Systems
Viking believes that it is also important to educate their customers and clients. Below, are the different types of Fire Suppression Systems that we currently have experience with.
Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler System
Wet pipe systems are the most common fire sprinkler system. A wet pipe system is one in which water is constantly maintained within the sprinkler piping. When a sprinkler activates this water is immediately discharged onto the fire.
Advantages to using a wet pipe fire sprinkler system include:
- System simplicity and reliability - Wet pipe sprinkler systems have the least number of components and therefore, the lowest number of items to malfunction. This produces unexcelled reliability which is important since sprinklers may be asked to sit in waiting for many years before they are needed. This simplicity aspect also becomes important in facilities where system maintenance may not be performed with the desired frequency.
- Relative low installation and maintenance expense - Due to their overall simplicity, wet pipe sprinklers require the least amount of installation time and capital. Maintenance cost savings are also realized since less service time is generally required compared to other system types. These savings become important when maintenance budgets are shrinking.
- Ease of modification - Wet pipe fire sprinkler systems are advantageous since modifications involve shutting down the water supply, draining pipes and making alterations. Following the work, the system is pressure tested and restored. Additional work for detection and special control equipment is avoided which again saves time and expense.
- Short term down time following a fire - Wet pipe sprinkler systems require the least amount of effort to restore. In most instances, sprinkler protection is reinstated by replacing the fused sprinklers and turning the water supply back on. Pre-action and dry-pipe systems may require additional effort to reset control equipment.
Disadvantages to using a wet pipe fire sprinkler system include:
- Wet pipe systems are not suited for sub-freezing environments.
- There may also be a concern where piping is subject to severe impact damage and could consequently leak.
Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler System
A dry pipe sprinkler system is one in which pipes are filled with pressurized air or nitrogen, rather than water. This air holds a remote valve, known as a dry pipe valve, in a closed position. Located in a heated space, the dry-pipe valve prevents water from entering the pipe until a fire causes one or more sprinklers to operate. Once this happens, the air escapes and the dry pipe valve releases. Water then enters the pipe, flowing through open sprinklers onto the fire.
Advantages of using dry pipe fire sprinkler systems include:
- Dry pipe sprinkler systems provide automatic protection in spaces where freezing is possible. Typical dry pipe installations include unheated warehouses and attics, outside exposed loading docks and within commercial freezers.
Many people view dry pipe sprinklers as advantageous for protection of collections and other water sensitive areas. This perceived benefit is due to a fear that a physically damaged wet pipe system will leak while dry pipe systems will not. In these situations, however, dry pipe systems will generally not offer any advantage over wet pipe systems. Should impact damage happen, there will only be a mild discharge delay, i.e. 1 minute, while air in the piping is released before water flow.
Disadvantages of using dry pipe fire sprinkler systems include:
- Increased complexity - Dry pipe systems require additional control equipment and air pressure supply components which increases system complexity. Without proper maintenance this equipment may be less reliable than a comparable wet pipe system.
- Higher installation and maintenance costs - The added complexity impacts the overall dry-pipe installation cost. This complexity also increases maintenance expenditure, primarily due to added service labor costs.
- Lower design flexibility - There are strict requirements regarding the maximum permitted size (typically 750 gallons) of individual dry-pipe systems. These limitations may impact the ability of an owner to make system additions.
- Increased fire response time - Up to 60 seconds may pass from the time a sprinkler opens until water is discharged onto the fire. This will delay fire extinguishing actions, which may produce increased content damage.
- Increased corrosion potential - Following operation, dry-pipe sprinkler systems must be completely drained and dried. Otherwise remaining water may cause pipe corrosion and premature failure. This is not a problem with wet pipe systems where water is constantly maintained in piping.
With the exception of unheated building spaces and freezer rooms, dry pipe systems do not offer any significant advantages over wet pipe systems.
Deluge Fire Sprinkler System
A deluge system is similar to a pre-action system except the sprinkler heads are open and the pipe is not pressurized with air. Deluge systems are connected to a water supply through a deluge valve that is opened by the operation of a smoke or heat detection system. The detection system is installed in the same area as the sprinklers. When the detection system is activated water discharges through all of the sprinkler heads in the system. Deluge systems are used in places that are considered high hazard areas such as power plants, aircraft hangars and chemical storage or processing facilities. Deluge systems are needed where high velocity suppression is necessary to prevent fire spread.
Pre-action Fire Sprinkler System
Pre-action fire sprinkler systems employ the basic concept of a dry pipe system in that water is not normally contained within the pipes. The difference, however, is that water is held from piping by an electrically operated valve, known as a pre-action valve. Valve operation is controlled by independent flame, heat, or smoke detection.
Two separate events must happen to initiate sprinkler discharge. First, the detection system must identify a developing fire and then open the pre-action valve. This allows water to flow into system piping, which effectively creates a wet pipe sprinkler system. Second, individual sprinkler heads must release to permit water flow onto the fire.
In some instances, the pre-action system may be set up with a double interlock in which pressurized air or nitrogen is added to system piping. The purpose of this feature is two-fold: first to monitor piping for leaks and second to hold water from system piping in the event of inadvertent detector operation. The most common application for this system type is in freezer warehouses.
Advantages of using pre-action fire sprinkler systems include:
- The dual action required for water release - The pre-action valve must operate and sprinkler heads must fuse. This feature provides an added level of protection against inadvertent discharge. For this reason, pre-action systems are frequently employed in water sensitive environments such as archival vaults, fine art storage rooms, rare book libraries and computer centers.
Disadvantages of using pre-action fire sprinkler systems include:
- Higher installation and maintenance costs – Pre-action systems are more complex with several additional components, notably a fire detection system. This adds to the overall system cost.
- Modification difficulties - As with dry-pipe systems, pre-action sprinkler systems have specific size limitations which may impact future system modifications. In addition, system modifications must incorporate changes to the fire detection and control system to ensure proper operation.
- Potential decreased reliability - The higher level of complexity associated with pre-action systems creates an increased chance that something may not work when needed. Regular maintenance is essential to ensure reliability.
ESFR- Early Suppression Fast Response
ESFR (Early Suppression, Fast Response) ceiling mounted sprinklers can be used in warehouses in place of in-rack fire sprinkler systems. ESFR provides protection that exceeds that of in-rack systems.
ESFR high output, high volume systems are located in ceiling spaces as with conventional fire sprinkler systems. It incorporates very large high volume, high pressure heads to provide the necessary protection without the need for in-rack sprinklers.
In-Rack Fire Sprinkler Systems
Warehouse fires are extremely challenging; they spread quickly and have immense increases in heat release rate over a short period of time. This is especially true when the fire involves commodities such as flammable liquids, paper, and exposed plastics. In-rack fire sprinkler systems are specifically designed for the protection of racked storage areas in warehouses.
In-rack fire sprinklers will not prevent a fire from starting, in fact they rely on the heat generated by the fire to trigger them, but they will help contain the fire to a specific area, and extinguish it. This in turn limits fire damage and will reduce the risk to life from fire.
CO2 Fire Suppression Systems
CO2 systems are the preferred choice as an extinguishant for a multitude of critical facilities. Fast, efficient and adaptable to a wide range of hazards, the discharge of carbon dioxide [a low-cost clean agent] is non-damaging to property and electrically non-conductive. Multi-Hazard Protection can be designed to provide automatic, simultaneous discharge for a variety of hazards and configurations.
CO2 systems are used for:
- Power Generation
- Cement Plant/Blast Furnace Indirect Coal Firing Systems
- Metal Production and Processing
- Printing
- Automotive
- Electronics Operations
- Electronics/Computer Production
- Research Facilities
- Shipboard (Marine) Systems
- Automated Storage and Retrieval Facilities
Low pressure CO2 systems and equipment are best suited for applications where large quantities of CO2 are needed. A high pressure system is recommended for smaller hazards or where space is limited.
Benefits of CO2
- Fast - Within seconds, CO2 penetrates the entire hazard areas to smother the combustion.
- Environmentally Friendly - CO2 exists as a gas in the earth's atmosphere and is one of the by-products of combustion. It's use has no environmental impact.
- Non-damaging - CO2 does not cause spoilage, requires no clean up and leaves no residue.
- Non-conductive - CO2 is electrically non-conductive, allowing use for a wide variety of special applications.
- Adaptive - CO2 is effective on a wide range of flammable and combustible materials.
A CO2 fire suppression system consists of one or more banks of cylinder storage containers to supply the CO2 extinguishing agent. Flexible discharge hoses connect the cylinders into a piping manifold. The manifold distributes the agent into the piping network. Nozzles regulate the flow of CO2 into the protected area.
FE-13 Fire Suppression Systems
FE-13 is an alternative to Halon 1301 for protecting large rooms, flammable liquid storage, turbine enclosures, high ceiling structures and low temperature environments. Low temperature environments include: locomotives, mining equipment and unheated storage. FE-13 has the lowest toxicity of any other clean agent.
Benefits of using FE-13
- Safe for people
- Does not leave a residue
- Electrically non-conductive and non-corrosive
- Environmentally preferred alternative to Halon
Due to its low toxicity, FE-13 can be used in areas that are normally occupied. This makes it useful in total flood applications such as a control room where people occupy the protected space during discharge of the system.
FE-13 was originally developed by DuPont as a chemical refrigerant. Its absorbs heat from a fire similar to the way in which a sponge absorbs liquid.
As with other clean agents, FE-13 can be used in any area with high valued electronics such as computer facilities, battery rooms and telecommunications facilities. It also has many industrial applications including unheated storage areas.
FM 200
FM 200 is a waterless fire suppression system that can be used as an alternative to Halon 1301. FM 200 also provides an environmentally safe, non-toxic product that requires no clean-up, and can be used in rooms that have anything from computer servers to art and history collections.
Victaulic Vortex Fire Suppression System
The Victaulic Vortex Fire Suppression System uses both water and nitrogen homogeneously to extinguish fires. This technology uses a smaller water drop that will absorb more heat while the nitrogen will reduce the oxygen feeding the fire.
- With smaller water drops there is minimal wetting
- Nitrogen is safe to use with people still in the room
- GREEN design that is completely safe for the environment
Quell Fire Sprinkler System
Viking is a Quell Licensed Installer. The Quell Fire Sprinkler System is designed for cold storage and/or unheated warehouses using a “surround and drown” method to save your building and goods stored.
Foam/Chemical Suppression
Foam is used whenever there is a possibility of a liquid fire. The Foam will mix with water and then expand over the liquid that is on fire, cool the fire, and will finally suffocate it.
Used in:
- Flammable Liquid Storage
- Loading Racks
- Processing Areas
- Refineries
- Dike Areas
- Aircraft Hangars
- Heliports
- Jet Engine Test Facilities
- LNG Storage/Manufacturing
- Marine Applications
- Warehouses