door fan test_fire new installers

High Value Enclosure TestingHigh Value Enclosure Testingby Colin Genge of Retrotec Incby Colin Genge of Retrotec Inc

[email protected]@retrotec.com www.retrotec.comwww.retrotec.com360 738 9835 ext 308360 738 9835 ext 308

NFPA 2001 Appendix C

& ISO 14520

Total Flooding

Clean Agent Acceptance Procedure

History Of Integrity TestingHistory Of Integrity Testing

Colin Genge first proposed using door fan tests to ensure passage of discharge in 1986

Several companies used door fans to find leaks. They all passed.

The next one wasn’t tested and it failed. 1988 NFPA hired Colin Genge to write the Appendix

on Door Fan testing. NFPA 2001 4-7.2.2.10 A discharge test is not

recommended…

High ValueHigh Value Enclosure Testing Enclosure Testing High ValueHigh Value = High Risk = High Risk

facilities such as:facilities such as: Computer rooms, tape storage, battery rooms.

UPS rooms Pressurized control rooms Telecommunication centers Turbines, power generators Simulators Archives, Museums Clean Rooms, Operating rooms

High Value High Value EnclosureEnclosure Testing Testing EnclosureEnclosure = walls, doors, = walls, doors,

windows, louvers, dampers, windows, louvers, dampers, connected ductsconnected ducts

Shots of dampers in fire barrier

Electronics enclosure

High Value Enclosure High Value Enclosure TestingTesting TestingTesting=measuring:=measuring:

leakage areavent area

static pressures

Function of the Enclosure Function of the Enclosure

Keep out: – fire, – smoke, – dust, – humidity, – pollutants, & corrosives

Maintain fire suppressant concentrationResist discharge pressure

High Value Enclosure Testing High Value Enclosure Testing OutlineOutline

Preventing Enclosure Failure History, who tests, who accepts, why test Door Fan test equipment set up Enclosure design

A. A. Preventing Enclosure FailurePreventing Enclosure FailureWhat do you think enclosure What do you think enclosure

failure is?failure is?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

59% failed to keep out fire 59% failed to keep out fire and smoke!and smoke!-1989 to 1999 study of clean agent systems indicated 59% failured

due to:

1st Enclosure leaks - design % lost too fast2nd No A/C shutdown - design % not achieved 3rd Electronic problem - didn’t detect fire4th Valve didn’t actuate - design % not achieved 5th Room size increased - design % not achieved 6th Wind losses - design % lost too fast7th Enclosure too tight - damage by discharge

How we will address these How we will address these problems:problems:

All these problems are addressed by an Enclosure Integrity All these problems are addressed by an Enclosure Integrity door fan test upon installation and an annual re-test as door fan test upon installation and an annual re-test as recommended by NFPA.recommended by NFPA.

“Electronic problem, valve didn’t actuate”: addressed by “Electronic problem, valve didn’t actuate”: addressed by annual inspection but not covered in this presentation.annual inspection but not covered in this presentation.

A. A. Preventing Enclosure Preventing Enclosure FailureFailure by: by:

1. Keeping out fire, smoke, dust, humidity, pollutants, dangerous compounds with well sealed enclosure. This is passive protection.

2. Passing NFPA 2001 or ISO 14520 standards to ensure the fire suppressant will put out the fire and prevent re-ignition.

3. Having sufficient vent area to prevent enclosure damage.

A. 1. Preventing Enclosure A. 1. Preventing Enclosure Failure=Passive ProtectionFailure=Passive Protection

Keeping out fire, smoke, dust, humidity, pollutants, dangerous compounds

A. 1. Passive Protection A. 1. Passive Protection assured by:assured by:

a) Inspect potential leakage sitesb) Locate leaks with smoke & door fanc) Seal leaksd) Inspect for continuous fire barrier

A. 1. Passive Protection = Inspect A. 1. Passive Protection = Inspect potential leakage sitespotential leakage sites

Doors are a small leak compared to the huge leak hiding behind the rubber molding at floor level.

A. 1. a) Inspect potential leakage A. 1. a) Inspect potential leakage sitessites

Large cable holes need to be sealed to keep agent in.

A. 1. a) Inspect potential leakage A. 1. a) Inspect potential leakage sitessites

Cable penetrations

A. 1. b) Passive Protection = A. 1. b) Passive Protection = Locate leaks with smokeLocate leaks with smoke

Locating leaks best done with smoke puffer with door fan supplying test pressure. A common slab-to-wall leak is identified as a definite big time leak with smoke puffer.

A. 1. b) Locate leaks with A. 1. b) Locate leaks with smokesmoke

Cable conduits show up as huge leaks.

A. 1. c) Passive Protection = Seal A. 1. c) Passive Protection = Seal leaksleaks

Door Fan measures leakage area Computer prints out

leakage report

A. 1. c) Seal leaksA. 1. c) Seal leaks

Cables stopped with pillows don’t stop agent losses very well

This type of seal is needed.


Vertical cables properly sealed.

This is the type of seal needed on the wall-to-floor slab joint. Generous overlap.


Wall to upper deck being sealed.

This is the best type of seal. Flexible, fire rated, air and smoke tight.

A. 1. d) Passive Protection = A. 1. d) Passive Protection = Continuous fire barrier?Continuous fire barrier?

Most common problem is where a suspended ceiling is used as fire barrier. It is NOT a fire barrier!

Ducts with remote dampers that are not in the same plane as the fire barrier is another example of a discontinuity because unprotected sheet metal duct has no fire rating.

A. 1. d) Inspect for continuous A. 1. d) Inspect for continuous fire barrierfire barrier

Fire barrier is often missing under doors

Fire barrier caulked to the upper slab is good!

A.A. 1. d) Inspect for 1. d) Inspect for continuous fire barriercontinuous fire barrier

Best solution is to have self contained air conditioning with all duct work inside the enclosure. This eliminates expensive duct and damper leakage problems.

A. Preventing Enclosure A. Preventing Enclosure Failure=Failure=



3. Sufficient Vent area to prevent enclosure damage.

A.A. 2. Preventing Failure= 2. Preventing Failure= Passing NFPA 2001 or Passing NFPA 2001 or ISO 14520 standardsISO 14520 standards

Passing NFPA 2001 Appendix C or ISO 14520 Annex standards will ensure the fire suppressant will put out the fire and maintain concentration to prevent re-ignition.

A. 2. Passing NFPA 2001 or A. 2. Passing NFPA 2001 or ISO 14520 standardsISO 14520 standards

a) Measure static pressures with gauge & direction with smoke

b) Measure leaks with door fan

c) Determine agent mixing or descending interface using smoke

d) Use software to calculate retention time

e) Wind losses too

A. 2. a) Measure static A. 2. a) Measure static pressures with gaugepressures with gauge

HVAC imbalance may cause air to dilute the agent.

Leaky Supply damper

Leaky Supply damper

Passivereturnleak

A. 2. a) Measure static A. 2. a) Measure static pressures with gaugepressures with gauge

Adjacent pressurized rooms may create agent loss or push smoke into the protected enclosure.

Protected zone loses concentrationfrom air coming in from right + pressure

A.A. 2. b) Measure leaks with door 2. b) Measure leaks with door fanfan

Door Fan measures leakage area

Computer prints out leakage report

A. 2. c) Determine agent A. 2. c) Determine agent mixing or descending mixing or descending interface using smokeinterface using smoke

A neutral buoyancy smoke test will show whether continual mixing is occurring. If not then there will be a descending interface formed between the agent and the air coming in at ceiling level.

A. 2. d) Use software to A. 2. d) Use software to calculate retention timecalculate retention time

Retention time calculation screen

A.A. 2. e) Wind losses too2. e) Wind losses tooApplies more to enclosure exposed to wind.

Particularly remote telecom stations on hill tops or observatories on mountains.

Losses due to wind can easily be greater than gravity losses per NFPA or ISO

A. Preventing Enclosure A. Preventing Enclosure Failure=Failure=



3. Provide sufficient Vent area to prevent enclosure damage.

A. 3. Preventing A. 3. Preventing Failure=Failure=Provide sufficient vent Provide sufficient vent

areaareaa) Software calculates vent area needed to

prevent enclosure damage?

b) Door fan measures the effective area of the vent

c) Peak pressure predicted

A. 3. a) Vent area needed?A. 3. a) Vent area needed?

Software calculates vent area needed to prevent enclosure damage based on various standards. Agent type, discharge time, concentration, and temperature are the major variables. The result is expressed in m2 or in2 of open free vent.

A. 3. b) Vent area measuredA. 3. b) Vent area measured

Door fan measures actual installed capacity of vent. This can often be less than half the open area of the vent when louvers, screens, and attached duct is taken into account. The room leakage may be used as part of the vent or not in cases where room leaks do not vent to atmosphere.

A. 3. c) Peak pressure A. 3. c) Peak pressure predictedpredicted

Peak pressure that will occur during the discharge is calculated based on the room and/or effective vent area that was measured with the door fan, agent type, concentration, discharge time and temperature.

A. 3. Screen shows a)vent A. 3. Screen shows a)vent needed b) vent measured & c) needed b) vent measured & c)

peak pressurepeak pressure 0.15 m2 of

vent needed to keep pressure below 250 Pa.

vent measured at only 0.13 m2

Peak pressure will be 144 Pa


A. Preventing Enclosure Failure

B. Who tests, who accepts, why test

C. Door Fan test equipment set up

D. Enclosure design

B. Who tests – who acceptsB. Who tests – who accepts 500 installers use Retrotec equipment GM, Ford, IBM, Intel, Lockheed, GE, ATT, Texas Instruments,

AMEX, Exxon, Chevron, BP, DuPont, over 90% of the top 500 world corporations

Industrial Risk Insurers, Factory Mutual, Kemper

Insurance, Chubb Insurance Military forces 25 countries Research facilities: LBL, NASA, Sandia Labs, Jet Propulsion Labs,

NRC, Los Alamos

B. 34 countries utilize door fan B. 34 countries utilize door fan teststests

Argentina

Bahrain

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

Chile

China

England

France

Germany

Grand Cayman

Holland

Hong Kong

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

Jordan

Kuwait

Malaysia

New Zealand

Puerto Rico

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Africa

South Pole

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

Thailand

Trinidad

Turkey

UAE

USA

B. Why test?B. Why test?

1. Passive protection

2. Initial acceptance

3. Annual re-test

B. 1. Passive protectionB. 1. Passive protection

80% - chance fire or smoke event will occur outside the protected enclosure

Maximizes clean agent suppressionLo costWorks when power fails24 hours per day

B. 2. New enclosures must be B. 2. New enclosures must be tested for acceptancetested for acceptance

NFPA2001 4-7.2.3“All total flooding systems must

have the enclosure examined and tested…”

$800 to $3500 initial test30 to 45 minutes test30 minutes report

B. 3. Existing enclosures must B. 3. Existing enclosures must be checked annuallybe checked annually

NFPA2001 4-4Enclosure Inspection“Inspect at least every 12 months.If doubt, retest”

Non disruptive-operations can continue$250 to $1500 for re-test15 to 30 minutes to re-test

+ 15 minutes for report



B. History, who tests, who accepts, why test


D. Enclosure design

C. Door fan test equipmentC. Door fan test equipment

1. Setting up door fan

2. CA2001 software calculates PASS or FAIL

3. Printout

4. Equipment cost and training

5. Specifying door fan tests

6. How to sell door fan tests

7. Benefits

C. 1. C. 1. Setting Setting Up Door FanUp Door Fan

Tool case and calibrated blower are carried in first

35 + 20 lb

Console set up and Lower panel removed from case

Lower panel installs in seconds

Middle panel expands sideways, up AND down!

Upper panel installs in seconds

Center panel expanded upwards

Calibrated blower installed in panel

Cable connected for:

Speed control signal to blower

Pressure across panel

Flow from blower

temperature

Computer calculates maximum agent loss rate using data from digital gauges.

Retention time is calculated in 3 minutes.

If it fails, the room can be repaired and quickly re-tested.

C. 2. CA2001 software C. 2. CA2001 software calculates PASS or FAIL for:calculates PASS or FAIL for:

Agent retention time &Maximum pressure created at discharge

C. 3. C. 3. Page 1 Page 1

Door Fan Door Fan Test Test

PrintoutPrintout

C. 3. C. 3. Page 3 Page 3

Door Fan Door Fan Test Test

PrintoutPrintout

C. 3. Model 970hp Vs 902FC. 3. Model 970hp Vs 902F

Works, but not quite as impressive.Used by 2% of testers.

Impressive- tests all rooms. Used by 90% of testers.

$3,000 to $12,00024 hr. tech support100% satisfactionCertification

availableDelivery immediate

Equipment and trainingEquipment and training

C. 5. Specifying door fan testsC. 5. Specifying door fan tests

Under specifier’s article on www.retrotec.com

C. 6. How to sell door fan C. 6. How to sell door fan teststests

Presentations to:•Authorities•Specifying Engineers and Architects•Fire Departments•End Users

Utilize Retrotec’s handouts, Windows software and videos on:• “How to Witness a Test”• Licensed CA2001 software users can give away copies to

AHJ, specifiers and fire departments.• “How to design an enclosure for clean agent”

C. 6. How to sell testsC. 6. How to sell tests

1. Become enclosure experts. Show colorful example reports showing typical problems. Make it visible.

2. NFPA requires initial test and re-test yearly.

3. Show them list of world’s biggest who have tests done.

4. Use Retrotec’s specifier’s guide.

Superior fire and smoke protection Saves energy Controls dust, noise and humidity Fast and easily repeated Profitable- $50,000 to $100,000 /year/system $500 to $3500 initial test, 30 to 45 minutes $300 to $1500 re-test, 15 to 30 minutes Non disruptive, allows operations to continue if

necessary. The A/C may need to be shut down for 10 minutes.

BenefitsBenefits



B. History, who tests, who accepts, why test


D. Enclosure design

D. Enclosure designD. Enclosure design1. The 6 myths about clean agent enclosures

2. Common design problems

3. Design for maximum protection.

6 clean agent enclosure 6 clean agent enclosure mythsmyths

1. Add more agent to account for leaks.

2. Inert gases don’t require door fan tests.

3. Suspended ceilings will contain agent.

4. Hazards at ceiling level can be protected.

5. Inert agents don’t need pressure vents.

6. Door fan gives longer retention times than a discharge test.

Myth #1Myth #1Add more agent to account for leaks.Reality: beyond the extinguishing

concentration, more agent will decrease the retention time in most enclosures. More agent = more pressure = faster loss = shorter retention time.

Myth #1Myth #1Agent leakage m2 retention minutes

38% INERGEN 0.06 14.7

50% INERGEN 0.06 13

More agent = more pressure

= faster loss = shorter retention time.

Myth #1Myth #1Add more agent to account for leaks. Exception is where agent is continually

mixed by HVAC system. There more concentration DOES give longer retention.

Myth #2Myth #2Inert gases don’t require door fan tests

because they are the same density as air and don’t leak out.

Myth #2Myth #2Reality: all inert gases (except N2) are more dense than

air and leak out at the NFPA and ISO predicted rate. Halocarbons have four times the density difference which causes them to leak out at about half the rate of inerts.

Agent leakage retention density

38 % N2 0.03 m2 69 minutes 1.17kg/m3

(100% air) 1.2kg/m3

38% INERGEN 0.03 m2 29 minutes 1.3kg/m3

7% FM200 0.03 m2 14 minutes 1.6kg/m3

Myth #3 Myth #3 Suspended Suspended ceilings will contain agent.ceilings will contain agent.

Often a suspended ceiling is used to contain clean agent. This practice reduces protection dramatically because it will still allow smoke to enter the room. Since a smoke event outside the enclosure is more likely than a fire within the enclosure, we recommend hard ceilings, sealing walls slab to slab and/or flooding the ceiling void for maximum protection.

Myth #3 Myth #3 Unintentional Unintentional discharge due to excessive discharge due to excessive

leaksleaks

FM200air

7% FM20093% air

smokesmoke

i. Smoke enters via the above ceiling leaks.ii. The clean agent is discharged falsely.iii. As the agent runs out, it pulls in more smoke.

Myth #3 Myth #3 Passive protection Passive protection of air seal protects enclosure of air seal protects enclosure

from smokefrom smoke

air

smoke smoke

Proper sealing at the top of the walls ensures smoke stays out of the protected enclosure.

Myth #4 Myth #4 Hazards at ceiling Hazards at ceiling level can be protectedlevel can be protected

FM200

7% FM20093% air 7% FM200

93% air

100% air

i. Agent is dischargedii. The design concentration fills the roomiii. As the agent runs out, the upper part of the room loses concentration almost immediately.

Myth #4 Myth #4 Hazards at ceiling Hazards at ceiling level can be protectedlevel can be protected

Only solution is to leave A/C running to continually mix the agent with incoming air.

Agent concentration must be increased by at least 25% because the concentration will drop over the retention time and must not go below a concentration that would allow the fire to re-ignite.

Myth #5 Myth #5 Inert agents don’t Inert agents don’t need pressure vents.need pressure vents.

Reality: Manufacturers recommend vents for all enclosures. Room leaks CAN be used as the vent :

-maximum allowable pressure must be at least 500 Pa- but even then the leakage range allowable is very narrow. Typically 1.16 : 1

Agent minimum leakage for 10 min.retention

maximum leakage for 500 Pa venting

INERGEN 0.76 m2 0.88 m2

Myth #5 cont’dMyth #5 cont’d the range for FM200 is 4.6 : 1 meaning that vents

are seldom needed.

Agent minimum leakage for 10 min.retention

maximum leakage for 500 Pa venting

INERGEN 0.76 m2 0.88 m2

FM200 0.12 m2 0.55 m2

If a double door fan with flex duct is used to measure leak location, this narrow window can be widened.

Myth #5Myth #5

Myth #6 Myth #6 Door fan gives Door fan gives longer retention times than longer retention times than

a discharge test.a discharge test.Main reason for this is

failure to measure leak location. This can be done with a door fan and flex duct. Then, the door fan test is very close to the discharge test.

D.2. D.2. Common design Common design problemsproblems

a) Ceiling too low decreases retention time.

b) Suspended ceiling used as fire barrier

c) Protection expected at the ceiling

d) Common sub-floor

e) External ductwork connected to building HVAC

f) Sub-floor air forced into exterior walls

g) Excess energy consumption

D.2. a) Ceiling too low D.2. a) Ceiling too low decreases retention time.decreases retention time.

Suspended Minimum retention timeceiling height protected height

3.5 m 3 m 4.0 min.4 m 3 m 7.7 min.5 m 3 m 14.4 min.6 m 3 m 20.5 min.

For a hazard at 3 m, increasing the suspended ceiling height rapidly increases the protection.

D.2. b) Suspended ceiling D.2. b) Suspended ceiling used as fire barrier.used as fire barrier.

Smoke and fire will pass these ceilings as if they were not there.

Worse, they disintegrate with time. Solution: install hard ceiling that is sealed

to the walls.

D.2. c) Protection expected at D.2. c) Protection expected at the ceilingthe ceiling

Maximum Minimum retention time

agent height protected height

4 m 4 m 0.0 min.4 m 3.95 m 0.8 min.4m 3.75 m 3.3 min.4 m 3.5 m 6.9 min.4 m 3 m 14.4 min.

D.2. c) Protection expected at D.2. c) Protection expected at the ceilingthe ceiling

Solution: increasing agent from 7% to the NOAEL of 9% and keeping A/C running to ensure continual mixing will provide 7% everywhere after 10 minutes. Since re-ignition will not occur till the concentration drops to 5.5%, this may be used as the lower limit after 10 minutes.

Initial Final retention time

agent % agent %

9 % 7 % 10.0 min.9 % 5.5% 18.6 min.

D.2. d) Common sub-floorD.2. d) Common sub-floor

Typical sub-floor space that connects underneath an adjacent enclosure.


Separate zone #2 with common sub-floor

100% air

Zone #17% FM200

93% air

7% FM20093% air in sub-floor

Common sub-floor and zone #1 floods


Zone #2100% air

2 minutes later, the levels have equalized and protection is lost in Zone #1

Levels equalized between rooms7% FM200, 93% air

Zone #1100% air

sub-floor 7% FM200, 93% air

7% FM20093% air

D.2. e) External ductwork D.2. e) External ductwork connected to building HVACconnected to building HVAC

Huge source of leaks. Hard to control over time.

Solution:

self contained A/C

D.2. f) Sub-floor air D.2. f) Sub-floor air forced into exterior wallsforced into exterior walls

This wall to slab leak will cause air conditioned air to be pushed out by the sub-floor pressurization system to outdoors. In cold climates this will freeze and destroy the wall. In hot climates it will cool the wall and be dripping in condensation 24 hours per day.

D.2. g) Excess energy D.2. g) Excess energy consumptionconsumption

Conditioned air losses through leaks are usually the largest part of the total heat load.

These exterior wall leaks were sealed with expanding foam to hold in the agent but the energy savings will pay back immediately.

D.3. D.3. Design for maximum protectionDesign for maximum protection

a) Slab to slab wallsb) Hard ceiling, no suspended ceilings!c) Maximize protected volumed) Large overlapping caulk bead on wall to lower

slab jointe) Minimize equipment heightf) Self contained A/C or damper at fire barrierg) Seal wall to ceiling with flexible sealh) Seal all cable bundles from inside the bundle

outwardsi) Automatic door closures to prevent door stops

from holding them open during discharge

Conclusion:Conclusion: testing will ensure the enclosure testing will ensure the enclosure

will…will…keep out:

– fire, – smoke, – dust, – humidity, – pollutants, & corrosives

maintain fire suppressant concentration& resist discharge pressures

door fan test_fire new installers

Documents

enclosure damage

fast7th enclosure

sealed enclosure

enclosure failurewhat

enclosure leaks design

door fan testing

door fan tests

discharge test