitativeanalyses, test-related data acquisition with com-puter-supported measuring systems is used. Thisallows to display and record numerous tempe-rature measuring points during the fire tests. In addition, water pressures and flow rates and the concentration of various gases can berecorded. In special cases, concentrations ofnoxious substances are also measured.

Wind tunnelThe wind tunnel is approximately 20 m longand is used to simulate the conditions in pneumatic conveyor sections, e.g. in exhaustsystems in the timber industry. The wind tunnel is used to further optimise Minimaxspark extinguishing systems. The responsebehavior of the spark detectors and the spraypattern of the extinguishing nozzles can beanalysed under realistic conditions and adaptedto the local circumstances.

Permatec® laboratory Tests and demonstrations with the Permatec® active fire prevention system are conducted in a separate area specially set up for the perma-nent inerting of rooms.

Component developmentThe fire research center is equipped not only for fire tests, but also for the testing of specialcomponents used in fire fighting systems.

Sprinklers and nozzlesIn the sprinkler laboratory, various tests are carried out to make our components even morereliable. These include function, ageing andwater shock tests, vacuum-resistance, heat-resistance and low-temperature resistance tests,

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INNOVATION

DetectorsElectronic fire and gas detectors are tested inpractical situations and under boundary con-ditions in the detector application laboratory.

Water cannons (monitors)Discharge ranges and flow rates of monitors aremeasured here.

tests to determine resistance to stress crackingand corrosion, and metallurgical tests.

The spray pattern of nozzles can be analysed by means of a water density measuring rig andoptimised for the specific application. A com-puter is used to measure how much water thenozzles spray per minute onto 100 measuringfields, which extend over a surface area of 5 x 5 m.

Valves and fittingsValves and fittings with a diameter up to DN 200 can be tested on a 200 m test section.Endurance test runs and extreme flow rates canbe simulated here in order to determinewhether parts are affected by the water flow.Pressure surges can also be created here. Thewater (with flow rates of up to 15,000 l/min) isrecirculated as a contribution to protecting theenvironment.

Through close cooperation with many major testing andstandardization committees on both the national andinternational level, Minimax frequently contributes tothe development of new guidelines worldwide.

ECHNOLOGYADING EDGE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE

INNOVATION

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Fire test areasThe main building is divided into two sectionswith areas of 100 m2 each. These test areas are 12 m and 4 m high. The building consists ofa supporting exterior steel construction withsheet metal on the inside. An external waterspray system has been installed to protect thisbuilding against overheating in large-scaletests.

In addition, there is a fire test hall that com-plies with the international standards for determining the application rates of gas extin-guishing systems. This hall, with an area of 21.5 m2 and a height of up to 5 m, can be usedfor various smaller fires.

The fire test areas are equipped with suitableextinguishing technology for the scenario beingtested, based on the type and arrangement of the flammable materials. The capabilitieshere are as diverse as the available Minimaxproducts: pre-installed pipework enables thefast setup of sprinkler systems, deluge systems

and fine water spray systems. All Argotec®

systems (with argon, nitrogen and CO2) areavailable for special extinguishing purposes. A CO2 low-pressure system and a liquid argonsystem (LAR) supply the fire test areas withlarge quantities of extinguishing gas if required.Smaller quantities are stored in high-pressuresteel cylinders. High expansion foam generatorscan completely fill the fire test halls with foamwithin minutes.

The fire test center is supplied with mainswater or water from the industrial water circuit reservoir. Several pumps with variouspressures and flow rates allow the adaption tothe respective test scenario. A pump systemenabling operating pressures up to 250 bar was already installed in 1993 for the analysisand development of high-pressure watermistsystems.

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12 Waste water collection tank 2

13 Industrial water circuit tank

14 Sprinkler laboratory

15 Engineering room 1

16 Engineering room 2

17 Monitor test stand

18 Smoke gas cleaning system

1 Fire test hall 1 (10 x 10 m, 12 m high)

2 Fire test hall 2 (10 x 10 m, 4 m high)

3 Fire test hall 3 (6.5 x 4 m, 5 m high)

4 Auditory

5 Control and water supply room

6 Water density measuringrig

7 EDP for measurements

8 Warehouse and workshop

9 Valve test rig

10 Wind tunnel

11 Waste water collectiontank 1

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Smoke gas cleaning systemThe ultra-modern and spacious smoke gas cleaning system is based on the dry adsorptionprocess and operates with the addition of hydrated lime and active charcoal. It has a nom-inal throughput of 30,000 m3/h and complieswith the air quality control values stipulated bygovernmental emissions laws. The smoke gasesare extracted from the fire test areas and arefed into the unit. A pre-defined partial vacuumcan be calibrated in the test areas so that no gasemissions are released into the atmosphere.

Industrial water circuitThe water from cold tests, e.g. in measure-ments of the water distribution of sprinklers, is collected here. The water is pumped back so that it can be reused, conserving fresh waterresources.

Waste water collection tanks

Extinguishing water from the test areas iscollected in two tanks, each with a capacity of70 m3, after passing a two-stage oil separator.The waste water is tested by an approved laboratory to ensure proper and cost-effectivedisposal.

Our services at a glance:

Pre-test consultation and conception of fire tests

Execution of small-scale and large-scale spray and fire tests

Complete documentation of tests including data and photos

Support during approval process andacceptance tests

Demonstration tests, e.g. for trainingpurposes: from portable fire extin-guishers to high rack storage fires

Minimax GmbHIndustriestrasse 10/12 23840 Bad OldesloeGermanyPhone: +49 45 31 8 03-0 Fax: +49 45 31 8 03-2 48E-mail: info@minimax.dewww.minimax.de

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ENVIRONMENTOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY