Electrical fires are incredibly challenging to predict and once started, if left to burn undetected, their effects can destroy equipment beyond repair and spread quickly to nearby equipment or structures. Outdated infrastructure, faulty wires, poor maintenance and overloaded circuits are all risk factors for fire. And if fire strikes, it can bring a business crashing down, with operations coming to a standstill and a loss of sales being very real scenarios.
Reacton Fire Suppression’s electrical equipment systems are designed for use in small enclosures to protect people, assets and critical infrastructure from the devastating impact of fire. The systems are engineered and tested to safeguard enclosures that have air vents or forced ventilation, which are both significant factors and commonplace in energised enclosures.
What is direct fire suppression?
The critical concept is detecting and suppressing the fire right where it originates. Due to the nature of the contents being valuable and dangerous, the majority of energised equipment is exceptionally well enclosed. This means that traditional fire detection and protection systems will be mounted externally to the cabinet, delaying the detection of the fire and impeding the fire protection medium from getting to the heart of the fire quickly. It’s here that a Direct fire suppression system will offer exceptional protection.
Direct systems comprise two key areas: the Direct cylinder assembly, which contains the Clean Agent extinguishing medium, and the pneumatic heat detection tube (Reacton® Detection Tube) which provides the detection and delivery of the system. The Direct cylinder assembly will contain either 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid or FM-200™ Fire Suppressant which are effective on Class A, B, C and electrical fires. All cylinder assemblies are superpressurised with dry nitrogen at 15.0bar @ 20°C (217.5psig @ 68°F) in approved cylinders. All cylinder assemblies comprise of the Direct valve. The valve comes complete with pressure indication via its pressure gauge and an integrated ball valve to control the communication with the detection tube.
Not only does the system offer the protection directly where the fire originates, but they are also compact and sized for the electrical enclosure or cabinet they protect. This will result in a significantly reduced cost of ownership as only a few kilograms of Clean Agent are being used and therefore need replacing in any fire conditions. Compared to that of a large total flood application where the system sizes are much higher, so every discharge will come with a bigger price tag to replace or refill, not to mention the logistics and downtime.
The Reacton® Direct system utilises the CT Direct™ valve technology and tubing to automatically detect the fire and actuate the system. The pressurised tubing is installed in and around the fire risks within the protected areas, always in communication with the system contents. When a fire occurs, the tubing will burst at the point of highest heat. As the contents of the systems are directly in communication with the detection tube, immediate discharge of the extinguishing agent is started at the point of detection. This means that fully automatic fire suppression is ready 24/7 365, day and night, keeping watch over the asset(s) it is protecting. With no power requirements, when the system detects fire it automatically activates, rapidly discharging the suppression agent inside the cylinder to the seat of the fire, knocking it down before it has an opportunity to take hold.
Reacton’s Clean Agent extinguishing mediums all have the following approvals:
- Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
- Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC)
- Factory Mutual (FM)
- Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB ) LPS1666
Reacton’s automatic fire suppression systems can be seamlessly integrated into control panels, data cabinets, switches and servers, that all rely on electricity. These systems use 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid and FM-200™Clean Agents to provide the best possible protection for energised enclosures.
For more information on Reacton Fire Suppression products, please get in touch with the team at Kidde Australia – www.kidde.com.au
