Autonomous fire extinguishing systems: aerosol vs gas systems

The most effective methods of active fire protection include autonomous firefighting systems. They independently detect fire and extinguish the flame even if there are no power supplies and external control systems. Autonomous fire extinguishing should not be confused with automatic, because automatic systems need power and are started when the corresponding command comes from the control equipment.

How autonomous fire extinguishing systems work

The fire extinguishing system includes devices:

• Detection device – sensors of fire, smoke, temperature;
• Control device – automatic, remote, manual start-up unit;
• Fire extinguishing device – modules with fire-extinguishing composition.

When a fire is detected the sensors send a signal to the control unit. Depending on the settings the extinguishing modules are switched automatically, by a signal from the remote control, or triggered in manual mode.

Autonomous systems differ in the form of the extinguishing agent – it can be aerosol, gas, water, powder, foam. At places where wet compounds and chemically aggressive powders can cause damage to property it is recommended to use gas and aerosol fire extinguishing. Such places include archives, libraries, server rooms, warehouses, production halls with electrical equipment and other places with accumulation of material values.

Autonomous aerosol fire extinguishing against gas: which is better

• Gas extinguishing systems are very effective. Freon, carbon dioxide or inert gas released from the modules fills the whole room in several minutes and quickly depresses the combustion reaction. The biggest drawback of the method is the danger of gases for human health, that's why it is not recommended to start the system until the people are completely evacuated. In addition, the gas is precipitated in the form of a condensate, harmful to the electronics. From an economic perspective everything is not quite smooth too: gas installations are much more expensive than other types of fire fighting equipment and in some cases the installation of the system requires additional costs for laying pipelines.
• Systems of aerosol fire extinguishing are much cheaper than gas equipment and at the same time have comparable efficiency. After the launch the modules release a cloud of fire-extinguishing aerosol which quickly depresses the flame at the level of chemical reactions. Aerosol suspensions easily spread throughout the space and maintain the extinguishing concentration for 15-20 minutes excluding the possibility of a re-ignition. In addition to efficiency and cost, aerosol fire extinguishing has a number of other advantages: aerosol does not cause critical health damage, its flake precipitate does not spoil property and is easily removed, and the entire system is mounted quickly and simply - without stopping work processes on the protected object.

JSC "Granit-Salamandra" is the world leader in the development and production of aerosol fire extinguishing systems. It offers advanced equipment for active fire protection of objects of any area and destination. It is possible to familiarize with characteristics of production and to make the order in the catalog. If you need a specialist consultation call us or ask a question through the feedback form.