Experts in fire protection

Advantages

The Oxeo EcoPrevent VG reduces the oxygen content in the air by the controlled supply of nitrogen to the protected area in order to create a "fire-proof" atmosphere and maintains this level permanently. This prevents the outbreak of an open fire. Oxeo EcoPrevent PG generates the nitrogen used to reduce the oxygen on site by means of a nitrogen generator. The protected areas can still be entered by unimpaired individuals.

  • Prevents fire from occurring
  • Damage is limited to the defective component
  • Ensures availability of technical equipment and processes
  • No smoke-related damage
  • The Oxeo EcoPrevent PG system avoids the possible side-effects of normal fire extinguishing methods: rapid temperature changes in specific spots, electric short-circuits, extinguishing agent residue

Design

1
Process valve
2
Vacuum pump
3
Process tank
4
Low-pressure compressor
5
Control display
6
Adsorption tank
7
Resorption tank
Construction of Oxeo EcoPrevent VG
  1. Process valve
  2. Vacuum pump
  3. Process tank
  4. Low-pressure compressor
  5. Control display
  6. Adsorption tank
  7. Resorption tank

Function

Components

Carbon granulate filled containers realize the separation of the oxygen

The VPSA nitrogen generating system works on the pressure change principle. Containers filled with carbon granulate separate the oxygen and thus reduce the oxygen content in the air. The granulate consists of specially treated active carbon which enables the separation of oxygen and nitrogen.

The compressed ambient air enters an adsorption tank via an energy-efficient low-pressure compressor. The tank contains the carbon granulate which retains the smaller oxygen molecules from the air in its pores. The nitrogen can thus flow past and is thereby separated from the oxygen. One cycle lasts approx. 60 seconds and includes the nitrogen separation in a tank (adsorption) and the removal by vacuum pump of the bound oxygen in a second tank (resorption). As this process is continuously, alternately repeating itself, nitrogen is permanently available for introduction into the protected area.

Air compressor

Thanks to low process pressures the VPSA nitrogen reduction system is very energy-efficient. The reduction of system pressure immediately leads to an effective lowering of energy consumption. In direct comparison with conventional oxygen reduction systems the energy costs can be reduced by up to 70%. In addition to this, the lower process pressure protects components and carbon granulate, thereby reducing component wear.

Container solution

The modest dimensions of the VPSA make it possible to implement the entire oxygen reduction system as a container solution. This saves valuable space in buildings.

Modular design

The scalable design allows individual quantities to be supplied. From quantities upwards , the modular design offers built-in partial redundancy. If a module is being serviced or is possibly completely out of service, part of the quantity supplied will still be available. Often this is sufficient to maintain fire protection or if necessary to gain enough time to restore complete fire protection.

Applications

Archives

Protection zone

Archives house documents and information in the form of paper files or data carriers. Shelving bays or mobile storage racks make for transparent storage and as needed for quick access to specific information. The ceiling height is typically used to the limit.

Risks

  • Technical defects in devices such as the motors of electric mobile storage racks
  • Overheating of ceiling lighting
  • Highly flammable materials

Fire Protection

Sprinkler systems installed for the overall protection of the building typically provide the necessary safety in archives. The use of Preaction sprinklers prevents an unintentional triggering of the extinguishing system caused by accidental damage to a sprinkler. Oxeo inert gas extinguishing systems completely exclude water damage to archived materials. They are also an optimal solution if the distance between the upper edge of the shelves and the ceiling is too narrow for sprinklers. Oxeo extinguishing systems are triggered by a fire detection system using HELIOS AMX5000 aspirating smoke detectors.

Electric & control rooms
Electric & control rooms

Protection zone

Control rooms are very sensitive and high-quality facilities which control fundamental production processes. They contain electric switching and control equipment plus false floors with extensive cabling. Even minor defects may cause substantial operational failures.

Risks

  • Short circuits
  • Highly flammable materials

Fire Protection

Oxeo inert gas extinguishing systems offer reliable protection in control rooms. For smaller control rooms, MX 1230 extinguishing systems offer an economical alternative. The extinguishing system is triggered by a fire detection system using punctiform smoke detectors or HELIOS AMX5000 aspirating smoke detectors.

High rack storage
High rack storage

Protection zone

High rack storage shelves are up to 50m high and are mostly designed for the intake of Europallets. Their capacity ranges from a few thousand to several hundred thousand pallet storage positions. On a very small surface area they offer space for extremely large quantities of goods and products. Between every two rows of storage shelves there is an alley in which rack feeders move up and down.

Risks

  • Rapid spreading of fire in a vertical direction due to stacked pallets
  • Chimney effect, i.e. flames and fire gases are drawn upward through the shafts

Fire Protection

Sprinkler systems have been proven to work well in high rack storage facilities. In the conventional version, sprinklers are installed both under the ceiling and in the shelves. However, the installation of shelf sprinklers is rendered unnecessary if ESFR (Early Suppression Fast Response) sprinklers, which are installed only in the ceiling, can be deployed. Fire detection systems for the early detection of fires are also used to supplement sprinkler systems in high rack storage facilities. In these cases, Minimax recommends the use of HELIOS AMX5000 aspirating smoke detectors with a vertical installation of the suction lines in the shelves and mounting the evaluation units in easily accessible locations. The advantage of such a solution over punctiform smoke detectors is, for example, that they can be serviced very easily without having to interrupt business operations.

Refrigerated storage
Refrigerated storage

Protection zone

Refrigerated storage is widespread especially in the food industry and in the related, downstream commercial operations. The goods and products are stored for purpose at temperatures of up to -40 °C. The necessary heat insulation often consists of non-flammable or flammable insulation materials with varying fire performance, often in the form of sandwich elements. Rack storage is predominant in refrigerated storage facilities

Risks

  • Dry air promotes the rapid spread of fire
  • Additional fire loads when using flammable insulation material
  • Extinguishing water without antifreeze additives will freeze over very quickly.

Fire Protection

Oxeo Prevent fire prevention systems are the ideal solution for refrigerated storage facilities, since the conditions for their use — no permanent presence of people in the storage facility, a well-sealed building shell and very low infiltration of fresh air caused by bringing in and removing goods — are also required to maintain the desired temperature level. Moreover, they offer perfect protection for the storage of foodstuff that is sensitive to smoke and temperatures. Oxeo Prevent fire prevention systems are mostly used in combination with HELIOS AMX5000 aspirating smoke detectors with a highly sensitive setting to ensure earliest fire detection. Heated aspirating outlets ensure their proper operation in refrigerated areas. Though Oxeo Prevent can only prevent a smoldering fire from turning into an open fire, the fire and the cause of fire would remain permanently undetected in the absence of an earliest fire detection system. Alternatively, sprinkler systems can be installed in such conditions — here ideally fitted with ESFR sprinklers. If there is a sufficiently spaced, frost-free intermediate area above the ceiling available, we recommend pendent Viking ESFR dry sprinklers. Combined with a Minimax PipeGuard Antifreeze system, sprinkler systems can be used in refrigerated storage facilities at a temperature of up to -40 °C.

Server rooms
Server rooms

Protection zone

Server rooms are important, sensitive areas. In these rooms, data of high importance for business operations is stored, managed and exchanged over the network. The irretrievable loss of this data through a fire may have considerable economic consequences for productivity or even the future of a company.

Risks

  • Overheating of technical equipment
  • Defects such as short circuits
  • Considerable damage even in the case of small fires

Fire Protection

For small and medium-sized server rooms, the MX 1230 extinguishing system is the ideal solution. It gives residue-free extinguishing using the innovative Novec™ 1230 extinguishing agents and requires very little space. Oxeo inert gas extinguishing systems are ideal for large server rooms. The MX 1230 extinguishing system and Oxeo inert gas extinguishing systems are triggered, and fires are detected, by a fire detection system using a HELIOS AMX5000 smoke aspirating system.

Storage of hazardous substances
Storage of hazardous substances

Protection zone

Hazardous substances are materials or mixtures that are explosive, combustible or harmful to human health or the environment. Warehouses where such substances are stored have a great variety of typical designs, subject, however, to specific laws and regulations applicable to their construction. Such provisions require e.g., fall-safe storage, soil protection in the form of collecting reservoirs and extinguishing water retention systems as well as the prevention of operational sources of ignition.

Risks

  • Rapid spread of fire
  • Devastating effects of fire on people and the environment

Fire Protection

As a rule, the planned fire protection system for hazardous substance storage is determined in particular by the characteristics of the stored goods. Accordingly, nearly the full range of fire extinguishing systems is used in such facilities. For this type of storage, Oxeo inert gas extinguishing systems are often the preferred solution: they extinguish fires quickly without leaving residue, and reactions between the burnt materials and extinguishing agents are precluded. Alternatives are Oxeo EcoPrevent systems or CO₂ or foam extinguishing systems. A fire detection system triggers the extinguishing systems. UniVario flame and heat detectors are used for detection purposes.

Downloads

Best Cases Coppenrath & Wiese Deep-freeze Warehouse Oxeo EcoPrevent FC/VG
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