Extinguishing Basic

Extinguishing Systems
Basics and System Overview

Siemens Fire Safety
Product Line Fire Protection
Stefan Langenegger
Head Training, Certification and Quality College
Siemens Switzerland Ltd.
Building Technologies
Siemens protection concept
Detecting
Alarming
Extinguishing
Siemens protection concept
Protection concept for high valued assets

Gas extinguishing systems are specified to extinguish a fire at an
early stage to avoid damage or shut down costs!
early activation of the gas extinguishing system is a must !
time
Automatic detection
Automatic
extinguishing
Alarming
Extinguishing basics
Flash over
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Ox
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en
Triangle of fire
Combustible
Fire
all three elements must be present !
The basic extinguishing principles
at
He
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Eliminating the HEAT WATER
Combustible
Combustible
at
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Eliminating the OXYGEN GAS
Combustible
Eliminating the COMBUSTIBLE
September 15, 2
015
Basic fire protection objectives - Overview

building
protection
cabinet and object

protection
enclosure
protection
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Combustible
Eliminating the COMBUSTIBLE
Advanced fire protection

Professional active fire protection calls for professional passive
and organisational fire protection.
Passive fire protection
realisation of sealed fire compartments
minimisation of fire loads
reduction of protected area sizes and concentration of risks
autonomous ventilation and air conditioning systems and use of fire
dampers
elimination of overpressure if created during discharge
Organisational fire protection
limitation of access to critical risk areas
internal and external alarm organisation
Fire detection and extinguishing sectors
Switch off power
High concentration of
valuables / risks
Special applications for
point-type detectors
Unit extinguishing
Detection
Earliest possible detection
by means of room monitoring
Printer
Extinguishing
Protection of people, facilities and

building according to standards
Room extinguishing
Paper Archive
Unit extinguishing
IT
1 Formation of fire compartments

2 Organizational measures
Protection of key components by

means of equipment monitoring
10
Basic fire protection concept

Basic fire protection objectives: Overview
enclosure
protection
building
protection
cabinet & object

protection
11
Basic fire protection objectives - Segmentation
Building protection
Sprinkler
Pre-action sprinkler
Foam
Gas extinguishing
Protection of high
valued assets and
against shut down costs
Gas extinguishing
Water spray / fog
Foam
Pre-action sprinkler
Sprinkler
Cabinet or object
protection
CO2
Water spray / fog
12
Definitions
Fire extinguishing
= cooling of the flame until the fire is out
Below 500C a flame is not stable anymore. Fire extinguishing also means
avoiding re-ignition.
Fire control
= limiting the fire spread / growth
Limited production of toxic fire gases and smoke.
Inerting
= to avoid ignition
Reduction of the oxygen concentration to a low level or use of high concentrations
of extinguishing agent.
13
Determining the right extinguishing concept
Extinguishing concept mainly depends on:

risk situation given by the hazard scenario and the fire load
(personal safety / availability of fire brigades / etc.)
customers protection objective

(why does the customer want to have a fire protection system)
national regulations
(usually do not meet all customer demands but assure basic protection)
fire class
14
Fire classes and extinguishing effects

Extinguishing
effects
Fire classes
Flaming fires
(liquids or fusible
B
materials)
Fires of combustible metals

(magnesium etc) D
Fires in electrical
installations
Suffocating effect
Evaporation of water absorbs
If the oxygen in the air drops
considerable heat from the fire.
below 2/3 of the normal
The smaller the water drops,
content, the fire is suffocated.
the faster the cooling effect.
Ember-forming fires
(wood, textiles,
papers etc)
A
Fires of
combustible
gases
Cooling effect
Chemical /
Physical effect
Destruction of the HFC 227 /
Novec 1230 / Powder
molecules reduce the
oxygen in the flame.
(temperature reduction)
Water
Foam
CO2, N2, Ar
HFC 227
Novec 1230
Powder
15
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Combustible
16
Sprinkler system
18
Alternative water extinguishing technologies

The optimum droplet spectrum must be provided to achieve
maximum cooling effect needed for successful fire extinguishing!
key difference to sprinklers
water aerosols
average droplet size:
< 10 m
water mist
10 m 100 m
water spray
100 m 400 m
19
Deluge water spray system
(operated through automatic detection system)
20
Foam systems - Basic segmentation

Excellent behaviour with extinguishing fires of flammable liquids
(often seen in industrial applications).
Light foam
foam expansion:
200 - 1000
Middles foam
foam expansion:
20 - 200
Heavy foam
foam expansion:
4 - 20
21
Foam systems - Application examples
heavy
foam
medium
foam
light
foam
22
High expansion foam system
Protection in aircraft hangar

23
High expansions foam system
fix installed foam system

1000 time foam
expansion
Room filling time 36 minutes
Fire class A and B
Storage area
24
High expansions foam system
Extinguishing effect
Prevetion of fire
spread
Reduction of
oxygen
( suffocating
effect)
Reduction of
Energy
(cooling effect)
25
Toxicity of extinguishing agent
LOAEL (Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level):

(Lowest concentration at which an adverse toxicological or
physiological effect has been observed)
NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level):

(Highest concentration at which no adverse toxicological or
physiological effect has been observed)
26
Door fan test
27
Co2 discharge
28
Overpressure in the room
29
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Suffocating extinguishing effect
Combustible
30
Carbon Dioxide CO2
Characteristic of CO2
Agent:
Extinguishing principle:
Room ambient
After discharge
clean
displacement of Oxygen
Extinguishing concentration:
Nitrogen
79%
Nitrogen
Nitrogen
39.5%
79%
min 34%
< 13.8% O2
Storage stage:
as liquid
Effect on people:
dangerous
CO2 50%
Oxygen
Oxygen
21%
O221%
10.5%
(due to medical effect

on blood supply)
31
Extinguishing Agent
Inertgas
Liquid gas
CO2
Chemical gas
Not liquified
gas (Vapor)
Liquid gas
Stickstoff
HFC 227
Argon
Novec 1230
Inergen
Argonite
32
CO2 System Pressures
High Pressure Systems
Low Pressure Systems
34
Total-flooding Application
35
Local Application with CO2
Fog-nozzle
36
37
Total flooding system
38
Local application
Air sampling system

Small cylinder
39
Deciding Factors
Cylinder space and location.

Number of risk areas, size and proximity to one another.
Pressure relief issues

(building owner, BWIC, security, etc).
Fires - frequency, size and severity.
AHU and PDU shutdown issues.
Fire brigade response times.
Environmental attitude / image of the user.
Room size, construction, integrity and the height of asset within the
protected area.
40
Room Integrity
The extinguishing sector must be air tight in order
to obtain the extinguishing concentration for min. 10 min.
Ceiling void
Room
Floor void
Extinguishing sector
41
Room Integrity
42
Room Integrity
Ventilation dampers (controled by the alarm organisation)
43
Nitrogen (N2) extinguishing agent

Characteristic of nitrogen (N2)
Room ambient
Agent:
Extinguishing principle:
clean
After extinguishing
Nitrogen
Nitrogen
79 %
89%
displacement of Oxygen
Extinguishing concentration: min 34%

< 12.5% O2
Oxygen
Storage stage:
as expended gas
Effect on people:
harmless
21%
Oxygen 10-12%
(due to not having medical

effect on blood supply)
44
Inert Gas Extinguishing
Inert gas systems aim to drop the O2 to between 10% and 14%.
Ideally inert gas systems aim for ca. 12.5% O2
45
Gas extinguishing system: Cerexen application
46
Chemical / Physical extinguishing effect
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Combustible
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Combustible
47
Sinorix High pressure technology:
Provide fast and total evaporation of the extinguishing agent already

during discharge which leads to a perfect homogenisation in
the extinguishing sector
average extinguishing time with high pressure: 15 s after end of

discharge
reduced damage to highly valued equipment
less risk of expensive shut down costs due to operational loss.
no risk of critical concentrations of by-products after fire
extinguishing
49
Even if the Vapour Pressure is Very Low:
50
Sinorix High Nozzle pressure

is reducing the effective extinguishing time compared
to conventional low pressure systems by up to 50% by only using basic
physical effects given at a minimum nozzle pressure of 10 bar.
Better evaporation
air
10 bar
4 bar
air
51
Extinguishing principle with Chemical Agent

The molecule decomposes into its atoms in the flame zone.
This decomposition leads to a volume expansion
and supports the extinguishing process!
Decomposition products are not avoidable

but must be kept below critical concentrations!
1 molecule decomposes into max. 10 free parts, as H finds

always directly a binding partner.
the volume is expands by max. the factor 10
the oxygen concentration is strongly reduced
extinguishing effect
52
Extinguishing principle with HFC 227ea and Novec 1230

Molecule of:
HFC 227 ea
Novec 1230
Heat absorption
(Direct cooling effect)
Volume expansion
(Indirect cooling effect)
HF
(Hydrogen fluoride)
CO2
CO
H2Ov
F2
53
High Pressure System technology
High pressure technology: Increased application flexibility
HP
LP
Low pressure system

25bar / N2
advantageofofhigh
hightotolow
lowpressure
pressure
advantage
larger system
smaller pipe dimension
lower installation cost
High pressure system

42 bar / N2
54
High Pressure
Low pressure
Pressure at nozzle
10 bar
4 bar
Nozzle coverage area
30 m2
120 m2
ISO
7.5 / 7.7%
NFPA
7%
Yes < 15sec.
Yes ? sec.
Extinguishing concentration
Extinguishing time
55
Application of Sinorix Hardware
total flooding and object protection

- single
and multi sector installations

- closed objects only if minimum holding time of 10 minutes is guaranteed
modular & pre-engineered systems

- no need of hydraulic calculation software
- cylinders are located inside protected area or close by
engineered systems
- use of VdS calculation software
- cylinders are stored in one central battery within a limited distance to the
protected area
56
Modular System
4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Control panel
Fire detector
Gas cylinder
Electrical actuator
Nozzle
Alarm horn
Visual alarm
Manual release
2
3
6
Immediate
evacuation
No
admittance
Electrical conection
Electrically controlled line
57
Centralised System
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Control panel
Fire detectors
Gas cylinder
Electrical actuator
Pipe network
Nozzles
Alarm horn
Visual alarm
Manual release elect.
Check valve
Manual release mech.
11
10
6
3
7
Immediate
evacuation
No
admittance
Electrical conection
Electrically controlled line
58
Single Sector Protection
59
Multi Sector Protection
Room 1
Room 2
Sector valve
Pressure Relief
60
Range of Cylinders for HFC 227 and Novec 1230
Cylinder
Max. filling
227 ea.
Max. filling
Novec 1230
Nitrogen
pressurisation
7.5 lt. (6.6)
7.5 kg
8.0 kg
42 bar
17.5 lt.
19 kg
20 kg
42 bar
32.0 lt.
34 kg
38 kg
42 bar
67.5 lt. (71.0)
74 kg
86 kg
42 bar
80.0 lt.
75 kg
96 kg
42 bar
61
Sinorix 227 Extinguishing System
Sinorix 227
Basic Product Information
Siemens Fire Safety
62
HFC 227ea Extinguishing agent
HFC 227ea, heptafluoropropane (C3F7H)

halonfluorocarbons (HFCs)
63
Toxicology of the HFC 227ea
HFC 227ea has been used as a pharmaceutical since 1942

propellant for anti-asthmatic sprays
no toxic effect if released into protected area
HFC 227ea is a pharmaceutical product
no critical concentrations of by-products after fire extinguishing if used correctly
chemically inert and clean
- no remaining residues after discharge due to complete evaporation
- no interactions with installed equipment
64
Extinguishing behaviour of HFC 227ea
best usable for most fire classes

class A (solids)
class B (flammable liquids) and C (flammable gases) fires with
some limitations
very fast extinguishing
discharge time
< 10s
extinguishing time
~ 10s - 15s after end of discharge
electronically non conductive
excellent use to protect electronic risks
low temperature reduction during discharge
65
Extinguishing effect of HFC 227ea
thermal decomposition of HFC 227ea at temperatures above 200C

leading to a volumetric expansion of the gas
out of 1 mole HFC 227ea up to 8-10 mole of other gases are formed
oxygen transfer to the flame is limited
due to thermal decomposition HFC 227ea is not optimal for fires leaving hot
surfaces or remaining embers after extinguishing
66
Extinguishing performance
Two criteria for fast & reliable extinguishing with HFC 227ea
a must to avoid any critical concentrations of by-products
fast and total evaporation of HFC 227ea already during discharge
perfect homogenisation of HFC 227ea during discharge
67
HFC 227ea Extinguishing agent

Halonfluorocarbons are world-wide used and accepted as substitutes
to Halon 1301 for industrial and fire protection applications.
HFC 227ea is not destroying the stratospheric ozone layer (ODP = 0)
global warming potential of HFC 227ea does not contribute to the
total emission basket following Kyoto protocol (GWP ~ 2900)
no toxic effect if released into protected area
no critical concentrations of by-products after fire extinguishing if
used correctly / chemically inert and clean
no pending ban of the product despite a rumour placed on some
markets
68
Possible dangers of HFC 227ea

Concentration to low
forming of HF and danger for persons and installations
Concentration to high
exceed of NOAEL / LOAEL level
NOAEL: 9.0 Vol-%

LOAEL: 10.5 Vol-%
Proper design is necessary!

After installation no changes in the room can be accepted.
69
System characteristics of HFC 227ea System

Cylinder pressure
42 bar, approved and safe technology
Cylinder arrangement
Modular systems with nozzles for each cylinder or engineered systems (67 l
and 80 l cylinders) with manifold and pipe system possible
Activation
Electromagnetic pilot vale, pneumatic slave valves
Multi-sector systems
Selector valves between 3/4 and 4
70
Sinorix 1230 Extinguishing System
Sinorix 1230
Basic Product Information
Siemens Fire Safety

71
Novec 1230 Extinguishing agent

Chemical Structure and Specifications
CF3CF2C(O)CF(CF3)2
C6 Fluoroketone
molecular weight:
316,04
boiling point at 1 bar:
49,0C
liquid density:
vapour pressure at 25C: 0,4 bar
1.600 kg / m3
72
Extinguishing Effect with Novec 1230 Agent

Extinguishing Phenomena
similar to FM200 and Halon
the large Novec 1230 agent molecule is split in 18 smaller fractions
(molecules)
due to thermal effects close to the fire leading to a volumetric
expansion and limitation of the oxygen transport to the fire: the fire is
going to be extinguished
Note:
the amount of produced HF during the extinguishing process

is equal to HFC 227ea
during direct contact of Novec 1230 agent with the flame or hot
surfaces
due to this fact Novec 1230 agent is not recommended for other fire
classes than class A (solid material) or electronic equipment showing
slow development of the fire size
73
Extinguishing Performance
Fully Evaporating: Even if the Vapour Pressure is Low
as HFC 227, 1230 is a gaseous extinguishing agent
by using the Siemens high pressure technology having a minimum
nozzle
pressure of 10 bar the Novec 1230 fluid is discharging in fine droplets
into the extinguishing sector and fully evaporating
Novec 1230 which has been transferred from liquid into a gas will
remain stable as a gas: there is now draining-out of Novec in the
extinguishing sector leading to form liquid pools on the ground
74
Environmental effect
Outstanding Environmental Parameters Close to a Natural Gas
GWP Value = 1
no global warming potential
ALT Value = 5 to 7 days

minimum atmospheric stability
ODP Value = 0
no negative impact on stratospheric ozone layer
chemical structure: no HFC (Halonfluorocarbon)

not affected by any laws and restrictions based upon Kyoto Protocol
such restrictions are already in the market and or some markets
under preparation
75
Extinguishing
Sinorix 1230 High Pressure Technology Assures Fast
and Reliable Fire Extinguishing
key advantages against 25 bar system technology
out of own development already used for Halon 1301 and

still in use for HFC 227
minimum nozzle pressure of 10 bar for fast and full evaporation

of Novec 1230 agent at the nozzle assuring minimum extinguishing
times
76
Application of Novec 1230 System

Excellent System Solution in Addition to Natural Gases for
Environmental Sensitive Markets with Restrictions on HFC`s
customer is demanding for environmental friendly gas
strong limitation on the available cylinder storage space
release of overpressure is not possible

e.g. nuclear power plants or room far below ground floor
modular system is demanded
installation of natural gas pipe system during Halon replacement

is very cost intensive
Siemens Fire Safety does not phase out HFC 227

77
Selection of Extinguishing System

Preferable Use for Class A Fires and Electronic Risks
Room
Size
red: typically special hazard
Cerexen
a) N2:
standard
b) CO2: no personal safety

required
c) Ar:
special chemical
risks
GasSpray
HFC 227
Novec 1230
Electronic Risks
Class A
Liquids
Class B
Gases
Class C
Deep seated
Fires
78
Fire
Risk
Determination of extinguishing concentration
1. Determination
by labor test
(cup burner test)
2. Determination
by real room life test
79
Gas extinguishing systems - Basic segmentation
Synthetic agents
HFCs as Halon replacement
ODP value of zero
GWP & ALT value positive
stored liquid suppressed with nitrogen or under its own vapour pressure
low amount of bottles
Natural gases
use of CO2 / N2 / Ar in pure or pre-mixed form environmental friendly
stored gaseous under high pressures
large amount of bottles
80
Gas extinguishing systems - Basic characteristics
Chemical agents
fast acting due to rapid discharge
low extinguishing concentrations
due to local acting
optimum ratio between stored agent
and needed storage space
storage pressure 25 45 bar
use for personal safety installations
possible
formation of by-products
Natural agents
high extinguishing concentrations
due to oxygen replacement
larger storage space required due
to gaseous storage
storage pressure 200 - 300 bar
use for personal safety installations
possible (except CO2)
no formation of by-products
81
Fire protection system overview

Room monitoring
with point detectors
Air conditioning duct
monitoring with ASDduct
Cabinet
monitoring
Raised floor
monitoring
Monitoring of
exhaust air
Object monitoring
82
Activation of an extinguishing system

Fire detection
manual
automatic
Alarm
Al.
Control
unit
electrical actuator
manual actuator
pressure switch:
agent discharge
cylinder surveillance
83
Environmental / Toxic effect
Extinguishing
agent
ODP
GWP
ALT
NOAEL
LOAEL
Ozone
depletion
potential
Global
worming
potential
Atmospheric
Life time
No Adverse
Effect Level
Low Adverse
Effect Level
CO2
200 years
> 5%
Nitrogen
< 10% O2
Argon
< 10% O2
Inergen
< 10% O2
Argonite
< 10% O2
HFC 227ea
2050
32 years
9%
Novec 1230
5 days
10 %
84
10.5%
Product Presentation
Siemens Fire Safety
85
cerexen
Brand name
Extinguishing with natural gases

Use of same set of hardware for three different individual extinguishing
systems marked under the brand name cerexen using natural gases in
pure form for fire extinguishing.
pure nitrogen (N2),

pure argon (Ar) or
pure carbon dioxide (CO2)
86
cerexen
The right solution for each application
Depending on the application, pure N2, Ar or CO2 is used.

personnel safety must be considered
Nitrogen as dominating solution
- EDP rooms & telecom
- storage buildings
- museums
no personnel safety required

Carbon dioxide for
- industrial applications
- high voltage switching rooms
- transformer stations
- object protection
Argon for special applications or

upon specific customer demand
- storage of chemical substances
- heavier gas is needed
87
cerexen
Room
size
Room protection
Cerexen
a) N2:
standard

required
c) Ar:
special chemical
risks
GasSpray
HFC 227
Novec 1230
Electronic risks
Class A
Liquids
Class B
Gases
Class C
Deep seated
fires
88
Fire
risk
cerexen
Differentiation in room protection
relative price for class A
HFC 227 and N2 prices (hardware and gas)

1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0
FM200
500
N2
1000
1500
2000
room volume [m3]
HFC is getting relatively more expensive, the larger the protected volume.
Turning point at about 250 m3.
89
cerexen
Outstanding extinguishing performance
The use of natural gases in pure form exhibits at least an equal

extinguishing performance than its mixtures which is proven by
international research program as: (ISO/CEN/CEA).
Agent
Wood crib
[Vol% agent]
Electronic risks
[Vol% agent]
n-Heptane
[Vol% agent]
CO2
37.5
32.0
33.7
N2
37.2
41.5
43.7
Ar
39.9
48.3
50.8
Inergen
36.5
39.2
41.2
Argonite
38.6
44.9
47.3
no need to
use pre-mixed
natural gases
Source: ISO meeting New Orleans 09/2002
90
cerexen
The better solution

compared to pre-mixed gases
Free and unlimited access to the natural gases

faster re-filling of the cylinders after a system discharge due to local
availability of gas suppliers
- pure natural gases are available close to each medium-sized agglomeration
- system is faster back into service, lower shut-down costs
no dependency on specialized authorized suppliers

- mixtures of natural gases are only available from a limited number
of suppliers
no expensive license-fees on a natural gas without

an additional benefit regarding extinguishing performance
- N2, Ar and CO2 are license-free
- the gas price of pre-mixed gases is about 5 times higher
91
cerexen
The better solution

compared to pre-mixed gases
No CO2 in pure N2 and Ar

(pre-mixed gases such as Inergen containing CO2)
CO2 should increase the breathing frequency in the extinguishing zone

after discharge in order to compensate lower oxygen concentration.
- no medical need for this effect: persons in regions of lower oxygen concentration (e.g. above 5000 m) are naturally move and breathe more slowly
- higher frequency could lead do breathing in more possibly toxic smoke gases
92
cerexen
Choosing the optimal agent

Due to the necessary concentrations system size:
CO2 < N2 < Ar

system price accordingly.
CO2: The LOAEL-value of 5% is highly exceeded by the design concentrations. Use CO2 only when no personal safety is required or for
object protection.
N2:
Standard agent which guarantees personal safety if the oxygen

rest-concentration does not drop below 10 Vol-%. This is true for
all class A and class B as well as for most class C applications.
More than 90% of all Cerexen installation use nitrogen!
93
cerexen
Ar:
Choosing the optimal agent
Argon installations are more

expensive than nitrogen
installations, as the gas is more
expensive and more cylinders
are needed to reach the design
concentration.
EDPRoom
Vol. [m3]
Cylinder Number
(ISO 14520)
Argon
Nitrogen
50
100
250
10
500
20
18
Argon only if chemically necessary!

E.g.: explosion suppression where hydrogen can be released; reaction
with metals as magnesia or lithium at higher temperatures.
94
Physical Properties of Inert Gases
Extinguishing
agent
Formula
Mol- Weight
Density (Vaper phase)

(at 20C und 1013 mbar)
Carbon dioxide
CO2
44 g/mol
1,84 kg/m3
Argon
Ar2
40 g/mol
1,662 kg/m3
Nitrogen
N2
28 g/mol
1,165 kg/m3
Inergen
52% N2
40% Ar
8% CO2
34 g/mol
1,418 kg/m3
Argonite
50% N2
50% Ar
34 g/mol
1,413 kg/m3
95
cerexen
Application
Carbon dioxide:
- unmanned generator stations
- unmanned transformer rooms
- local application: oil baths, turbines, kitchen devices
Nitrogen:
- Computer rooms
- Storage of plastic boxes
- Cable channels
- Manned transformer/ generator/ switch rooms
- Military depots
- Archives
- Warehouses
- Cotton storage rooms
- Museums
Argon:
- Chemical storage rooms with the risk of metal fires
96
cerexen
Key characteristics
Excellent extinguishing performance for class A, B and C fires

- best suited for fast growing fires
- excellent performance with flammable liquids and gases
(explosion protection by enclosure inerting)
Electronically non conductive
- best applicable for electronic risks
Use of natural gas
- no remaining residues after discharge
Excellent performance with deep seated fires with 20 min. hold
time
- best applicable for archives or cotton stocks
97
cerexen
N2 and Ar system characteristics
Cylinder pressure
200 and 300bar, approved and safe technology, allowing pipe systems of any length
and height difference.
One, two or four lines. Up to 60 cylinders in one battery! A high storage flexibility is the
result as 80l cylinders are available. Horizontal storage possible.
Activation
Electromagnetic pilot valve, pneumatic slave valves. Booster-set in case of larger
cylinder batteries.
Pressure reduction
With orifice plate to 60 bar behind high-pressure hoses and high pressure manifold.
In case of multi-sector systems, the orifice plate is in front of the selector valves.
Selector ball valves between 1 and 2
Over-pressure flaps
Pneumatic and mechanical in different sizes
98
cerexen
Minimum requirements on storage space
Compact cylinder assemblies allow significant reduction of storage

space! maximum of 60 cylinders ( 1700 m3 EDP-Room)
5 m2 surface area per cylinder assembly package only
Four-line arrangement exclusively offered by Siemens Fire Safety!
Protection of a center for mobile

telecommunication in Switzerland
99
cerexen
Storage examples
Use of total volume of

storage rooms
is possible only with
four line arrangement!
Telecommunication room in Hungary
EDP room in Denmark

100
cerexen
Overpressure relief openings
All extinguishing systems using natural gases do need over-pressure

relief openings to avoid complete destruction of the protected area independent of the natural gas used !
Siemens Fire Safety as a system builder includes its own

overpressure flaps in its cerexen package!
Optimized cerexen overpressure relief openings allow minimum areas

due to pneumatic activation of the overpressure openings.
increased free surface area and better pressure drop coefficient

compared to conventional mechanically overpressure flaps.
101
cerexen
Stability after discharge of Nitrogen

Oxygen Concentration after Discharge
Oxygen Concentration [Vol%]
14.0
13.0
O2% on 90% room height

max. O2 level after CEA 4008
12.0
11.0
10.0
0
60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540 600 660 720 780 840 900
Time [s]
Test room 110 m3 / 60 s discharge time
102
cerexen
International acceptance
The cerexen gases recognized by the following

- authorities & test houses:
VdS, LPC, FM, UL, CNPP, HK-FSD, other national ones
- standards:
CEA 4007&4008 / NFPA 2001 / UL 2127 / ISO & CEN 14520
All three cerexen gases are widely used in Europe & Asia Pacific:
- Nitrogen:
IG-100
- Argon:
IG-01
- Carbon Dioxide: Carbon Dioxide
Siemens Fire Safety introduced nitrogen internationally

as extinguishing agent!
103
cerexen
Approvals
Approvals for cerexen

VdS system approval
- system design
- hardware
- hydraulic software
Hong Kong FSD
China approval
CNPP French approval
SSL Australian approval
LPC component listing pending
FM approval pending
104
CerSpray
Water Spray for Local Applications
Siemens Fire Safety
105
CerSpray
Advanced water spray technology
Objective:
Protection of local applications or industrial objects
Advantage:
Fast extinguishing and cooling
Agent:
Water spray with optimised droplet diameter
patented technology
Application examples:
- engines
- energy generating facilities
(turbines & generators)
- pump stations
- oil & gas industry
106
CerSpray
Extinguishing effect
Maximum cooling effect due to optimised droplet size so that

to ensure that the water droplet enter the fire zone
No supporting inerting effect and therefore no enclosure around the protected object is needed: the fire is extinguished by the water droplets
Too large droplets:
low specific surface
bad cooling effect
no fire extinguishing
Too small droplets:
droplets vaporise before reaching
the fire zone
no fire extinguishing
107
CerSpray Key advantage compared to water fog systems

CerSpray
does extinguish small open fires and avoids re-ignition after flame out.
suitable for local applications!
Water fog systems

try to reduce the oxygen concentration for fire extinguishing by
enclosure inerting with water vapour.
min. enclosure temperature 85C
huge fire is needed
huge damage on equipment
enclosure must be tight
no local applications
108
CerSpray
Necessary water concentrations

Physical prove (VdS research)
0,35
Water amount [kg/m3]
0,30
0,25
0,20
0,15
0,10
0,05
0,00
0,00
polypropylen fire
0,40
0,80
1,20
Fire area [m2] 1,60
Minimum water concentration for small fires (below 1 MW):
170 g/m3
For large fires (above 1 MW):
350 g/m3
109
CerSpray
Droplet density
Maximum
Droplet
Density per
Enclosure
Volumevolume
Maximum
droplet
density
per
enclosure
Maximum Droplet Density [g/m3]
120
100
80
60
40
20
required stability time = 1 minute

0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Droplet Diameter [m]
Nuclear safety research: examination of aerosol behaviour in large-scale

Maximum possible concentration for water droplets at ambient temperature:
100 g/m3 for water fog droplet sizes
110
CerSpray
Maximum vapor content

Determination of the maximum vapour content
500
Water vapour density [g/m ]
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
0
20
40
60
80
100
Temperature [C]
Dew-point line of vapor/air: at 20C 20 g/m3

111
CerSpray
Conclusion
At 20C the necessary water fog density of 170 g/m 3 cannot be

obtained by the combination of vaporized water and water fog in
form of droplets.
Water fog systems cannot extinguish fires at ambient temperature

safely, when used for room protection.
Higher temperatures higher vapor density
Safe extinguishing of large fires (= 350 g/m3 water density)
T > 85C!!
We do not use the inertisation effect but bring the droplets directly to the seat of the fire!
112
CerSpray
Use for local application only
CerSpray is not designed for total discharge since necessary inerting effect
by water vapour can not be guaranteed!
CerSpray is designed for fast extinguishing of rapidly growing fires
on industrial objects and effective cooling of remaining hot surfaces!
optimised droplet spectrum
- based on in-house research
optimum nozzle position
- nozzles are placed beside the
protected object
extinguishing of small open fires possible
- allows the use of fast acting fire detection
systems
113
CerSpray
Where to use for local applications ?
Corrodibility
of risk
high
All: typically special hazard
Cerexen
with CO2
low
Foam
none
CerSpray
medium
high
114
Personal
safety
CerSpray
Wide range of applications
Patented coupling between cerexen and non-pressurised water

cylinders provides for an of optimum droplet spectrum on low
hydraulic pressures using standard nozzles !
no need for stainless steel high pressure piping
steady state conditions at the nozzles depending on the minimum
spray time realisation with cerexen or with pump
single sector systems and
multi sector systems
115
CerSpray
Single sector applications
Low pressure technology allows to add up to eight water cylinders to

one sole cerexen cylinder.
600L of water per cerexen cylinder
Orifice
N2
cerexen
Water cylinders
Pipe system with nozzles
116
CerSpray
Multi sector applications
One common cylinder storage to protect several local applications

unique application advantage of CerSpray
Water sector valves
cerexen
cerexen
Control cylinder
Water cylinders
117
CerSpray
System characteristics
Cylinder pressure
Nitrogen 200 bar, approved and safe technology, allowing pipe systems of any
length and height difference, water cylinders are unpressurized.
One, two, three or four lines. Up to 60 cylinders in one battery!
The result is a high storage flexibility.
Activation
Electromagnetic nitrogen pilot valve, pneumatic nitrogen slave valves. Water
cylinder valves do not have any moving parts.
Pressure reduction
With orifice plate to 20 bar behind nitrogen high-pressure part.
A nozzle pressure of 10 to 20 bar results.
Pipes
PN 40
118
CerSpray
Approvals
CerSpray has successfully passed VdS fire tests and

has system approval pending:
CerSpray is the first water spray system having a
VdS approval for engines and similar objects!
FM, LPC component listing will be realized via VdS
Design: Based on a verified software tool and object properties
119
GasSpray
Advanced Room Protection
Siemens Fire Safety
120
GasSpray Room protection with nitrogen and water fog

Objective:
Room protection: Fast extinguishing and cooling of gases and hot surfaces
Agent:
Nitrogen:
Water fog:
Fast reliable extinguishing, known from Cerexen

- Cooling of gases and hot surfaces
- Washing out of smoke gases reduced toxicity
Advantages:
Additional fire safety:
no re-ignition of deep seated fires
Additional personal safety:
cooled surfaces and reduced toxicity
Application examples:
Archives
Cotton storehouses
Risk of spreading liquid fires
121
GasSpray Extinguishing effect

Nitrogen flooding guarantees the extinguishing of all fire
classes in an early stage due to the inertisation effect!
Cooling effect
Water fog with fine droplets (10 50 m) guarantees optimum cooling
High specific surface for high heat transfer
Disadvantages of conventional
water fog systems
Extinguishing effect only above 85C
huge fires high damages
Completely sealed rooms necessary
60
50
Cooling capacity [W/m 3K]
uniform homogeneous distribution of

the water droplets, since released
together with nitrogen
40
30
20
10
0
10
30
50
70
90
Droplet diam eter [ m ]
Cooling capacity of 0.7 kg/m3 water

in relation to droplet diameter
122
GasSpray Necessary water concentrations

Physical prove (VdS research)
0,35
Water amount [kg/m3]
0,30
0,25
0,20
0,15
0,10
0,05
0,00
0,00
polypropylen fire
0,40
0,80
1,20
Fire area [m2] 1,60
Minimum water concentration for small fires (below 1 MW):
170 g/m3
For large fires (above 1 MW):
350 g/m3
123
GasSpray Droplet density

Maximum
Droplet
Density per
Enclosure
Volumevolume
Maximum
droplet
density
per
enclosure
Maximum Droplet Density [g/m3]
120
100
80
60
40
20
required stability time = 1 minute

0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Droplet Diameter [m]
Nuclear safety research: examination of aerosol behaviour in large-scale

Maximum possible concentration for water droplets at ambient temperature:
100 g/m3 for water fog droplet sizes
124
GasSpray Maximum vapor content

Determination of the maximum vapour content
500
Water vapour density [g/m ]
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
0
20
40
60
80
100
Temperature [C]
Dew-point line of vapor/air: at 20C 20 g/m3

125
GasSpray Conclusion
At 20C the necessary water fog density of 170 g/m3 cannot be
obtained by the combination of vaporized water and water fog in
form of droplets.
Water fog systems cannot extinguish fires at ambient temperature
safely, if used for room protection.
Higher temperatures higher vapor density
Safe extinguishing of large fires (= 350 g/m3 water density)
T > 85C!!
Therefore we add Water Fog to Nitrogen!
126
GasSpray Applications
Patented coupling between cerexen and non-pressurised water
cylinders from CerSpray system !
Simultaneous discharge of Nitrogen and water fog.
One pipe system for nitrogen and water fog flooding using standard
material.
Separated gas and water orifices adjusted to each other to assure
optimum gas and water discharge. Design based on the phenomenon
of critical flow.
Single sector systems and
Multi sector systems
127
GasSpray Room protection
Room
size
Cerexen
a) N2:
standard

required
c) Ar:
special chemical
risks
GasSpray
FM200
Electronic risks
Class A
Liquids
Class B
Gases
Class C
Deep seated
fires
128
Fire
risk
GasSpray Single sector applications

Water discharge: 300 to 700 g/m3 (depending on risk and room surface)
Combination range of 4 to 13 cylinders N2 with one cylinder of water
(depending on fire class and selected water amount)
129
GasSpray Multi sector applications

Each sector might need own water storage, as water and gas orifice
have to be adjusted to each other.
130
GasSpray System characteristics

Cylinder pressure
Nitrogen 200 bar, approved and safe technology, allowing pipe systems of any length
and height difference, water cylinders are unpressurized.
One, two or four lines. Up to 60 cylinders in one battery!
A high storage flexibility is resulting.
Activation
Electromagnetic nitrogen pilot valve, pneumatic nitrogen slave valves. Booster-set
in case of larger cylinder batteries. Water cylinders valves do not have any moving
parts.
Pressure reduction
With orifice plate to 60 bar behind high-pressure part. In case of multi-sector systems,
the orifice plate is in front of the selector valves.
Pipes
PN 80
Over-pressure flaps
pneumatic and mechanical in different sizes
131
GasSpray Minimum requirements on storage space

Compact cylinder assemblies allow significant reduction of storage
space! maximum of 60 cylinders ( 1700 m3 EDP-Room)
5 m2 surface area per cylinder assembly package only
Four-line arrangement exclusively offered by Siemens Fire Safety!
Example of connection
to the manifolds
132
GasSpray
Calculation of the actual water amount
The necessary amount of water depends on room size, surface and fire
risk. The surface of the fire load has to be cooled by the resulting water
film, in order to reduce the actual temperature (= in the worst case the
reaction temperature of the fire TR) down below the value of flammability
(TF).
The resulting enthalpy equation
TR TF c p, FL FL z
MH2O
hH20
A Room
depends both on the fire load and on the room data.
This calculation is done for each case at SBT HQ!
133
GasSpray Approvals
GasSpray has successfully passed VdS fire tests and has system
approval pending:
GasSpray is the first nitrogen + water fog system
having a VdS approval for room protection!
FM, LPC component listing will be realized via VdS
Design: Based on a verified software tool and object properties
134
Gas-Lschtechnik Inerte Lschgase

Vergleich Lschgasmengen
Halon
1301
1 Fl.
NOVEC
1230
2 Fl.
CO2
4 Fl.
Stickstoff 300 bar
5 Fl.
Inergen 300 bar
5 Fl.
Argon 300 bar
135
6 Fl.
Extinguishing system solutions

Natural agent
CO2
CerSpray
Nitrogen
Argon
Chemical agent
GasSpray
FM200
Novec 1230
136

Extinguishing Basic

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Extinguishing Basic

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Extinguishing Systems

Basics and System Overview

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Siemens protection concept

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Siemens protection concept

Protection concept for high valued assets

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

all three elements must be present !

The basic extinguishing principles

Eliminating the HEAT WATER

Eliminating the OXYGEN GAS

Eliminating the COMBUSTIBLE

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Basic fire protection objectives - Overview

cabinet and object

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

The basic extinguishing principles

Eliminating the COMBUSTIBLE

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Advanced fire protection

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Fire detection and extinguishing sectors

Switch off power

Protection of people, facilities and

1 Formation of fire compartments

Protection of key components by

Basic fire protection concept

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

cabinet & object

Basic fire protection objectives - Segmentation

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Determining the right extinguishing concept

Extinguishing concept mainly depends on:

customers protection objective

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Fire classes and extinguishing effects

Fires of combustible metals

Evaporation of water absorbs

If the oxygen in the air drops

considerable heat from the fire.

below 2/3 of the normal

The smaller the water drops,

content, the fire is suffocated.

the faster the cooling effect.

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

The basic extinguishing principles

Eliminating the HEAT WATER

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Alternative water extinguishing technologies

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Deluge water spray system

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

(operated through automatic detection system)

Foam systems - Basic segmentation

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

Foam systems - Application examples

Siemens Switzerland Ltd.

High expansion foam system

Protection in aircraft hangar