Design and installation of automatic water fire extinguishing systems for industrial, administrative buildings and warehouses

Design and installation of automatic water fire extinguishing systems for industrial, administrative buildings and warehouses

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The popularity of automatic water fire extinguishing systems is due to the properties of water. It is available at almost any facility and has a low cost, while its chemical and physical parameters make water an indispensable means of extinguishing fires: Large heat capacity ensures a reduction in temperatures even in hard-to-reach places; Chemical neutrality to a variety of materials allows water extinguishing to be used in areas with some flammable substances. When sprayed, water prevents oxygen from reaching the fire; In combination with special foaming additives, water quickly and effectively eliminates fire even over large areas.

Why is water the best way to extinguish fires?
The popularity of automatic water fire extinguishing systems is due to the properties of water. It is available at almost any facility and has a low cost, while its chemical and physical parameters make water an indispensable means of extinguishing fires:

High heat capacity ensures a decrease in temperatures even in hard-to-reach places;
Chemical neutrality to many materials allows the use of water fire extinguishing in places with some flammable substances.
When sprayed, water prevents oxygen from reaching the fire;
In combination with special foaming additives, water quickly and effectively eliminates fires even over large areas.
Application area
Although water fire extinguishing systems have a wide range of applications, under certain circumstances their use is strictly prohibited. This is due to another property of water - high electrical conductivity. Thus, at sites with a large amount of electrical equipment, with the presence of high-voltage installations and live equipment, water extinguishing agents are unacceptable; special fire extinguishing methods have been developed for these conditions.

Another exception is places where flammable liquids accumulate - gasoline, acetone, turpentine, fuel oil, etc. These substances are lighter than water, so they float on its surface and continue to burn. It is also unacceptable to extinguish materials that react with water (calcium, magnesium) with these means.

If there are no special antifreeze additives in the water, it is prohibited to use water fire extinguishing equipment in conditions of low outside temperatures.

In all other cases, automatic water fire extinguishing is relevant. For example, installation is possible in the following premises:

Shopping centers;
Sports facilities;
Kindergartens, schools and other educational institutions;
Parking lots and garages;
Medical institutions, hospitals;
Administrative buildings;
Business centers.
Advantages of automatic water fire extinguishing
In addition to the advantages of water itself, water fire extinguishing systems have the following properties:

Economy. The costs of development, transportation and installation of an automatic system are minimal.
Variety of designs. Design is carried out taking into account the features of the protected object and the types of materials located in the extinguishing zone.
Universality. The water fire extinguishing system can be used both locally, limited to one room, and throughout the entire area of the building.
Components of water installations

A water fire extinguishing system consists of many elements, without which it is impossible to organize full-fledged fire protection. Depending on the technical requirements, the units and parts of the design can be modified, but the following components always serve as the basis:

Pumping systems;
Water supply pipelines and distribution units;
Control units (sprinkler/deluge);
Fire-fighting shut-off valves;
Sprinklers;
One of the most important parts of a water fire extinguishing system is sprinklers.

Types of water fire extinguishing
According to GOST R 50680-94, depending on the type of sprinklers, water fire extinguishing systems are divided into two types: sprinkler and deluge.

Sprinkler

Sprinklers have a special thermal lock that reacts to changes in ambient temperature. The operating principle is as follows: water is pre-pumped into the fire extinguishing system and stored under pressure, and it is discharged through an opening in the sprinkler, blocked by a lock. When a fire occurs and the temperature in the protected area rises, a sensitive element (thermal lock) is triggered, which leads to automatic opening of the sprinkler and the start of watering the flame with water.

The sprinkler system equipment is activated only in the area where a critical temperature change has been registered. Local fire extinguishing occurs, which avoids damage to property in other areas of the facility and the consequences of flooding in the event of a false alarm of the system.

Drencher
Drencher sprinklers do not have a thermal lock and a shut-off element that closes the sprinkler opening, so extinguishing does not occur locally, as with sprinkler systems, but over the entire area of the protected premises. After the fire alarm sensors have registered smoke or an increase in temperature, a signal is sent to start the deluge valve, as well as to turn on the fire pumps, and extinguishing begins.
The advantages of the deluge system include the ability to effectively protect premises from the spread of fire by creating a powerful fire curtain.

How is the design carried out?
When designing water fire extinguishing, special regulatory documents are used, such as SP 5.13130. 2009 "Fire protection systems". In accordance with them, as well as depending on the facility and customer requirements, the extinguishing systems are planned.

To draw up a project, all input data are required.