Sprinklers and equipment with open spray heads

our specialities, which had a key role in the hungarian SPRINKLER cULTure

 

AESTHETICS, MODERN DESIGN

for Exclusive, elegant facilities,
e.g. high-class hotels, offices, plazas, shopping centres, studios, banks, cultural facilities, sports and conference centres, passenger transfer centres and terminals, in addition to the perfect safety against fire we produce aesthetic extinguishing systems organically integrating in the interior with their colour dynamics, concealed installation, almost invisibly and with a subdued tone, using the latest components of world standard.

LOGISTIC CENTRES

Already the 3rd generation of sprinklers is used for the protection of storage facilities of high risk, i.e.Material transfer halls, warehouses, logistics centres, manufacturing halls of large air space and grain silos.
We implement systems, which functionally match the rooms, the technologies, the material handling operations with perfect fire safety, avoiding water damage, eliminating false alarm and adjusting to the other conditions of architecture and building engineering in a complex manner.

STERILE, CLEAN ROOMS AND POLLUTION-FREE ROOMS

For the protection of production lines of pharmaceutical products and electronic items, for chemical and biochemical, electronic research and development laboratories we apply extinguishing equipment elements with bright polished surface, integrating into the sterile wall elements flush, which can be treated with high-pressure steriliser appliances.

FACILITIES WITH ENHANCED RISK OF FIRE AND EXPLOSION

For the protection of facilitIEs of organic chemical industry, petroleum industry, manufacture of pharmaceutical basic materials, painting plants we apply efficient equipment operating with water or if necessary, double film generating foam solution of high intensity, complemented by automatic fire suppression equipment elements of quick response, installed on an individual basis to control the direct sources of danger, however, the extinguishing fog technologyis also included in our product range,  with the application of the local extinguishing gas technologyas well.

EXTERNAL AREAS, DECANTERS, ENVIRONMENT AND EQUIPMENT COOLING

Our extinguishing equipment operating with water of double film generating foam solution have been among our specialities for the past ten years, through which we protect outdoor chemical plants, indoor fuel filling stations, railway and public road decanting stations and cool the gas reservoirs. The equipment excel with their high speed and intensity, featuring autonomous and waterless design.

 

Types, operation of the sprinkler equipment

The sprinkler equipment is a pipeline system running around the area to be protected, or the building to be protected, in which sprinkler heads are located with a density and spacing corresponding to the applicable risk.
The sprinkler heads include a melting cartridge, which breaks as a set temperature and the water ejected from the pipeline system is sprayed on the area to be extinguished by the sprinkler head.
According to the ever-changing requirements several versions of the sprinkler equipment have emerged:

 
     
The WET SPRINKLER EQUIPMENT can be applied in cases when the extinguishing of the eventually started fire must be started immediately, without human intervention. The advantage of the wet system is that only those heads open and start extinguishing, in the environment of which the air temperature has reached the release temperature, and in this manner the water damage can be prevented in the other areas. It is direct, rapid, inexpensive and simple solution. A preferred equipment of offices, hotels, shopping centres as well as industrial plants and temperature regulated warehouses.
  
Sprinkler Fire Protection System
     

DRY SPRINKLER EQUIPMENT, where overpressure air at a regulated constant value is found in the pipeline system in normal case. The dry side of the pipeline system is separated from the wet side by a dry alarm valve. When the melting cartridges of the sprinkler heads on the dry system melt for the effect of the heat, the air from the pipeline system will escape, the pressure drops and as a result the dry alarm valve opens and the pipeline will be flooded by water.
The advantage of the dry system is that it can also be applied in a space where due to the risk of freezing, the wet system could not be applied. It can be installed for the protection of unheated warehouses, and areas exposed to the risk of freezing.

  
     
In case of a PRE-CONTROLLED SPRINKLER system, overpressure air is found in the pipeline network, and the filling of the pipeline with water starts independently from opening the spray heads, only for the effect of the starting signal arriving from the fire alarm system or the manual signal transmitter. In this manner, the sprinkler system operates as a wet system after the starting signal arrives from the fire alarm, and after the spray heads it starts extinguishing the fire.
  
The advantage of the pre-controlled system is that no water damage occurs as a result of the eventual mechanical damage of the pipeline system, therefore, it can be well applied in such cases, when the material stored or the technology applied could cause water damage, therefore, the possibility of water discharge shall be minimised or in cases when the fire alarm arrives from the fire alarm system. It can be applied for the protection of technologies sensitive to water, e.g.: injection moulding plants, press shops, food-processing plants. It makes the system “ready for operation” by filling with water already before the sprinkler films are ruptured, that is, the extinguishing can start immediately.
     

In case of a DOUBLE CONTROL SPRINKLER system regulated overpressure air is found in the pipeline network at a constant value, the filling of the pipeline system with water can start only after the starting signal arrives from the fire alarm system, or from the manual signal transmitter, and after opening the sprinkler heads for the heat effect.
 

If only the sprinkler heads open, the double control system will not start the extinguishing, it only indicates an alarm. If only the starting signal of the fire alarm system arrives, the double control system will not start extinguishing automatically, however, it operates as a dry valve until the sprinkler heads open.
Water appears in the sprinkler heads only if the temperature, necessary for melting, is present, therefore, the melting cartridges open and the starting signal also arrives from the fire alarm. In case of the failure or disconnection of the fire alarm system, the system operates as a dry valve.
The advantage of the double pre-controlled system is that no water damage occurs either from the effect of the eventual mechanical damage of the pipeline system or in case of the eventual false fire alarm, therefore, it can be particularly well in water-sensitive technologies (e.g.: electronics, pharmaceutical production, chemical industry).

     

 

Application technology of sprinkler equipment

   

Sprinkler as an extinguishing technology has been in existence for more than 100 years, however, the development results of the recent years have lead to explosive changes in the field of application of the sprinklers.
Such sprinkler techniques and design specifications have emerged in the past 6-8 years, through the application of which the efficiency of extinguishing may grow significantly. Knowing the more recent technologies and application possibilities allows the application of the available technologies in the most efficient manner, that is to save considerable time and money for our customers.

  
In the last 6 years IFEX-Tűzőr Kft. was in the foreground of introducing new technologies, see our specialised articles Nos. 2., 3. and 5 among our specialised articles.

However, the flip sides and application limits of the major developments of the past period have also been discovered, but only for those, who continuously monitor the latest development and research results (e.g.: the experimental results of the extinguishing laboratory of FM Global insurance company) and for whom it is important to be also aware of the weak points of the selected extinguishing technology. We have several years of design and implementation experience in the field of setting up extinguishing equipment of special industrial plants with high level of risk.

  
A long line of satisfied customers returning to us for many years may prove the high standard at which we adjust to the complicated technological processes of the operating factory or production unit, the features of operation in an almost unnoticeable manner, working to “smuggle” the extinguishing equipment into the building.
     
 

Considerable professional experience is available in our Company in the field of design and implementation of the sprinkler equipment of high stores and logistic centres being established in a growing number recently.
The references of our Company include many extinguishing systems implemented with special sprinkler heads meeting high aesthetic demands, using which fire safety is provided for hotels, shopping centres and cultural facilities.

With respect to each extinguishing technology our Company made efforts at implementing the design and construction works also utilising the latest development results.
We were among the first to apply in the Hungarian market the ESFR Large Drop ELO or VLO sprinklers of great water intensity already widely used abroad, which can be flexibly adjusted to the most modern storage and production technologies. As the almost 30 years old Hungarian regulations do not specify such new sprinkler head designs, in such cases we always carry our design and implementation on the basis of some foreign standard or insurance requirement.
     

During the design of fire safety of industrial technologies with high risk the double-control sprinkler system applied for the protection of water-sensitive areas and the medium-pressure water fog extinguishing system, which is in the foreground primarily for the extinguishing of liquid fires and in areas where the primary aspect is the minimisation of the water damage.
Our Company has acquired considerable achievements in the introduction and spreading of the medium-pressure water fog extinguishing equipment in the Hungarian market.

As the almost exclusive service provider of the Hungarian pharmaceutical companies our firm has gained outstandingly great experience in the extinguishing technology of the pharmaceutical industry and more specifically in the clean space technologies.
The technology of clean space sprinkler protection is applied in a wide range, we have technologies suitable for the fire protection of sterile, aseptic, antiseptic, electronic spaces, clean rooms and biochemical laboratories, as well.

  
     

 

FOAM SPRINKLERS
 
 
Primarily among the many extinguishing equipment established in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry areas we find such systems in which foam is also mixed in to complement the extinguishing effect of the sprinkler. These foam sprinklers combine the advantages of extinguishing by sprinkler and foam. The cooling effect is similarly achieved like with the normal sprinkler, however, additionally it also spreads over the surface of materials non-wetting with water due to the in-mixing of foam, separating them from the oxygen of the air.
The foam-sprinkler system becomes suitable also for extinguishing the foam-destruction materials e.g. alcohols, using the most modern double film production materials.
     

 

Standards and insurance companies
 

Under the currently effective Hungarian regulation: sprinkler extinguishing equipment can be installed only after obtaining a project license. The project license needs to be requested from the authority of the first instance, that is, the clerk of the local government with regional jurisdiction, who shall issue the permit according to the position of the specialised authority of the first instance (fire brigade).
The establishment of the sprinkler equipment can be started only in case of having the documentation submitted as an attachment to the application for the license, and the license itself. The special authority of fire safety may check at anytime during the installation, however, as part of the procedure for putting into operation it shall monitor in a mandatory manner the implementation of the technical solution approved in the licensing documentation. Following the establishment of the sprinkler equipment the licensing of putting the equipment into use shall be requested from the authority of the first instance, which license will be issued by the authority according to the position of the specialised authority.

The design of the sprinkler equipment is regulated by chapter 2 in the supplement of the Decree No. 2/2002 BM, which is the conversion of the Hungarian Standard MSZ 9781 of 1971 into the form of an act. As the Hungarian regulations include specific prescriptions only for one part of the areas of application, in these “missing” areas we can work with the help of the continuously developed and therefore up-to-date foreign specifications.
In addition to the Hungarian regulation we establish our systems completely meeting the customer requirements, according to the specification of the American standards, NFPA13, NFPA 15, NFPA 16, NFPA 20, FM (Factory Mutual), and the Federation of the German Insurance Companies VdS (Verband der Sachversicherer), and the EURONORM.

  

If we are forced already during design or implementation to apply a technical solution, which is covered only partly by the Decree or not at all, then the possibility of deviation from the specification shall be requested from the National Disaster Relief Directorate General of the Ministry of Interior, with the precise justification of the necessity of deviation and the detailed explanation of the compensation actions or technical solutions.

As the current regulation is obsolete in many points and does not cover a great part of the problems occurring in practice, the standards effective in the European Union were also put into effect in Hungary, however, which are only recommendations, according to the legal norm of the EU, primarily the rules of design, implementation and maintenance of the sprinkler equipment according to MSZ EN 12845:2004. The EN standards above were also put into effect in Hungary, and the equipment designed and implemented accordingly are accepted by the fire brigade and as a result, also by the local government with regional jurisdiction.

In our Company we undertake the comprehensive implementation of setting up the extinguishing equipment, from the start of the concept through obtaining the permits and until commissioning. Furthermore, we undertake the training of the operating staff, the continuous maintenance and periodical inspection of the systems.

 

As a result of the economic development, which has taken place in Hungary since the change of the system, the largest international companies have entered the country, and have brought with themselves the most advanced industrial, storage and logistics technologies, and naturally, they required appropriate protection for the values they set up here against fire.
This represented such a professional challenge for the companies operating in the Hungarian market, which highlighted the differences between the companies operating on real professional foundations and the ones not aware of the professional considerations even in principle.

Our Company has fully met these high requirements, and started competing against the competitors present in Hungary as representations of the foreign mother companies, with regard to its market position it has gained ground and has achieved absolute market leading position in several areas. Despite the frequently keen competition Tűzőr Ltd. maintains correct relations with the competitive companies, what is more, we have distributed the professional experience accumulated over the years in the form of regularly published information bulletins to the participants of the professional public life, significantly improving in this way the information supply of the less experienced companies.