Water Mist System : Water Mist Fire Protection System

What the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System is
Environmental problems such as stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming effect have become one of the most serious issues in the present age. The MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System converts water to uniform and fine water mist. It is a new fire extinguishing system, clean and having a large fire extinguishing capability, marked by both high cooling capability of sprinkler system and excellent fire extinguishing capability of gas type fire extinguishing system.
 
Thrusted by the Regulation of the Use of Halon
Conventionally, the Halon 1301 fire extinguishing agent was used in many fields because of its excellent fire extinguishing capability. However, by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the production of this substance has been prohibited since January 1994. Under these circumstances, YAMATO PROTEC has made efforts to find a fire extinguishing method which replaces halon and is safe and harmless to the global environment.
 
Reviewing Water Friendly with the Environment
In its development activities, YAMATO PROTEC has reviewed the characteristics of water most familiar for the fire extinguishment and addressed developing a system which makes full use of these characteristics. YAMATO PROTECs efforts have led successfully to quite a new water-based fire extinguishing system, the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System, friendly with the environment and capable of effectively extinguishing and suppressing fire with less water discharge even for those objects for which the conventional water-based fire extinguishing equipment was not suitable in respect of performance and economics.
 
Addressing Water Mist (MICROFOG)
YAMATO PROTEC has continued research and development of water mist fire extinguishing equipment for many years. It has the largest installation record among the domestic manufacturers and has introduced the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System to iron and steel plants, car manufacturing factories, ships, etc. The MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System making the fire extinguishing performance and the environmental care compatible with each other may be said to be a fire extinguishing system which is able to satisfy the needs in the future as well as at present.

Principles of Fire Extinguishment
The MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System jets out uniform microfog out of nozzles of special specifications under a pressure as high as about 4 to 10 MPa (about 40 to 100 kgf/cm2). The water particle diameter is about 50 to 200 ƒÊm. Making use of water in the form of fine particles improves the fire extinguishing effect and efficiency. Moreover, it makes it possible to apply the system to those objects (oil fire, electric fire, etc.) which were considered conventionarilly difficult to be extinguished with water. With these water particles of 50 to 200 ƒÊm sizes, excellent fire extinguishing and suppressing performance has been demonstrated through many experiments.
 
* Further, the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System has the following effects.

• Cooling effect (quick cooling by evaporation latent heat)
• Oxygen replacement effect (replacement of air with water vapor generated in a large quantity, and absorption of radiation heat)
• Shut-off effect (the floating fog forming walls of water)
• Smoke eliminating effect (the floating smoke particles being adsorbed and settled by the fog)

Features of the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System
The microfog jetted out fills the entire room quickly arriving even at the place of fire where obstacles may exist. In the case of the conventional water mist fire extinguishing equipment or the foam fire extinguishing equipment, water drops fell soon. In contrrst, the microfog stays in the air for a considerable time. As a result, it has excellent effect for heat cooling and shut-off, and even the fire having a complicated form can be extinguished and suppressed effectively. Moreover, owing to the quick evaporation, there is a fire extinguishing effect by water vapor and hence, gasoline fire, etc. can be extinguished.
 
* Further, the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System has the following features.

• The fire extinguishing agent is water alone, and therefore, is safe to the human body and friendly with the environment.
• Because of a small quantity of water, the damage by water is small.
• Evaporation heat of fine mist deprises of heat is a large quantity realizing a high fire extinguishing effect.
• Gasoline fire can be extinguished quickly.
• Spray fire can be extinguished quickly.
• The fog hanging around the flame shuts off heat radiations and prevents fire extension.
• The atmosphere is cooled and the fire extension is prevented, and at the same tine, smoke fluidity is reduced.
• Smoke eliminating effect is provided by adsorption of smoke particles.
• Because of a small quantity of water, the piping diameter is small and the piping installation is easy.

Performance of the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System
YAMATO PROTECs MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System has high reliability and has experienced many installations. Using it, YAMATO PROTEC is able to provide highly satisfiable systems. YAMATO PROTEC has confirmed the fire extinguishing capability of the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System through thousand times of full-scale experiments. This System is highly evaluated also by the universities research institutes and fire extinguishing organizations concerned. As to the nozzles, nozzle tips are designed in special shapes (patents applied for) and permit spraying in a wide range. As a result, it is possible to discharge the fire extinguishing agent in such a way as wrapping in the fire, so that the fire may be extinguished effectively. These nozzles have passed strict tests in accordance with international standards (IMO MSC/Circ. 668). It has been proved that they have sufficient performance in respect of some items such as environmental temperature change, vibration, heat resistance, shock, sulfur dioxide corrosion, salt water corrosion and clogging.
 
Guaranteeing the Fire Extinguishing Performance of the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System
At present, in Japan, there are no legal standards to be applied to the water mist fire extinguishing systems to be introduced into buildings. Then, YAMATO PROTEC verifies that the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System has sufficient fire extinguishing performance for any building into which this System is to be introduced before introducing it into that building by conducting experiments using the flame which is supposed to be generated there. These fire extinguishing experiments guarantee that the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System is able to provide the customers with the excellent fire extinguishing performance superior to what is required.
Moreover, the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System has been certified by ship class certification organizations of various countries in the world. This System has also been proved in the world to have sufficient performance as the fire extinguishing system for ships.
 
As to the Nozzles
In order that the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System may display its performance to the full, YAMATO PROTEC has prepared nozzles satisfying the specifications appropriate for the conditions of installation and the fire extinguishing performance required for buildings, ships, etc. YAMATO PROTEC, which has been engaged in the research and development of the water mist fire extinguishing system first in Japan, has accumulated experience and data through many experiments and delivery cases, and based thereon, it is able to manufacture the nozzles required for each case of system introduction.

Probable Causes of Fire in the Painting Booth for Cars
In the painting booth, easily inflammable thinners and paints are sprayed in the form of fine particles. As a result, there is a high possibility of fire even if a measure such as ventilation with a strong exhaust fan is taken. The probable causes of fire are as follows.

1. The object to be painted fell off the conveyor and contacted the spray gun and resulted in sparking.
2. While the painting machine was being cleaned with a combustible solvent, any object contacted the painting machine and resulted in sparking.
3. The heater used to keep the paint at a constant temperature overheated.
4. Paint waste, dust, etc. accumulated in the exhaust duct and caught fire.

Fire Extinguishing Systems for Painting Booths
Normally, as the legal fire extinguishing system, carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems are installed in the paining booth in many cases. YAMATO PROTEC recommends that the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System should be installed additionally as an auxiliary fire extinguishing system. Because, with the use of the carbon dioxide fire extinguishing system alone, the following problems are anticipated.

1. In the case of the carbon dioxide fire extinguishing system, it is necessary beforehand to confirm that there is no person in the premise concerned. This takes time and causes the use of this fire extinguishing system to be delayed.
2. After discharge, it is necessary to leave for a considerable time to prevent re-firing.
3. It has little cooling effect. For this reason, there is a possibility of re-firing with inflow of air.
4. It is necessary to replace the carbon dioxide storage containers and hence, the operation stops until completion of the replacement and system restoration.

MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System as an Auxiliary Fire Extinguishing System
By installing the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System, the weak points of the carbon dioxide fire extinguishing system can be overcome. This is because the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System has the following features.

1. Safe and harmless to the human body. Friendly to the environment.
2. Having large fire extinguishing and suppressing effects. Effective to the spray fires as well.
3. Small water quantity and small piping diameter. Easy installation.
4. Small design water requirement, and hence, the quantity of water to be stored is small.

By introducing the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System, the weak points of the carbon dioxide fire extinguishing system are overcome and in the event of factory fire, quick initial fire extinguishment is made possible. This protects the human life and at the same time, it is considered that the time and cost required for factory restoration can be significantly reduced.

Place of Installation
The oil seller is an underground facility in an iron and steel plant. It is provided in the rolling factory, etc. for the purpose of storage and circulation of hydraulic oil and lubricating oil. For the rolling mill to roll out red-hot iron ingots, control of the number of roll rotations is an important factor and determines the precision of the product. For this reason, management of the lubricating oil becomes important. In the iron and steel plant, the scale of the factory and the equipment is large. Thus, the inside of the oil seller also is wide and complicated like the labyrinth. It has storage tanks, piping systems, etc.
 
Largest Anticipation in the Event of Fire in the Oil Seller
So far, in Japan, the carbon dioxide gas fire extinguishing system was installed as the legal fire extinguishing system. However, with a man (men) present inside the area concerned, the carbon dioxide gas fire extinguishing system cannot be operated to discharge. As to the oil seller in the iron and steel plant, the inside is wide and is like the labyrinth; in the event of fire, it takes a considerable time to confirm that all persons present inside have evacuated. Really, this is unavoidable because the human life depends on it, but the fire extends even during that period. As the damage increases, the production equipment will be more affected and the restoration be delayed. In short, the enterprise cannot be but seriously damaged. As one of the solutions to this dilemma for the enterprise, the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System can be introduced.
 
Merits of Introducing the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System
The MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System uses water alone as the fire extinguishing agent, safe to the human body. Thus, in the event of fire, the fire extinguishing activity with this System can be started at once and the damage can be limited to the minimum. Recently, factories have been made more intensive. Owing to the efficient production, high profitability has become possible, but once the production line stops owing to fire, the production stops entirely and the damage to the enterprise is more serious than before. The MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System is safe to the human body, and it can discharge from just after the fire occurs and the damage can be limited to the minimum. Because of using water as the fire extinguishing agent, the fire extinguishing system can be restored soon after the use, and the cost is also limited. In the case of the carbon dioxide gas fire extinguishing system, there are tens of gas cylinders, and their replacement requires several million yen. Further, taking into account the time required for the restoration of fire extinguishing systems and the opportunity loss caused by operation shutdown, it can be said that the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System is lower in cost.

For making the Most of the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System for Ships
On the occasion of the sinking accident of the Titanic, a luxury passenger ship, in 1912, the safety of the merchant ship attracted attention in the world and it was standardized in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
The New SOALI II-2 was enforced on July 1, 2002 (Regulations concerning the Safety against Fire of the Merchant Ships). It is applied to all passenger ships and cargo ships exceeding 500 gross tonnage engaged in the international navigation. Accordingly, the related laws of Japan were revised. In order to protect the human life from dangerous marine fire, YAMATO PROTEC has developed the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System which is a fixed type engine room local fire extinguishing system, in addition to the records of the conventional types of fire extinguishers for ships ahead of the times in Japan and has attained certificates for various ship classes.
 
Installing the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System on the Ship
The MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System is intended to monitor and extinguish fire in the engine, the generator, the cleaner (fuel filter), the boiler and the incineration furnace. In the type approval test, flames (caused by spraying and igniting fuel as mist) of heating value 6 MW shall be extinguished within 5 minutes using 4 heads (at 4 corners of a 4m square). For the fire inside a ship, it is unavoidable to do difficult fire extinguishing works under limited conditions. The MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System which displays sufficient fire extinguishing performance with reduced quantity of water even inside a complex structure, is able to exert its large powers.
 
MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System DELIVERY RECORD
 
Type Standards (IMO MSC/Circ. 913 and MSC/Circ. 668)
The system specifications for the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System satisfy the Type Standards (IMO MSC/Circ. 913 and MSC/Circ. 668). Details are as follows.

1. Fresh water shall be used as the fire extinguishing medium.
2. It shall be able to spray water continuously for more than 20 minutes to one area only.
3. Automatic start and manual start for M-zero ships and manual start for non M-zero ships shall be possible.
4. The fire detectors, etc. of this System shall be controlled independently of the fire detectors, etc. of the whole ship.
5. The fire extinguishing capability shall be enough to extinguish 1 MW and 6 MW light oil spray fires as defined in the Type Standard for Fixed Type Water System Local Fire Extinguishing System within 5 minutes.

System Configuration
The main component apparatus of the MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System and their functions are as follows.
Component apparatus & Function

• Discharge nozzle
  Fire extinguishing microfog head
• Area valve
  Open-closing valve for deluge discharge to the hazardous area
• Area valve startup solenoid valve
  Control valve to drive air-driven area valves
• Water pump
  High-pressure pump to feed fire extinguishing water under pressure
• Pump startup panel
  Startup panel for starter to start up the high-pressure pump
• Fire detector (for flame and smoke)
  Smoke detector and flame detector to judge the fire area
• Manual operating box
  Startup device for area discharge by manual operation
• Control panel
  Control panel to control the whole system
• Extension display plate
  Display plate for the confirmation of trouble alarms in the steering house, etc.
• Visible and audible alarms
  Lamps and alarm buzzers to warn the persons in the area

 
Acquired Ship Classification Certificates
The MICROFOG Fire Extinguishing System has acquired the certificates of the following international classification societies.
 
Certification organizations name & Abbreviation

• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport  JG  (Japan)
• Nihon Marine Association  NK  (Japan)
• Det Norske Veritas  DNV  (Norway)
• Lloyds Register of Shipping  LR  (England)
• Bureau Veritas  BV  (France)
• Registro Italiano Navale  RINA  (Italia)
• American Bureau of Shipping  ABS  (America)
• Germanischer Lloyd  GL  (Germany)
• China Classification Society  CCS  (China)
• Korean Register of Shipping  KR  (South Korea)
• China Corporation Register of Shipping  CR  (Taiwan)