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HFC-227ea
fire suppression agent is an acceptable replacement for Halon
1301. HFC-227ea has a zero ozone depleting potential, a low
global warming potential, and a short atmospheric lifetime.
It is particularly useful where an environmentally acceptable
agent is essential, where clean up of other media presents a
problem, where weight versus suppression potential is a factor,
where an electrically nonconductive medium is needed, and where
people compatibility is an overriding factor. Examples of typical
applications are: Data Centers, Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Rooms, Telecommunications Facilities, etc.
HFC-227ea
is an odorless, colorless, liquefied compressed gas. It is stored
as a liquid and dispensed into a hazard as a colorless, electrically
nonconductive vapor that is clear and does not obscure vision.
It leaves no residue and has an acceptable toxicity for use
in occupied spaces at design concentrations (approximately 5.8-7%
by volume). HFC-227ea extinguishes a fire by a combination of
chemical and physical mechanisms. HFC-227ea does not displace
oxygen and therefore is safe for use in occupied spaces without
fear of oxygen deprivation. The minimum design concentrations
should be in accordance with NFPA 2001 (Standard on Clean Agent
Fire Extinguishing Systems).
WHO
NEEDS HFC-227ea PROTECTION?
- Would
your equipment be damaged or inoperable if hit by water or
dry chemicals?
- Is
your equipment and service easily replaced?
- Do
people occupy your facility?
- Can
your facility - and customers - tolerate business interruption
and downtime?
- Do
you want fire protection that requires minimal floor space
and offers long-term availability?
If you can
answer "yes" to any of the preceding questions, consideration
should be given to the use of a FC-227ea clean agent fire suppression
system. HFC-227ea clean agent system can minimize damage by
quickly sensing and extinguishing a fire. Minimal damage equals
minimum downtime.
NFPA 75
(Standard for the Protection of Electronic Computer/Data Processing
Equipment) (6-4.1) states:
"Where
there is a critical need to protect data in process, reduce
equipment damage, and facilitate return to service, consideration
should be given to the use of gaseous agent total flooding systems
in sprinklered and non-sprinklered computer areas."
HFC-227ea
is sold under the trademark names FM-200 and FE-227 FM-200
is manufactured by the Great Lakes Chemical Corporation.
FE-227s manufactured by DuPont.
For
more information, contact us at: Sales@bfpe.com
Recommended for protection of unoccupied facilities. Economical,
computer-designed and engineered; using total flooding, hand
hose line and/or local application. The most technologically
advanced CO2 fire suppression systems available. Colorless,
odorless and electrically nonconductive. Rapid cleanup equals
minimal downtime.
The MicroMist
system is a self-contained, single-fluid, pre-engineered water
mist fire suppression system for total compartment protection
of machinery spaces and compartmentalized gas turbine generators.
The MicroMist has demonstrated excellent performance extinguishing
flammable liquid (Class B) fire scenarios.
Halon 1301 is a colorless, odorless,
and non-toxic gas that extinguishes a fire by chemically reacting
with the combustion process. When a fire is detected the chemical,
which is stored as a pressurized liquid, is released from the
storage cylinder(s) as a liquid and gas mixture. The liquid
fraction is superheated and flashes into the vapor phase. This
hastens the "total flooding," with the agent rapidly
distributed throughout the protected space. When the concentration
of Halon 1301 reaches its effective level (typically between
5% - 7%), the fire is extinguished. Due to its ozone depleting
qualities Halon 1301 is no longer produced in the United States.
There is limited amounts of reclaimed Halon available for recharging
existing halon systems that have discharged.
In
years past, part of the acceptance testing for newly installed
Halon 1301 systems was an agent discharge test. The discharge
test (as its name suggests) was a full discharge of the fire
protection agent into a protected hazard. Once the agent was
discharged, test probes recorded the agent concentrations and
the results were matched against the minimum design concentrations
(by volume) required to protect the space. While the enclosure
may have passed the discharge test, the design may not have
been adequate in a fire event where the hazard needs to be tight
on all sides. The discharge test assumes static conditions that
do not occur in a fire event.
The discharge
test only verified the agent distribution in one location (usually
the most favorable). This may have led to assuming that other
approval steps could be overlooked. The discharge test was never
repeated. The room leakage would increase steadily, compromising
the system from day one.
Now, rooms
protected with clean agent fire suppression systems must be
tighter than with halon. New agents all have fewer margins for
error. Halon protected rooms could lose over 50% and still maintain
their extinguishing capabilities whereas the new agents can
only lose about 20%.
The EPA
has recommended that all discharge tests be eliminated. NFPA
2001 (4-7.2.2.10) states: "A discharge test is generally
not recommended."
Industrial
Risk Insurers (IRI), Factory Mutual (FM), other insurers, and
NFPA 2001 recommend that a door fan test be conducted to ensure
enclosure tightness.
From
NFPA 2001:
4-7.2.3
Review Enclosure Integrity.
All total flooding systems shall have the enclosure examined
and tested to locate and than effectively seal any significant
air leak that could result in a failure of the enclosure to
hold the specified concentration level for the specified holding
period. The currently preferred method is by using a blower
door fan unit and a smoke pencil. If quantitative results are
recorded, these could be useful for comparison of future tests.
The door
fan itself merely measures the enclosure leakage area and the
pressures that may exit across it. The resulting air pressures
are then input into a computer where the results are analyzed
to come up with a hold time prediction (based on the clean agent
being used to protect the enclosure).
Why is
a door fan recommended?
Many jurisdictions
require the results of a door fan test prior to granting final
acceptance of a newly installed system. The test is also quick,
inexpensive, and can locate room leakage problems (such as faulty
smoke dampers).
BFPE International
has the most up to date room integrity (door fan) testing equipment
available. If you are worried about the integrity of your clean
agent protected enclosure we can help give you piece of mind
or identify possible problem areas that can be corrected. Please
contact us if you are interested in setting up a test.
For more
information, contact us at: Sales@bfpe.com
At BFPE we
have the experience and the reputation for meeting any of your
fire suppression system needs. For over 30 years we have been
helping our customers protect their facilities and processes
from the ravages of fire. We understand that there is usually
not a "cookie cutter" solution for all situations.
Our sales, engineering, and technicians are second to none in
our industry. With the backing of the manufacturers of the finest
fire protection equipment available in the world, BFPE can provide
you with the fire protection solution that is practical, economical,
and most important - effective. Every fire suppression system
is checked for design accuracy. Designed for maximum protection
with minimum hardware, less space, lower cost.
For more
information, contact us at: Sales@bfpe.com
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