level 1 manual

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Level 1 Trainingfor

Fire Enclosure Integrity Design, Testing,

and WitnessingFor complying with

• NFPA 2001 - Appendix C

• NFPA 12A - Appendix B

• ISO 14520 – Annex E



Revision History

Date Person Rev NotesMay 2, 2003 TL 0.00 Initial Copy

Aug 14, 2003 TL 0.01 Major additions from Old Level 1 manual

Sept 03, 2003 TL More Major AdditionsAdded Copyright

Oct, 2003 TL 0.03 Added design sectionAdded Retention Time SectionChanged E2001 to CA2001 in disclaimerAdded Appendix C – Enclosure Design Specification

Nov 2003 TL 0.04 Added witness chapter

Nov 2003 TL 0.05 Finished witness chapterAdded Enclosure Verification Form

Nov 2003 TL 0.06 Added Glossary or Terms

Nov 19 2003 CG Reviewed entire document

Sept 20, 2004 JG 0.10 Modified NFPA excerpts

9/22/2004 9:59 AMM:\Projects\Training\Fire\Level 1\Manual\Level 1 Manual (rev 0.10).doc

Copyright © 2004 Retrotec Energy Innovations LtdAll rights reserved.

This document contains materials protected under International Copyright Laws. All rights reserved. No part ofthis document may be copied or reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent ofRetrotec Energy Innovations Ltd.

Retrotec makes no warranties with respect to this documentation and disclaims any implied warranties of

merchantability, quality, or fitness for any particular purpose. The information in this document is subject tochange without notice. Retrotec reserves the right to make revisions to this publication without obligation tonotify any person or entity of any such changes.

CleanAgent 2001 and CA2001 are Trademarks of Retrotec Energy Innovations Ltd. Other trademarks or brandnames mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.



Level 1 Training Manual

6 T HE DOOR-FAN T EST ............................................................................... 31

6.1 How a Single Door-fan “Sees” a Room.................................................................................................................31 6.2 The Lower Leaks Test............................................................................................................................................32

7 W ITNESSING AN E NCLOSURE INTEGRITY T EST .......................................................33

7.1 Technician Training ...............................................................................................................................................33 7.2 Software Conformance...........................................................................................................................................33 7.3 Room Pressure Gauge Calibration Certificate .......................................................................................................33 7.4 System calibration..................................................................................................................................................34 7.5 Field Calibration check procedure .........................................................................................................................34 7.6 Return Path.............................................................................................................................................................34 7.7 Room and Equipment Set-up .................................................................................................................................35 7.8 Static Pressure Check.............................................................................................................................................35 7.9 Gauge Set-up..........................................................................................................................................................35 7.10 Flow and Room Pressures Entered Correctly.........................................................................................................36 7.11 Range Selection......................................................................................................................................................36 7.12 Testing in Both Directions .....................................................................................................................................36 7.13 Determining the Leakage Split – The BCLA Test .................................................................................................36 7.14 Technical Judgment................................................................................................................................................37 7.15 Yearly Retests ........................................................................................................................................................37

7.16 Commonly Needed Inert Gas Clarifications ..........................................................................................................37 7.17 Enclosure Integrity Test Verification Form ...........................................................................................................38 7.18 Standards and How They Apply ............................................................................................................................43 7.19 Range List for Door Fans.......................................................................................................................................44

Flow Range Pictures for 2000 Series Door-fans ....................................................................................................44 Flow Range Pictures for 900 series Door-fans.......................................................................................................47

7.20 Small Room Retention Times ................................................................................................................................48 Selecting an Appropriate Retention Time..............................................................................................................48 Recommended Times for Small Rooms.................................................................................................................48

8 APPENDIX A – AGENT COMPARISON ................................................................. 50

8.1 Standards................................................................................................................................................................50 8.2 Agents ....................................................................................................................................................................51 8.3 Specific volume and density constants for agents..................................................................................................52 8.4 Concentration Ranges ... from an enclosure leakage perspective ..........................................................................53 8.5 Comparing Retention Times ... descending interface case.....................................................................................55 8.6 Comparing retention times ... continual mixing case .............................................................................................56 8.7 Conclusions............................................................................................................................................................57 8.8 Agent Comments....................................................................................................................................................58

9 APPENDIX B – NFPA STANDARD E XCERPTS.......................................................... 59

9.1 NFPA 2001 Standard (Year 2004 Edition) ............................................................................................................59 9.2 NFPA 2001 Standard (Year 2000 Edition) ............................................................................................................62 9.3 NFPA 2001 Standard (Year 1996 Edition) ............................................................................................................65 9.4 NFPA 12A Halon...................................................................................................................................................68

9.5 NFPA 12 for CO2 ...................................................................................................................................................69 10 APPENDIX C – S AMPLE E NCLOSURE INTEGRITY T EST SPECIFICATION ..................................70

10.1 General Enclosure Design Guidelines....................................................................................................................70 Slab To Slab Walls or Solid Ceiling ......................................................................................................................71 Avoidance of Attached Volumes ...........................................................................................................................72 Penetration Planning ..............................................................................................................................................72 Document Passageways .........................................................................................................................................73 HVAC Dampers .....................................................................................................................................................73 "Un-closeable" Openings .......................................................................................................................................73 Location of Dedicated HVAC units .......................................................................................................................73




Minimum Protected Height ....................................................................................................................................73 Summary ................................................................................................................................................................75

10.2 Enclosure Integrity Specifications..........................................................................................................................75 Enclosure Integrity Performance Specification......................................................................................................76 Enclosure Integrity Prescriptive Specifications......................................................................................................76

10.3 Clean Agent System Specifications .......................................................................................................................78 10.4 HVAC Specifications.............................................................................................................................................79

Ductwork................................................................................................................................................................79

10.5 Approval/Acceptance of Clean Agent System.......................................................................................................80 10.6 Approval/Acceptance of Enclosure Integrity.........................................................................................................80 10.7 Warranty.................................................................................................................................................................82

11 APPENDIX D – E NCLOSURE INTEGRITY V ERIFICATION F ORM .......................................... 84

12 APPENDIX E – GLOSSARY OF T ERMS ................................................................. 88

13 APPENDIX E – CA2001 DEMO E XAMPLE ............................................................ 95

13.1 Home tab ................................................................................................................................................................95 13.2 Building/Room tab .................................................................................................................................................96 13.3 Agent/Test tab ........................................................................................................................................................96

13.4 Total Leaks tab.......................................................................................................................................................97 13.5 Retention tab ..........................................................................................................................................................97 13.6 Total Leaks tab.......................................................................................................................................................98 13.7 Field Cal tab ...........................................................................................................................................................99 13.8 Wind Losses tab ...................................................................................................................................................100 13.9 Venting tab ...........................................................................................................................................................101 13.10 Saved Tests tab.....................................................................................................................................................102 13.11 Calibrations and Reports ......................................................................................................................................104 13.12 Field Calibration Report.......................................................................................................................................109




Section 01 – Introduction to Door-Fan Testing

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1 What is Enclosure Integrity Testing

1.1 Why Clean Agent Systems?

Water-based suppression systems provide only a minimum amount of fire protection. Forcritical company information systems, data centers, paper archives, museums and other

enclosures whose contents are susceptible to water damage, sprinkler systems will indeedprotect the building from fire damage, but at the expense of the contents being protected!It was due to this necessity to provide sufficient fire protection for the building and also tomitigate or eliminate damage to the contents that non-water-based suppression systemswere introduced. Halon was one for the first of these fire suppressants. Halon (and othergaseous systems) presented a new problem to the designer however; to extinguish a fire andto keep it suppressed, the gas needed to be present in the enclosure for many minutes.Enclosures now had to be “tight” enough to retain the Halon in sufficient concentration andfor sufficient time to ensure that re-ignition did not occur.

1.2 The Discharge TestPrior to 1988, the capability of an enclosure to retain its firesuppressant was assessed by a Discharge Test. Sensors thatdetected fire suppressant concentration were installed atvarious points of interest around the room and then the firesuppressant system was discharged. During the discharge,these sensors where monitored, usually with strip-chartrecorders. A room would pass or fail the test by examiningthe agent concentration at the top of the equipment overtime. The room passed the test if sufficient agent

concentration was present after the required hold time at thetop of the equipment. In the event that the room failed,usually the only recourse was for a sealing job to beundertaken and then, for the discharge test to be repeated.

Aside from the cost of repeated discharge tests, Halon, the predominant agent at the time,was also known to be an ozone depleter. In 1989 the EPA mandated the industry toeliminate all future Halon discharges for the purpose of enclosure integrity verification.

Even today, the discharge test is of limited use due to:

1) High Cost: Costs of labor and product to repeatedly recharge system is high.2) Disruption: Discharge test is very disruptive to occupied enclosures.3) Failure Identification: In the event of failure, the discharge test offers no

opportunity to identify leak locations.4) Repeat Testing: Although the Standards encourage annual retest, the above

factors virtually preclude any retesting

FM200 DischargeCourtes of Great Lakes Chemical





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1.3 The Door-Fan Test

Towards the end of the discharge era, severalprogressive installers found a unique way to ensurethat they would always pass the discharge test. Theyused a fan mounted in a doorway to create pressure

which in turn allowed them to locate hidden leaksusing chemical smoke. When the leaks were sealed,the room would always pass the discharge test. Itworked so well that the discharge test has now beenreplaced by the Door-Fan Test.

NFPA 2001, NFPA 12A, and ISO 14520 now all requirean enclosure integrity test as part of the acceptance procedure for all clean agent systems,including all halocarbon and inert gas agents. This comprehensive test and calculationprocedure predicts how long the agent will stay in the room if it were ever discharged.

The Enclosure Integrity Test’s primary goal is to predict the enclosure’s retention time inthe event that the Clean Agent Fire Suppression System is discharged.

The discharge test typically only verified agent distribution in one location, usually the mostfavorable. This often led to assuming that other approval steps for the enclosure could beoverlooked. To make matters worse, the discharge test was never repeated. The roomleakage would increase steadily, compromising the system from day one.

The Enclosure Integrity Test’s simplicity and accuracy, encourages trouble-shooting of

problem rooms and retesting either periodically or after enclosure modification.

In the past, enclosures were often designed merely to pass the discharge test. This oftenleft rooms with fire barriers on only 5 sides and with the top completely open. Often onlyceiling tiles stood between the protected enclosure and an adjacent unprotected area!Smoke or fire could readily enter from above.

The Enclosure Integrity Test is also the best way to ensure that the enclosure is protected

from smoke events occurring OUTSIDE of the protected room!

Now, the EPA, Industrial Risk Insurers, Factory Mutual, other insurers, Fire suppressionequipment manufacturers, and the FSSA all encourage Door-Fan tests on every installation.Both NFPA (Sec 4-4) and ISO (Annex E) require Door-Fan tests to be repeated every 12months, or whenever new holes are made in the enclosure.





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What is a Door-Fan test?

The Door-Fan Test measures the size of holes in the enclosureusing a door-fan to pressurize the room to the same pressure itwould experience during discharge. Knowing the pressureinside the enclosure, the pressures across each wall, and the

flow through the door-fan to maintain the enclosure pressure,a computer calculates the retention time.

Static Pressures

When conducting a door-fan test it is very important to be aware of, and to measure anystatic pressures in an enclosure. There are two static pressures to be aware of; the staticpressure at the time of the door-fan test and the static pressure that will exist duringdischarge. These static pressures can be created due to damper or duct leakage, windloading on the enclosure and many other reasons. This static pressure will act to push orpull the agent out faster than normal, reducing the retention time and must be taken care of

in any calculation of retention time. State-of-the-art software, such as Retrotec’s CA2001Windows Software, takes this calculation into account. Refer to C-2.5.2.3 & C-1.3.21 inNFPA2001 for additional information on this concept.

Total Room (Whole Room) Leakage

Using a single door fan to pressurize the room will measure the totalleakage area of the entire room; floor, walls, and ceiling. This resultis called the Whole Room or Total Room Leakage. Because thismeasurement includes the leakage in upper area of the room, wherethe agent would not normally leak out, it often results in

unrealistically large leakage and unrealistically short retention times.A room which passes a Whole room test would most certainly pass a

discharge test. A room which fails the Whole Room Test however,might very-well pass a discharge test if the majority of leaks were atceiling level.

When conducting a Total Leaks Test, a single door-fan is temporarilyinstalled in a doorway leading from the protected room to a largeopen area or outdoors. The fan speed is adjusted to obtain a pressuredifference between the test room and the volume surrounding the

room. This pressure (usually 10 to 15 Pa) is similar to the steadystate pressure (column pressure) exerted by the agent at floor levelimmediately after discharge. The computer converts flow andpressure readings into an Equivalent Leakage Area (EqLA), the totalarea of all the cracks, gaps, and holes in the room.

Door-fan pressurizes

room

Air flows out through leaks in

floors, walls and ceiling





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The measurement is done by first blowing air out of the room (depressurization) and theninto the room (pressurization). The two readings are averaged to reduce errors due to staticpressure, HVAC operation, wind and faulty gauge zeroing.

Measuring Lower Leaks

A room that fails the Total Leak Test can easily pass a discharge testif all of its leaks are located at the ceiling level. In this extremecase, the heavier-than-air agent settles to the floor and, withnowhere to leak to, remains there indefinitely.

Since the leakage area of the above-ceiling space is generally far greater than the below-ceiling leakage area (BCLA), measurement of the BCLA can dramatically increase thecalculated retention time. The BCLA can be measured separately using a flex-duct or plasticon the ceiling to neutralize any leaks in the above-ceiling space. These techniques eliminatethe upper leaks for the purpose of measuring the more important lower leaks. Both leakage

measurements are then used to make a more accurate prediction of retention time.

Predicting the Retention Time

After discharge, the heavier-than-air agent creates a small positive pressure within theenclosure. Flow develops whenever holes have pressure across them. The greater thepressure and the larger the hole, the greater the amount of agent lost. As the agent leaksout the bottom, a small negative pressure develops at the top. This pulls air in through thehigher level leaks. Each agent creates a slightly different pressure as indicated by thedensities as shown in NFPA 2001.

The door-fan test measures the size of the holes within the enclosure. The quantity of agentand height of the room determine the pressure difference across holes in the enclosure.Knowing the size of the holes, the pressure difference, and the minimum equipment heightor agent concentration, Retrotec’s CA2001 software predicts how many minutes will passuntil the equipment is no longer protected. This time, from discharge until the equipment isno longer protected is called the Retention Time.

1.4 Other Door-Fan Applications

In addition to the enclosure integrity test, the door-fan equipment can be used for a numberof other applications.

Pressure Relief Vents

Of interest to the clean agent installer is the testing of rooms for adequate pressure relief.In all cases, if a room is too tight, potentially damaging pressure can develop after agentdischarge. Using Retrotec’s CA2001 software, the door-fan test equipment can be used topredict the maximum expected pressure in the room during discharge and calculate theamount of venting required.





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If pressure-relief vents are installed in the enclosure, the door-fan test equipment can beused to pressurize the enclosure and test correct design and functioning of the vents.Retrotec’s experience having tested 100’s of enclosures and supported 1000’s of testersworld-wide is that pressure relief vents rarely open at the prescribed pressures and if they

do, rarely open fully as required.

The door-fan equipment can also be used to test for blockages in venting capacity notapparent to visual inspection. Crushed duct-work, debris in duct-work, blocked weathercovers and malfunctioning dampers are all easily tested using the door-fan.

Smoke and Contaminant Movement

An emerging industry is the evaluation and prediction smoke and other contaminantmovement through multi-floor building. Conventional predictions have been based onguessed or “typical” leakage areas in floors, walls and ceiling. The door-fan test however

can be used to isolate and measure leakage areas of individual walls, ceilings, shafts andfloors.

New techniques have been developed using three specially designed door fans that allow thetester to measure the leakage of each floor slab separately. Floor to elevator shaft and floorto stairwell leakage can also be measured. Individual shafts can be measured in theirentirety.

The preliminary results of this testing indicates that most buildings leak ten to 100 timesmore than they should in order to be safe from smoke moving through the building.

Check the Retrotec website at www.retrotec.com or e mail [email protected] for thelatest paper on this topic.




Section 02 – Agent Loss Mechanisms

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2 Agent Loss Mechanisms

2.1 Pressures Across Holes: How Agent is Lost

Consider the case of a bucket; regardless how large an opening at the top, fluid will not leakout.

The same is true for an enclosure full of agent. Shortly after the discharge, once the agentsettles out, a room with large openings at the ceiling level will contain the agentindefinitely.

With a hole at the top and a hole at the bottom, water will leak out at a rate dictated by theratio of upper and lower leak areas. If the upper leak is reduced enough, water leakage outthe bottom will be reduced. Generally, even if the upper leaks are entirely sealed, waterwill still slowly leak out as air bubbles into the bucket.

The same is true in the enclosure full of agent. Sealing the upper leaks will eventually slowthe flow of agent out of the room, but will not stop it. Agent leakage is primarily governedby the lower leaks.





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Given an unlimited capacity for replacement air to enter the bucket, leakage is directlyrelated to the total area of the lower leaks. Double the size of the holes and the leakagedoubles. Triple the size of the holes and the leakage triples.

2x holes=

2x leakage

3x holes=

3x leakage

Depending on the density/concentration of the fluid in the bucket; for the same sized hole,as the concentration increases, so does the flow out of the bucket increase. It is not directlyproportional however, doubling the leakage area only adds 50-60% leakage.

0% Agent 5% Agent 10% Agent

This is of significant importance in enclosures that fail. A very common misconception is tosimply add more agent to increase the retention time. This is, in fact, wrong. Adding moreagent increases the concentration and will actually reduce the retention time!





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2.2 Pressures That Cause Agent Loss

There are a number of influences that will act on the agent/air mixture as the agent entersthe enclosure and during the time it remains within the enclosure. These influences willplay a key role in how agent is lost from the enclosure.

Dynamic Discharge PressureIn the seconds during and immediately following discharge the agent mixes violently with theair in the enclosure. Swirls and eddies due to various combinations of warming, cooling andexpansion lead to a homogeneous concentration of agent throughout every corner of theflooded enclosure.

Pressures created in the first few seconds of discharge (dynamic discharge pressures) areignored in the retention time prediction model. While these pressures can be very large,they often swing wildly between positive and negative values, making them difficult topredict. In addition, their duration is very short making their contribution small when

compared to steady state losses. Non-the-less, a small amount of initial agent loss isassumed to occur and the equations used to calculate the required concentration per NFPAhave a loss factor built in.

What happens next, during the remaining minutes of the retention time however is virtuallyimpossible to model. It is useful however to understand the mechanisms at work within theenclosure and how they affect the distribution of the agent.

Gravity

Gravity acts on the heavier-than-air clean agent/air mixture within the enclosure and, in the

absence of any other influence, will cause the agent/air mixture to leak out the bottom ofthe enclosure. Air is then pulled into through the leaks in the top of the enclosure. A shortperiod of time after the discharge a well-defined agent-air interface may form, much likethe interface between water and air in a bucket, or the way fresh water flows on top of saltwater.

Agents that are significantly denser than air (such as Novec which is 10x the density of air,and most of the other halocarbons) will be more influenced by gravity than agents that havedensities similar to air (such as Argon and the other inert gases). The more dense agentstend to merely run out faster than the less dense. For example, 40% CO2 runs out about

twice as fast as 40% Argon.

N2, which is actually less dense than air, should theoretically rise to the ceiling, thoughcooling due to expansion upon discharge should increase its density beyond that of air.





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1. Agent/Air

Mixture Leaks Out

2. To be

re laced be air

If there were no leaks in the floor, a pressure would be created at the floor due to the

column of heavier-than-air agent pressing upon the floor. This pressure is referred to as thecolumn pressure. If floor leaks exist, as they always do, the column pressure is droppedpartially across the floor and partially across the ceiling depending on the ratio of leaks,much like how voltages are dropped across two resistors. It the holes are the same size,then about half the Column Pressure is dropped across the ceiling and half across the floor.The absolute sum being the column pressure. A positive value will be felt at the lowestportions of the enclosure, near zero in the middle of the column and a negative pressure atthe top of the air-to agent interface.

Convection

“Hot air rises” and this is no exception in an enclosure. Even though computer and otherelectronic equipment may be shut down at the time of discharge, 100’s or 1000’s of watts ofheat are still contained in their chassis. This heat will cause localized “plumes” to formaround the equipment, drawing in gases from the floor level, transporting them up theequipment towers, to be released above the equipment and cycled back to the floor.





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the lea of the building and we get a recipe for rapid failure of enclosures that are exposed tofrequent windy conditions. Neither NFPA nor ISO standards address this issue.

2.3 Enclosure Behavior during Retention

After the initial effects of the discharge have concluded, the enclosure will revert to someform of stead-state behavior. This behavior will be a result of the combined influences ofgravity, convection, and forced air circulation as discussed above. The combined behavior inany enclosure will be different based on which of the above influences are present, whichare predominant, and which agent is used.

The resultant steady-state behavior will lead to one of two modes of retention within theenclosure, Descending Interface and Continual Mixing.

The Descending Interface

In enclosures with little heat-generating equipment and no forced-air circulation (such as

museums and paper archival rooms) the over-riding influence will be gravity. The heavier-than-air agent-air mixture will settle to the floor of the room and a layer of any displaced airwill migrate to the ceiling.

Due to the column pressure of the mixture, a pressure difference will develop between thearea within the enclosure and the rooms outside the enclosure. This pressure difference willcause agent to flow outwards through any holes in the enclosure. The greater the pressuredifference, the faster the flow of agent. Agent will flow out of holes at floor level fasterthan similar sized holes mid-wall.

As agent flows out of the holes near the bottom of the enclosure, air will rush into theenclosure at the ceiling level to replace it. As this happens, the agent-air interface will slowdrop. This is called a Descending Interface.

Equipment will be protected so long as the descending interface is above it. Once the

descending interface touches, or drops below the equipment, it is no longer considered

to be protected. This protected equipment height should be specified by the enclosuredesigner, physically measured, or can be taken to be 75% of the room height, as agreed uponby the AHJ.

The following three graphs depict the results from an actual Halon discharge with adescending interface. During the test, three probes measuring Halon concentration were setup, each at a different height. Time is given on the horizontal (X) axis and Halonconcentration is given on the vertical (Y) axis. In all three cases, the concentration risesrapidly to the approximately 6.5% design concentration.





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Continual Mixing

In enclosures containing hot and massive equipment, or circulating fans, chillers and HVACsystems that remain running during the retention time, the agent will be continuallycirculated. As a result, there will be a uniform concentration of agent throughout theenclosure at any point in time. As the mixture leaks out of the enclosure, concentration at

the floor will decay at the same rate as the concentration near the ceiling. This is calledContinual Mixing.

The agent concentration throughout the room will begin at the initial design concentrationand over time, decrease. Equipment in the room will be protected so long as the agentconcentration is greater than some minimum concentration. This minimum concentrationshould be stipulated by the enclosure designer or with the agreement of the AHJ or witness,may be based upon the manufacturers’ suggested minimum concentration to prevent re-ignition.

The minimum concentration is often confused with initial concentration, which it is not. Forexample, the typical starting concentration for FM-200 is 7.5% but according to somemanufacturers, approximate minimum concentration to prevent re-ignition is about 5.6%.




Section 03 – Calculating Retention Time

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3 Calculating Retention Time

3.1 What is Retention Time?

Retention time is the amount of time it takes until the first piece of protected equipment isno longer protected.

Retention time begins the moment that agent begins to be released into the enclosure. Theactual discharge itself takes only seconds to complete. This discharge time is considered tobe part of the retention time.

The retention time ends when the first piece of equipment is no longer protected. This canhappen in one of two ways, depending on the mode of retention in the enclosure; either thedescending interface reaches the highest piece of equipment; or the agent concentrationdrops below the specified minimum concentration to prevent re-ignition.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no specification in the NFPA standards for a 10 minuteretention time. What NFPA 2001 does say is:

A.5.6 In establishing hold time, designers and authorities having jurisdictionshould consider the following or other unique factors that can influence theperformance of the suppression system:1) Response time of trained personnel2) Sources of persistent ignition3) Excessive enclosure leakage4) System enclosure venting requirements5) Inertion and re-flash hazards

6) Wind down of rotating equipmentThe hold time for the duration of protection should be sufficient to control theinitial event and allow for support should resurgence occur once the agent hasdissipated.

Under the NFPA standard, it is up to the designer or AHJ to specify the retention time, andthey should as a minimum, take into consideration the time it will take for trained personnelto respond to the situation. A remote cell-site may warrant a hold time of significantly morethan the commonly used 10 minutes, while the server room in a fire hall might get away withless than 10 minutes.

ISO 14520 Section 4 of Annex E does specify a minimum 10 minute retention time and refersto the guidelines set out in section 7.8.2 to determine potentially longer retention times.





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3.2 Retention Time in the Descending Interface Case

In the absence of any circulation, a defined interface will form between the agent-airmixture and the air as the agent-air mixture flows out of the lower leaks and the external airrushes in through the upper leaks.

As the agent leaks out of the enclosure, this interface will slowly descend in height.

Initially all equipment in the enclosure will be bathed in agent, but over time, as the agentescapes, the higher equipment will slowly begin to be exposed to the air as the interfacedrops.

3.3 Retention Time in the Continual Mixing Case

In enclosures with circulating fans, self-contained cooling or heating systems, racks ofcomputer equipment with cooling fans, or large heat generating equipment, there will besignificant circulation and mixing of the agent and the air. In these cases, no descending

interface will form. Instead, the concentration of the agent will remain the samethroughout the enclosure and will slowly drop, throughout the enclosure, as the agent leaksout.

The concentration will begin at the design concentration immediately after discharge. Asthe agent leaks out of the enclosure, the concentration will slowly fall. The equipmentthroughout the enclosure will lose protection when the concentration falls to the minimumconcentration. This minimum concentration is usually taken to be the manufacturer’sminimum concentration to prevent re-ignition but must ultimately be specified by thedesigner, engineer, or AHJ.

3.4 Retention Time in the Extended Discharge Case

After the initial discharge, some systems may continue their discharge for many minutes tomaintain the agent concentration. This is especially true in enclosures that are extremelyleaky.

In these cases, the retention time begins at the start of the initial discharge, continuesthrough the extended discharge and then continues through the normal retention time afterthe extended discharge finishes.

The extended discharge is an excellent way to obtain an indefinite retention time withoutconducting significant room sealing. The flow from the extended discharge need only beenough to account for the leakage from the enclosure, which is usually relatively low.Software such as Retrotec’s CA2001 will calculate the required extended discharge flow ratebased on the door-fan test.





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3.5 Retention Time Dependencies

There are a number of factor and enclosure characteristics that affect the retention time.Knowledge of these dependencies up front, before the enclosure is designed can save time,money and aggravation in the long run.

Leakage Area (ELA)It may seem obvious, but for the record, leakage area affects retention time. The larger theleakage area is - the shorter the retention time will be. Reducing the leakage area willincrease the retention time

If only a whole-room test is performed, the worst case 50% upper leaks – 50% lower leaksleakage split must be assumed.

If leakage split between upper and lower leaks can be determined, the retention time maybe able to be lengthened to compensate for reduced lower leakage.

Agent Initial Concentration and Final Concentration

When there is no mixing, a descending interface will form. Below the descending interface,the agent concentration will remain constant at the original, design concentration. It isimportant to understand that, without mixing, increasing the initial agent concentration willincrease the column pressure, increase the speed at which the agent escapes from theenclosure and hence DECREASE retention time.

A common misconception with a failed room is that adding more agent will fix the problem.With a descending interface, the opposite will occur.

1. With a descending interface, adding more agent will decrease the retention time.

When there is mixing, the agent concentration remains homogeneous throughout theenclosure and slowly decreases, throughout the enclosure, as agent leaks out. Theconcentration begins at the initial design concentration and immediately begins to decrease.The retention time ends when the concentration reaches some specified minimum

concentration. This minimum concentration must be lower than the initial concentration.

A common misconception is that the enclosure fails when the concentration drops below the

initial concentration. This happens almost instantly as agent begins to leak from the room.

1. Retention time is dependent on the difference between the starting concentrationand the final concentration. The larger the difference, the longer the retention time.

2. With mixing, adding more agent to a failed enclosure will usually increase theretention time.





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Equipment Height and Enclosure Height

When there is no mixing, a descending interface will form. Immediately after discharge, theinterface will be located at the highest flooded point in the room which is usually at theupper slab, or at the suspended ceiling if present. This is called the Maximum Agent Height.As agent begins to leak out of the room, the descending interface begins to drop in height,

to be replaced with fresh air from above. When the descending interface reaches thehighest piece of protected equipment, protection is assumed to be lost. When there is nomixing, retention time is the time from discharge until the descending interface reaches theprotected equipment. When there is no mixing, retention time is dependent on thedifference between the maximum agent height (the height of total flooding) and theminimum protected height (equipment height).

1. With a descending interface, increasing the ceiling height (increasing the maximumagent height) will increase the retention time.

2. With a descending interface, decreasing the height of the protected equipment will

increase the retention time.

When there is mixing, retention time does not depend on equipment or enclosure height.

3.6 Measuring Maximum Agent Height?

The Maximum Agent Height is measured from the lowest point in the room, to the highestintentionally flooded spot in the room. When the enclosure has a suspended floor, theMinimum Protected Height is measured from the lower slab.

Do not measure above suspended ceilings if there is NO agent discharged there.

Do NOT measure to the bottom of trenches if there is very little leakage there.

Minimum

Protected

(Equipment)

Height

Maximum

Protected (Agent)

Height

Maximum Protected

(Agent) Height

Minimum

Protected

(Equipment)

Height

3.7 Measuring Minimum Protected Height?

The Minimum Protected (Equipment) Height is measured from the lowest point in the roomto the highest piece of equipment being protected. In cases where there is no equipment inthe room, 75% of the overall room height is chosen.

When the enclosure has a suspended floor, the Minimum Protected Height is measured fromthe lower slab.




Section 04 – Recurring Design Problems of 109

4 Recurring Design Problems

At Retrotec we’ve tested hundreds of enclosures and provided technical support andconsulting on thousands more. Here are some of the most common design problems.

Problems we see again and again and again. Most of these problems have simple fixes thatare inexpensive and simple to implement during the design phase of the enclosure and aretypically expensive and difficult to implant upon discovery during the door-fan test.

4.1 Cascading Pressures

Pressure+25 Pa

Pressure+10 Pa

Pressure0 Pa

Flow Flow

Protection lost in seconds!

Cascading room pressures will create a horizontal flow through the enclosures which will addto normal agent losses. In the above example, the center room is protected with cleanagent. After the discharge, the agent will effectively “pile up” on the low pressure side ofthe room, and be blown out of the room far quicker than predicted. In one case, with a

leaking cable tray, protection would have been lost in seconds!

This room pressurization system must be shut down at discharge to prevent theseuncertainties, or if not possible, the clean agent enclosure must be specifically engineeredto resist these pressures.





4.3 Pressurized Sub-floor

Wall cavities that connect the sub-floor space to the above-ceiling space will cause agent tobe forced above the false ceiling if the sub-floor is pressurized during the retention period.

Pressurized sub-floor pushes agent into the above-ceiling space

4.4 Common Above-ceiling Spaces: Discharge will pull smoke in

Common above-ceiling space

Protected ZoneSmoke event inneighbouring

room

Walls that only extend up to the T-bar suspended-ceiling rely on flimsy tiles and clips to holdin the gas at discharge and to protect the enclosure from fire and smoke events outside theprotected zone. The result is inadequate protection.

Agent can be lost at discharge when the tiles get blown away, reducing agent concentration.

Worse however is that smoke from an external event (smoldering trash bin or neighbouringevent) can cause the clean agent system to discharge. As the agent naturally leaks out,smoke will be “pistoned” into the enclosure, causing unnecessary damage to the equipmentand unnecessary costs for clean-up, service, and recharge of the system.

smoke

smoke





4.5 Common Above-ceiling Spaces: HVAC Leakage

HVAC pressures arising from either leaky supply or leaky returns will act to push or pullagent out of the enclosure faster than expected.

HVAC

LeakySupply

Dampers

PassiveReturnLeaks

Increased PressureForces Agent outFaster

4.6 Suspended Ceilings Too Low

Equipment

Worst possible design. Leaky T-bar,suspended ceiling connects enclosureto events in other parts of thebuilding. No reserve over theequipment. Short retention time.

Better design using slightly more agent toact as reserve over the equipment. Noconnection to rest of building. Fire barrier

on all sides.Equipment

Ceiling void

Note: Containment on all 6 sides is required by NFPA 75.




Section 05 – Good Enclosure Design Practices of 109

5 Good Enclosure Design Practices

5.1 Superior Protection for Less Money! Interested?

Consider the case of a 500 ft2 room where $10,000 and two weeks were spent to seal it tight

enough to pass the enclosure integrity test. If a few $100 more had been spent on moreagent, and the ceiling raised several feet, this could have been avoided.Often the general contractor finds himself rebuilding a room that was not designed to betight enough to hold agent.There are 4 guidelines that will:

• Ease passing the door fan test

• Dramatically improve fire and smoke protection

• Solve 90 % of the design problems that have to be solved at the last minute just priorto occupancy

5.2 Run walls slab to slab

Include construction details that would allow for sealing of the wall to the upper slab.extending walls to the upper slab and sealing them airtight is often the only defense fromfire and smoke entering the enclosure from the outside. This sealing is the MOST importantthing that can be done to improve protection in the enclosure. Refer to C-1.2.1 (b) inNFPA2001.

This is the easiest way to get slab toslab walls sealed. This spray on

flexible rubber is available from 3Mand Grace and it has a fire rating!Better yet, it is flexible and will notcrack and fall out as many othertreatments will. Loaded floors canmove ½ an inch, but this sealant willremain flexible over that range.Just stuff Rockwool backing in anysize gap and start building up layersof this rubber sealant. And we don’t

even get any commission for sayingthis.





5.3 Eliminate T-bar suspended ceilings

Eliminate T-bar suspended ceilings in enclosures where the walls donot go slab to slab. Use a solid sheetrock ceiling with access hatchesand walkways above it.

a. Clipping tiles is often used but is ineffective. Clips are lost almostimmediately. As soon as the tiles are opened the clips go flying andare never replaced. This is an example of a practice that was commonly used to keep tilesin place during a discharge but has no practical application for long-term protection. Thisrecommendation is in spite of its mention in NFPA2001 section C-1.2.3.10

b. Discharge agent above the false ceiling. Often for a few added pounds of agent, animmense improvement in protection can be gained. For starters, ceiling tiles will usuallygo flying during a discharge, causing agent to get lost above the suspended ceiling. Thisagent will mix with the above-ceiling air to provide a concentration that is lower than the

initial concentration. Some of this agent may come down to replace losses below, but at adecreased concentration. Discharging agent above the false ceiling solves the displacedceiling-tile problem and in most cases will triple the retention time. Good value.

c. Use Fire Rated ceiling tiles. This would be an option for existing installations.

The positive view of T-bar

ceilingsOn the negative side

T-bar suspended ceilings are

low cost, do concealductwork and wiring, andtiles can be removed to gainaccess.

T-bar suspended ceilings usually begin to look tattered even

before the construction job is complete. The tiles often goflying when the system is discharged. Fire and smokeevents occurring outside the protected zone are far morelikely to cause damage in the enclosure than events thatoccur within it.

The sheetrock ceiling option

The sheetrock ceiling provides a complete enclosure to protect the contents of the roomfrom externally generated smoke damage. This increased protection or

compartmentalization shows up when the leakage of the room is measured using the doorfan. Instead, install a sheetrock ceiling with access hatches; cover it with plywood, thensheetrock above so it can be walked on while servicing the equipment above.

5.4 Maximize the room height and volume

Place the ceiling as high as possible. More clean agent = more protection. In small rooms,run pipe and supply nozzles to fill the above-suspended-ceiling space.





The greater volume of clean agent in the enclosure, the greater the protection. Merelyputting a higher concentration in the room will only ensure the agent will run out of theroom faster (this is not true in the less common case where the agent is continually mixedafter discharge).

5.5 Select an appropriate retention time

NFPA 2001 states “... the design concentration ... shall be maintained for a sufficient periodof time to allow effective emergency action by trained personnel.” The followingguidelines are suggested for small enclosures.

For example, a remote site where re-ignition was possible, and where it would take 30minutes for trained personnel to arrive, should be specified as 30 minutes. On the otherhand, a small room with little or no potential for a deep-seated fire and where personnelwould respond within 5 minutes would need a retention time of 5 minutes. NFPA 2001 does

not recommend any specific time. The AHJ must ultimately decide what time isappropriate. ISO however, does specify 10 minutes.

All rooms typically have at least one door that will generally leak about 5 to 20 in2. A 350 ft3 room with a 10 minute hold time requires a leakage of 7 in2 or less to pass. Since that is notreally practical, reducing the specified hold time or adding an extended discharge is the onlyoption.

Alternatively, make the room bigger or discharge agent above false ceilings.

5.6 Fit automatic door closers

Doors often get wedged or propped open when the room is in use. This practice must be

discouraged because the clean agent system will not work properly with perimeter doorsopen. A better solution is automatic door release mechanisms that will close the doorswhenever the first alarm sounds. Choose a door opener that will close the door when it isde-energized so on power failure the doors close.

For room volumes of: 2,500 1,250 625 350 ft3

Minimum achievable leakage area is: 62 42 32 23 in2

Suggesting a retention times for inerts: 10 10 8 6 minutes

And suggesting retention times for halocarbons: 8 6 4 3 minutes




Section 06 – The Door Fan Test

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6 The Door-fan Test

6.1 How a Single Door-fan “Sees” a Room

3 units

3 units

1.5 units

1.5 units

1 unit

1 unit

1 unit

Each of the above four enclosures has 3 units of leakage area. The first one has its three

units located at the ceiling level, the second at the floor level, the third equally splitbetween the ceiling and floor and the fourth equally split between the floor, ceiling andmid-way up the wall.

Each enclosure, however, has a significantly different retention time as indicated below.

3 units

3 units

1.5 units

1.5 units

1 unit

1 unit

1 unit

Infinite retentiontime

Longest retentiontime

Shortest retentiontime

Middle retentiontime

A single door-fan will measure the size of the leakage area in each room at 3 units.

Both the NFPA and ISO standards make the assumption that a 50-50 split of leakage betweenceiling and floor exists (the third room in the example). This assumption leads to the mostconservative calculation of retention time.

This calculation is called the Whole Room Test or the Total Leaks Test and is always the firststep in the enclosure integrity procedure. Retrotec’s CA2001 software automaticallyperforms this calculation and generates the retention time based on the 50-50 leakagedistribution.




Section 07 – Witnessing a Test

of 109

Calibration certificates for each piece of equipment are stored within CA2001. The witnessshould ensure that the gauge being used by the technician has a current calibrationcertificate within CA2001 and that the serial number on the gauge matches the serialnumber in the software.

The ISO standard recommends calibration but does not suggest the interval. It does require+/- 1% accuracy. Retrotec recommends annual calibration of all pressure gauges.

7.4 System calibration

C.2.2.1.6 Door fan systems should be checked for calibration every 5 yearsunder controlled conditions, and a certificate should be available for inspectionat all integrity tests. The calibration should be performed according tomanufacture’s specifications.The certificate should include the following:

1) Description of calibration facility and responsible technician.2) Date of calibration and serial number of door fan.3) Room pressure gauge error estimates at 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 40 Pa

measured by both ascending and descending pressures (minimum).4) Fan calibration at a minimum of 3 leakage areas (approximate): 0.5 m²,

0.25 m², and 0.05 m² measured at a pressure of 10 Pa.

7.5 Field Calibration check procedure

A field calibration check can be requested by the witness to see if the equipment andoperator can actually measure a hole of a known size. This test takes very little time toperform and is the perfect way to gain confidence in the tester, test equipment, and testtechnique.

It is preferable to inform the operator beforehand of the expectation to perform a fieldcalibration check so the operator can bring the requisite equipment.

7.6 Return Path

There must be a complete and unobstructed flow path from every leak in the enclosure backto the Door-fan otherwise some leaks may not be measured. This may entail opening

stairwell or elevator doors to floors above and below, neighboring room doors, and perhapswindows and doors leading outside (if the enclosure under test borders an external wall).

The witness should ensure that the operator has examined and accounted for the returnpaths from all leaks.





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7.19 Range List for Door Fans

Flow Range Pictures for 2000 Series Door-fans

Always start in the Flow Away position. Adjust speed till room pressure is reached. Fanmust be running at least at half speed and flow pressure must be greater than roompressure. If not, insert the next lower ranges until the motor is running at least half speedand flow pressure is greater than room pressure.

Range 22 - Flow Away Range A - Flow Away

Range B - Flow Away Range C8 - Flow Away





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Range C8 - Flow Towards. The inlet is nowon the other side. Look at “Flow Away”picture to see what the inlet must look like.

Range C4 - Flow Towards. The inlet isnow on the other side. Look at “FlowAway” picture to see what the inlet

must look like for C2 and C1 rangesbelow this one.





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Flow Range Pictures for 900 series Door-fans

Flow Ranges must appear exactly as shown

Range 18F for flow Away from the

operator

Range 18R for flow Towards the

operator

Range 9

for slightly tighter rooms

Range 5 Range 3 Range 1.4

Range 1.3 Range 1.2 Range 1.1 Range 0.1





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7.20 Small Room Retention Times

For the purposes of this discussion, small rooms will be defined as 2,500 ft3 or less.

Some compromises can be made for small rooms for two reasons:

• They are not likely to have a large fire that would threaten the rest of the building

• Once trained personnel arrive and open the door, the enclosure integrity (and some ofthe agent) is lost anyway so shorter retention times can be considered

Selecting an Appropriate Retention Time

NFPA 2001 states “... the design concentration ... shall be maintained for a sufficient periodof time to allow effective emergency action by trained personnel”.

The following guidelines are suggested for small enclosures.

At a remote site, for example, where re-ignition was possible and where it would take 30minutes for a responsible party to arrive should be specified as 30 minutes. On the otherhand, a small room with little or no potential for a deep-seated fire and where personnelwould respond within 5 minutes would need a retention time of 5 minutes. NFPA 2001 doesnot recommend any specific time. The AHJ must ultimately decide what time isappropriate. ISO does specify 10 minutes.

Each room must have at least one door, and that door will leak about 5 to 20 in2. A 350 ft3

room with a 10-minute hold time requires a leakage of 7 sq.in. or less to pass. Since that isnot really practical, reducing the specified hold time or an extended discharge is the onlyoption.

Recommended Times for Small Rooms

For room volumes of: 2,500 1,250 625 350 cu.ft.

Minimum achievable leakage area is: 62 42 32 23 sq.in.

Suggested retention times for inerts: 10 10 8 6 minutes

Suggested retention times for halocarbons: 8 6 4 3 minutes




of 109

Appendices




Appendix A – Clean Agent Comparison

of 109

8 Appendix A – Agent Comparison

8.1 StandardsStandards Agents Latest Edition

NFPA 2001, Appendix C All Agents except Halon and CO2 2000

ISO 14520, Annex E Standard All Agents 2000 DRAFT

NFPA 12A, Appendix B Halon only 1997

NFPA 12, not included CO2 only 2000





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8.2 Agents

Agent’s Trade Name

Manufacturer

with registered

trademark

NFPA

name

Chemical

nameDensity kg/m3

Air n/a Air n/a 1.205

INERT Agents

Argon Minimax GmbH IG-01 Ar 1.700

Argonite Ginge Kerr IG-55 N2 50%, Ar 50% 1.410

CO2 Chemetron, others CO2 CO2 1.832

Inergen Ansul IG-541 N2 52%, Ar 40%,CO2 8%

1.430

Nitrogen Cerbex AG IG-100 N2 1.165

HALOCARBONS

CEA-308 3M FC-218 C3F8 7.905

CEA-410 3M FC-3-1-10 C4F10 9.850

FE-227 DuPont HFC-227ea CF3CHFCF3 7.260

FE-241 DuPont HCFC-124 CHClFCF3 5.830

FE-25 DuPont HFC-125 CHF2CF3 5.060

FE-36 DuPont HFC-236fa CF3CH2CF3 6.545

FIC-1311 - FIC-1311 CF3I 8.051

FM-200 Great LakesChemical

HFC-227ea CF3CHFCF3 7.260

Halon Recycled only Halon1301 6.283

SIII NAF HCFC BlendA CHClF2 82% 3.840

Novec 1230 3M None yet ? 12.937





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Typical design %for occupied

spaces

Most commonly specified. Usually for the typical room where a descending interface isassumed for purpose of calculating the retention period per NFPA 12A & 2001 Appendix B.Higher concentrations yield somewhat shorter retention times due to increased pressure.

Maximum design %for occupied

spaces

Design concentration specified where continual mixing will occur during the retentionperiod such that the concentration degrades at all elevations at the same time. Higher

concentrations yield somewhat longer retention times due to increased pressure.Design range for

unoccupied spacesTypical range for agent use in unoccupied areas. Presumably, any concentration could beused here.

Minimum % at endof the retention

period

Assuming continual mixing during the retention period, the concentration will dropgradually over the entire period. The higher the initial % and the lower the final %, thelonger the retention time (often 10 minutes).

NOAEL From 2001. No Observable Adverse Effect Level.

LOAEL From 2001. Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level.





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8.5 Comparing Retention Times ... descending interface case

Example: 1,000 cu.ft. room at 70 F, 10 ft. high, min. protected height of 7.5 ft., ELA (leakage area) of wholeroom measured with door fan of 22 sq.in.

Warning! Agent concentrations shown are for demonstration of comparative retention times in the sameenclosure and may not reflect their ability to put out a fire or keep it out. Consult a qualified fire protectionengineer for appropriate design concentrations.

AgentQuantity of

agent

% concen-

tration

Column

Pressure

Pc

NFPA calculated retention time

Argon 470 cu.ft. 37. 5% 5.6 Pa 14 minutes

Argonite 470 cu.ft. 37.5% 2.3 Pa 21 minutes

CEA-308

CEA-410 61 lb. 9 % 23.1 Pa 8 minutes

CO2 52 lb. 37.5 % 7.1 Pa 14 minutes

FE-13 40 lb. 18 % 9.2 Pa 11 minutes

FE-227 37 lb. 7.55 % 13.7 Pa 10 minutes

FE-241

FE-25

FE-36

FIC-1311

fm-200 37 lb. 7.55 % 13.7 Pa 10 minutes

halon 25 lb. 6 % 9.2 Pa 11 minutes

Inergen 470 cu.ft. 37.5 % 2.6 Pa 20 minutes

SIII 24 lb. 9 % 7.2 Pa 13 minutes

Column Pressure -Pc

This is created by the weight of agent pressing on the floor. As soon as the agent beginsto leak out, this pressure is reduced by the pressure drop across the upper leaks and theloss of agent.

NFPA calculatedretention time

In this example, this is the time for a descending interface between the agent belowand the air above to drop to 7.5 ft. above the slab.





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8.8 Agent Comments

Argon Inert clean agent - see INERGEN - same comments apply

Argonite Inert clean agent - 50% Argon and 50% Nitrogen - see INERGEN - same comments apply

CEA-308 Not currently in 2001 but slated for next issue - in draft of ISO standard

CEA-410Large range between design and NOAEL - would allow for high design concentrations wherecontinual mixing was desired to provide protection at high levels in an enclosure

CO2 For unoccupied areas only

FE-13UL listed to - 40 F and ceilings up to 25 feet - Kidde literature states NOAEL of 30 % - large rangebetween design and NOAEL would allow for high design concentrations where continual mixingwas desired

FE-241 For unoccupied areas, cabinets & compartments - useful down to –32 F

FE-25 For unoccupied areas

FE-36 For portable extinguishersFIC-1311 Listed in 2001 but no information available

FM-200,FE-227

Popular replacement for Halon in many halocarbon clean agent applications - puts out fires byremoving heat at the molecular level so combustion cannot continue

Halon The old standard used Halon as a familiar reference for comparison to other agents

INERGEN

• Inert clean agent

• Initial oxygen content 13.1 % for 37.5 % INERGEN and 12 % for 43 % INERGEN

• Unoccupied areas can have greater concentrations than 52 %

• This can rise up to 15 % O2 (28.6 % INERGEN) before it loses its fire suppression abilitiesInergen has longer retention times due to its density being only slightly heavier than air - even so,

the higher concentrations still cause considerable loss from leaksNFPA 2001 requires a door fan test on every installation - in addition, relief venting must beadded no matter how leaky the enclosure is, according to Ansul

SIII Widely used in Australia




Appendix B – NFPA Standards Excepts of 109

9 Appendix B – NFPA Standard Excerpts

9.1 NFPA 2001 Standard (Year 2004 Edition)Call NFPA @ 1-800-344-3555 for a complete copy

Standard Comments5.3 Enclosure

5.3.1In the design of a total flooding system, the characteristics ofthe protected enclosure shall be considered.

5.3.2 The area of unclosable openings in the protectedenclosure shall be kept to a minimum.

5.3.3The authority having jurisdiction shall be permitted to require

pressurization/ depressurization of the protected enclosure orother tests to assure performance meeting the requirementsof this standard (see Appendix C).

5.3.4To prevent loss of agent through openings to adjacent hazardsor work areas, openings shall be permanently sealed orequipped with automatic closures. Where reasonableconfinement of agent is not practicable, protection shall beexpanded to include the adjacent connected hazards or workareas or additional agent shall be introduced in the protected

enclosure using an extended discharge configuration.

Extended dischargerecommended whereopenings can’t be sealed.

5.3.5 Other than the ventilation systems identified in 5.3.5.1and 5.3.5.3., forced air ventilating systems shall be shut downor closed automatically where their continued operation wouldadversely affect the performance of the fire extinguishingsystem or result in propagation of the fire.5.3.5.1 Completely self contained recirculating ventilationshall not be required to shut down.

5.3.5.2 The volume of the ventilation system and associated

ductwork shall be considered as part of the total hazardvolume when determining the quantity of agent.





6.6.1All persons who might be expected to inspect, test, maintain,or operate fire extinguishing systems shall be thoroughlytrained and kept thoroughly trained in the functions they areexpected to perform.

AHJ may ask to seecertificate of coursecompletion on door fortesting.

6.7.2.2.10*If a discharge test is to be conducted, containers for the agentto be used shall be weighed before and after discharge. Fillweight of container shall be verified by weighing or otherapproved methods. For inert gas clean agents, containerpressure shall be recorded before and after discharge.

6.7.2.3*Review Enclosure Integrity. All total flooding systems shallhave the enclosure examined and tested to locate and than

effectively seal any significant air leaks that could result in afailure of the enclosure to hold the specified agentconcentration level for the specified holding period. Thecurrently preferred method is using a blower door fan unit andsmoke pencil. If quantitative results are recorded, thesecould be useful for comparison at future tests (For guidance,

see Appendix C).

This clumsily worded sectionis usually taken to mean that

all clean agent systems musthave a door fan test. Thequantitative results are usedwhen enclosure is re-tested.

All of Appendix C





9.2 NFPA 2001 Standard (Year 2000 Edition)

Standard Comments

3-3 Enclosure

3-3.1In the design of a total flooding system, the characteristics ofthe protected enclosure shall be considered.

3-3.2 The area of unclosable openings in the protectedenclosure shall be kept to a minimum.

3-3.3The authority having jurisdiction shall be permitted to requirepressurization/ depressurization of the protected enclosure orother tests to assure performance meeting the requirements

of this standard (see Appendix C).

3-3.4To prevent loss of agent through openings to adjacent hazardsor work areas, openings shall be permanently sealed orequipped with automatic closures. Where reasonableconfinement of agent is not practicable, protection shall beexpanded to include the adjacent connected hazards or workareas or additional agent shall be introduced in the protectedenclosure using an extended discharge configuration.

Extended dischargerecommended whereopenings can’t be sealed.

3-3.5 Forced-air ventilating systems shall be shut down orclosed automatically where their continued operation wouldadversely affect the performance of the fire extinguishmentagent system or result in propagation of the fire. Completelyself-containment recirculating ventilation systems are notrequired to shut down. The volume of the system andassociated ductwork shall be considered as part of the totalhazard volume when determining quantity of agent.

3-3.6

Venting shall be provided ifthere is any risk of

overpressure during thedischarge.





9.3 NFPA 2001 Standard (Year 1996 Edition)

Standard Comments

1-4.2.7

Where clean agent systems are used, a fixed enclosure shall beprovided about the hazard that is adequate to enable thespecified concentration to be achieved and maintained for thespecified period of time.

Large holes and/or ductleaks can cause “lumps” ofair to get pulled in upondischarge. Local reductionin agent concentration maycompromise protection.

1-5.1.2.1Unnecessary exposure to all halocarbon clean agents and theirdecomposition products shall be avoided. Halocarbon agentsfor whom the design concentration is equal to or less than the

NOAEL shall be permitted for use in normally occupied areas.Halocarbon agents for which the design concentration isgreater than the NOAEL shall not be permitted for use innormally occupied areas.

1-5.1.2.2To maintain oxygen concentrations above 16 percent (sea levelequivalent), the point at which onset of impaired personnelfunction occurs, no halocarbon fire extinguishing agents ofconcentration greater than 24 percent addressed in thisstandard shall be used in a normally occupied area.

INERGEN may be theexception, where oxygenmay fall to 12% but theincreased CO2 will increasethe breathing rate tocompensate.

3-3.2The area of uncloseable openings shall be kept to a minimum.The authority having jurisdiction can requirepressurization/depressurization or other tests to assure properperformance as defined by this standard.

3-3.3To prevent loss of agent through openings to adjacent hazardsor work areas, openings shall be permanently sealed or equip-

ped with automatic closures. Where reasonable confinementof agent is not practicable, protection shall be extended toinclude the adjacent connected hazards or work areas.





3-3.4Forced-air ventilating systems shall be shut down or closedautomatically where their continued operation would adverselyaffect the performance of the fire extinguishment agent systemor result in propagation of the fire. Completely self-

containment recirculating ventilation systems are not requiredto shut down. The volume of the system and associatedductwork shall be considered as part of the total hazardvolume when determining agent quantities.

If not shut down, additionalagent must be provided tocompensate for losses.

3-7Duration of Protection. It is important that the agent designconcentration not only shall be achieved, but also shall bemaintained for a sufficient period of time to allow effectiveemergency action by trained personnel. This is equallyimportant in all classes of fires since a persistent ignitionsource (e.g. an arc, heat source, oxyacetylene torch, or “deep-seated” fire) can lead to resurgence of the initial event oncethe clean agent has dissipated.

This time is usually 10minutes but this should beconsidered more carefully.Take into accountresponse time for fire dept.or other personal; the massof the fuel; the extent of“deep- seated” potential.

4-1.1At least annually, all systems shall be thoroughly inspected andtested for proper operation by competent personnel. Dischargetests are not required.

4-4Enclosure Inspection. At least every 12 months, the enclosure

protected by the clean agent shall be thoroughly inspected todetermine if penetrations or other changes have occurred thatcould adversely affect agent leakage or indicates conditionsthat could result in inability to maintain the clean agentconcentration, they shall be corrected. If uncertainty stillexists, the enclosures shall be tested for integrity inaccordance with 4-7.2.3.

There will almost always be

cause for a re-test sinceenclosures always becomeleakier with time. It is fareasier to setup the door fanand retest than to do adetailed inspection to findholes in the enclosures.

4-5.3Any penetrations made through the enclosure protected by theclean agent shall be sealed immediately. The method of

sealing shall restore the original fire resistance rating of theenclosure.

Door fan test will showenclosure is sealed.

4-6.1All persons who might be expected to inspect, test, maintain,or operate fire extinguishing systems shall be thoroughlytrained and kept thoroughly trained in the functions they areexpected to perform.

AHJ may ask to seecertificate of coursecompletion on door fortesting.





4-7.2.2.10A discharge test is generally not recommended; however, if adischarge test is to be conducted, containers for the agent tobe used shall be weighed before and after discharge. Fillweight of container shall be verified by weighing or other

approved methods. For inert gas clean agents, containerpressure shall be recorded before and after discharge.

4-7.2.3Review Enclosure Integrity. All total flooding systems shallhave the enclosure examined and tested to locate and thaneffectively seal any significant air leaks that could result in afailure of the enclosure to hold the specified agentconcentration level for the specified holding period. Thecurrently preferred method is using a blower door fan unit andsmoke pencil. If quantitative results are recorded, these couldbe useful for comparison at future tests.

This clumsily wordedsection is usually taken tomean that all clean agentsystems must have a doorfan test. The quantitativeresults are used when theenclosure is re-tested.

A-1-6 Do not perform unnecessary discharge testing

A-4-7.2.3If the authority having jurisdiction wants to quantify theenclosure’s leakage and predicted retention time, Appendix Bof NFPA 12A, Standard on Halon 1301 Fire ExtinguishingSystems, may be used. Adjustment to the existing formulasmust be made to account for differences in gas densitybetween Halon 1301 and the proposed alternate extinguishing

agent. Specifically, Equation 8 in paragraph B-2.7.1.4 of NFPA12A must be modified by substituting the alternate agent’s gasdensity in (Kg/m3) for the existing value of 6.283, which is thevalue for Halon 1301. See Appendix B of this Standard.

The formula adjustment ismade in the Retrotecsoftware using valuessupplied by NFPA

All of Appendix B

B-1.1.4This procedure should not be considered to be an exact model of a discharge test. Thecomplexity of this procedure should not obscure the fact that most failures to holdconcentration are due to the leaks in the lower surfaces of the enclosure, but the door fandoes not differentiate between upper and lower leaks. The door fan provides a worst-caseleakage estimate that is very useful for enclosures with complex hidden leaks, but it willgenerally require more sealing than is necessary to pass a discharge test.





9.4 NFPA 12A Halon

3-6 Altitude Adjustment.The design quantity of Halon 1301 shall be adjusted to compensate foraltitudes of more than 3000 ft. (1000 m) above or below sea level and

pressures that vary by 10 percent above or below standard sea levelpressure (29.92 in. Hg at 70 degrees F). The Halon 1301 quantity shallbe corrected by multiplying the quantity determined in 3-5.1 and 3-5.2by the ratio of average ambient enclosure pressure to standard sea levelpressure.

The altitudeadjustment in A-3-

6 of 2001 is usedfor all agents toadjustconcentration foraltitude.

3-7.1.2 Discharge Time.The agent discharge shall be substantially completed in a normal 10 seconds or as otherwiserequired by the authority having jurisdiction. This period shall be measured as the intervalbetween the first appearance of liquid at the nozzle and the time when the dischargebecomes predominantly gaseous. This point is distinguished by a marked change in both the

sound and the appearance of the discharge.4-7.2.2 Enclosure Integrity Acceptance.All total flooding systems shall have the enclosure examined and tested to locate and theneffectively seal any significant air leaks that could result in a failure of the enclosure tohold the specified Halon 1301 concentration level for the specified holding period. Thecurrently preferred method is using a blower door fan unit and smoke pencil. If quantitativeresults are recorded, these could be useful for comparison at future tests on the same roomwith a door fan.

A-3.3.3The design of total flooding Halon 1301 systems only beneath the raised floor of EDP

facilities when the occupied space above the raised floor is not similarly protected by atotal flooding Halon 1301 system does not meet the intent of this standard. Such a designdoes not comply with the definition of a total flooding system or with this chapter.

A-3-5.2 Leakage of Halon 1301 through Enclosure Openings.Halon 1301 discharged into an enclosure for total flooding will result in an enclosure fortotal flooding will result in an air/agent mixture that has a higher specific gravity than theair surrounding the enclosure. Therefore, any opening in the walls of the enclosure willallow the heavier air/agent mixture to flow out of the enclosure, being replaced withlighter outside air flowing into the enclosure through the same opening. The rate at whichagent is lost through openings will depend on the height and width of the opening, thelocation of the opening in the wall, and the concentration of agent in the enclosure.

Fresh air entering the enclosure will collect toward the top, forming an interface betweenthe air/agent mixture and fresh air. As leakage proceeds, the interface will move towardthe bottom of the opening. The space below the interface will contain essentially theoriginal extinguishing concentration of agent, whereas the upper space will be completelyunprotected. The rate at which the interface moves downward increases as concentrations





of agent increase, so that simply injecting an overdose of agent initially will not provide anextended period of protection.

All of Appendix B

9.5 NFPA 12 for CO2

2-6.1 General.The venting of flammable vapors and pressure buildup from the discharge of quantities ofcarbon dioxide into closed spaces shall be considered. Venting of flammable vapors iscovered in 2-2.1.4. The pressure venting consideration involves such variables as enclosurestrength and injection rate.

2-6.2 Pressure Relief Venting.Porosity and leakages such as at doors, windows, and dampers, though not readily apparentor easily calculated, have been found to provide sufficient relief for the normal carbon

dioxide flooding systems without need for additional venting. Record storage rooms,refrigerated spaces, and ductwork have also been found to need no additional venting whentested under their average system conditions.

2-6.2.1For very tight enclosures, the area necessary for free venting shall be calculated form thefollowing formula. Assuming the expansion of carbon dioxide to be 9 ft.3/lb (0.56 m.3/kg)will give satisfactory results.

X = Q

1.3 P

Where X = Free venting area in in.

2

Q = Calculated carbon dioxide flow rate in lbs./min.P = Allowable strength of enclosure in lbs/ft2

For SI UnitsXM = 23.9 Q M

P M XM = Free venting area mm2

Q M = Calculated carbon dioxide flow rate in kg/min.PM = Allowable strength of enclosure bars, gauge.

2-6.2.2In many instances, particularly when hazardous materials are involved, relief openings arealready provided for explosion venting. These and other available openings often provideadequate venting.




Appendix C – Sample Enclosure Integrity Test Specification

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10 Appendix C – Sample Enclosure Integrity Test Specification

The first section of this guide discusses issues to be addressed by the designer/specifier, onbehalf of the client, at the conceptual stages of the planned project. Further sectionsprovide sample performance and prescriptive specifications, which specifically impactenclosure acceptance, particularly when using the new NFPA 2001 Enclosure Integrity Test orISO 14520. These sections are to be integrated into other readily available standard CleanAgent specifications, which cover other areas such as References, System Description,Submittals, Qualifications, Warranty and Service, Products and Piping.

The general objective of this document is to ensure that new Clean Agent protectedenclosures are built so they can be accepted using the 12A & 2001 Enclosure Integrity Test.It is important to note however that most of the recommendations will also help ensuretrouble-free acceptance of enclosures using the conventional discharge test. In addition,many of these recommendations can be applied to CO2.

This material must be carefully edited for each installation to ensure that the completedspecification is appropriate to the particular installation, to avoid conflicting requirements,to ensure consistent numbering, and to ensure that the particular specification is placed inthe appropriate contractor's contract. Items shown in bold are sample specifications. Items shown in regular type are either instructions or background information for thespecification writer. Items in parentheses are generally options to be included or notdepending on system requirements.

This document has been written assuming that year 2000 NFPA 2001 CLEAN AGENT

STANDARD is the principal governing code or standard. If this is not the case, theappropriate substitutions should be made.

This document is not to be considered a formal or informal interpretation of NFPA 2001. Ifany aspect of NFPA 2001 is not clear to the reader, he is advised to contact NFPA directly fora formal interpretation. This document reflects only the views and opinions of Retrotecbased on our experience. This document itself carries no authority. Retrotec makes nowarranty either expressed or implied that these sample specifications are appropriate foruse in their current form.

While many of the examples in this document refer to computer facilities, this should not betaken to mean that the guidelines are not appropriate for other types of hazards.

10.1 General Enclosure Design Guidelines

If Clean Agent has been determined to be the most appropriate extinguishing Agent for theinstallation, a number of items should be reviewed prior to designing the enclosure andsystem and developing the specifications.





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5. Authorities Having Jurisdiction now require periodic Enclosure Integrity Testing to ensurecontinued performance. Slab-to-slab walls make the enclosure easier to "re-accept" itquantitatively in the future.

Avoidance of Attached Volumes

The Enclosure Integrity Test requires that an unrestricted return path be present during thetest between the door fan and each leak in the enclosure. This is generally obtained byopening doors (or ceiling tiles) between rooms and spaces adjoining the Clean Agentprotected enclosure while the test is being conducted. The resulting surrounding network ofrooms and corridors is known as the relief path.

If a doorway or ceiling space is not available to pneumatically connect an adjoining room tothe rest of the relief path during the fan test, the leakage from the Clean Agent protectedroom into that room may not be accurately measured. This adjoining room is then referredto as an attached volume.

Attached volumes can be avoided by ensuring that doors, hatches, or common ceilingplenums exist between all adjoining rooms and corridors outside the protected enclosure.

Note that attached volumes should be avoided in any case as they may indicate a restrictionof egress options from such rooms in the case of an emergency.

If leakage from the Clean Agent protected enclosure to an attached volume is less than halfthe leakage from the attached volume into the relief path, or if the barrier between the twospaces has only a small portion of the enclosures total leakage, little effect will be made on

the test's accuracy. Unfortunately, this is a subjective evaluation and difficult to administerin the field.

Do not design a common ceiling plenum between the attached volume and the protectedenclosure. A slab-to-slab wall should be installed between the protected enclosure and alladjoining rooms and corridors.

Do not design an unprotected room to be built within the envelope of the protectedenclosure. Leakage into an unprotected space completely within the protected enclosurewill not be measured by the Enclosure Integrity Test. Such spaces should be included in the

Clean Agent protected space.Penetration Planning

Achieving and maintaining a high degree of tightness is facilitated by having the location anddesign of certain penetrations, specifically for cables, planned in advance. The installationof round pipe sleeves or other engineered sealable openings is recommended. Sufficientextra capacity should be installed to handle expected future expansion. Sealing openings





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However, if any air moving equipment is left on during the retention period (blowers, airconditioning units or UPS equipment), the incoming air becomes completely mixed with theoriginal agent/air mixture. This causes the average concentration throughout the room todecay. This phenomenon is known as mechanical mixing.

If a descending interface forms, the allowable height to which it can descend in 10 minutesis a crucial factor. This minimum protected height is usually where the upper probe wouldhave been placed during a discharge acceptance test.

The minimum protected height is best defined as the highest combustible item in the room.Design the room and its equipment (cable trays are the most common problem) so that allcombustibles are kept below the 75% level (measured from the floor slab). The 75% level isan NFPA 2001 guideline, and allows for a reasonable amount of Clean Agent leakage (up to25% of the room volume) while not severely restricting the equipment design.

If the minimum protected height is be set above 85% of the protected enclosure height,more reliable and extended protection can be provided near ceiling level by intentionallydesigning in continuous mechanical mixing. If his is done the minimum protected height isirrelevant, as the same concentration will be present everywhere in the enclosure.

A discussion of the mechanical mixing option is necessary in this Enclosure Integrity Testingdocument even though it enters into system design, as it significantly impacts on the abilityto accept the enclosure.

Mechanical mixing is most often achieved by running the in-room air conditioners upon

discharge. There are however three drawbacks to this approach: the AC unit may be what ison fire; sub-floor AC units will invariably accelerate the Clean Agent loss as they push themixture out any leaks in the sub-floor (or ductwork outside the protected enclosure); andthe mixture may inadvertently be blown into unprotected ceiling voids.

Mechanical mixing can also be achieved by installing a separate air handling system, whichactivates upon discharge to continuously circulate the Clean Agent mixture up from floorlevel to ceiling level. Better control of the distribution can be obtained. A separate systemis not ideal either, as it must be periodically checked and maintained in order to ensure it isstill operational (much the same as for a Clean Agent purge system). The final selection is

up to the designer.

The "descending interface or mechanical mixing" decision must be made early in the designprocess as it may affect the determination of required Agent quantity, and, therefore, therequired cylinders and piping layout. If mechanical mixing will occur, and a 6% initialconcentration is used, only 16.6% of the room volume could be lost before a 5%concentration is reached. If mechanical mixing will occur, longer retention times will beachieved using a higher initial concentration. For example, if a 6.7% initial concentration is





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achieved, up to 25% of the room volume can leak out before 5% is reached. This may be anappropriate design choice for either a small room or one, which has features, which makeachieving an airtight seal difficult. An extended discharge design is another option.

Small rooms (say up to approximately 5,000 cubic feet) have historically been the most

difficult to pass using a discharge test. There appears to be two reasons for this. One isthat Clean Agent is more likely to be lost during the initial discharge, especially if there is anunprotected ceiling void above. This appears to be reduced if a "soft" discharge is used.Contact Clean Agent equipment manufacturers for more guidance.

The predominant reason appears to be because small rooms have much less favorablesurface to volume ratios. For example, a 10,000 cubic foot room has ten times the volumeof a 1,000 cubic foot room, but has only three times the wall area. Relatively speaking, thesmall room has to be much tighter to retain the agent. As the Room Integrity Test is evenmore stringent than the discharge test, this can make small rooms difficult to accept if they

aren't practically airtight.

Summary

If all air moving equipment will be shut down in the event of a fire, the Minimum ProtectedHeight (e.g. 75% of room height) and Minimum Initial Concentration (e.g. 6%) should bespecified in the bid request documents. Refer to Section 3.00 for a discussion of why it isnecessary to specify a minimum initial concentration to design for if an Enclosure IntegrityTest is to be used for acceptance. It is recommended that the Minimum Protected Height beno higher than 75% of the room height, especially if the enclosure volume is less than 5,000cubic feet.

If a mechanical mixing design approach is taken, the HVAC contractor and Clean Agentinstaller must be informed of the mechanical and control requirements. It is recommendedthat a higher Minimum Initial Concentration (e.g. 6.75%) be specified if the enclosure volumeis less than 5,000 cubic feet.

Note that the new Year 2000 NFPA 2001 Enclosure Integrity Procedure models the"mechanically mixed" retention period.

10.2 Enclosure Integrity Specifications

(For the General Contractor)

On new installations, it is recommended that the General Contractor (GC), if one is present,be made responsible for overall room tightness. The GC in turn would then require that allhis subcontractors perform the necessary sealing, which relates to their work. Any workbeing done on the installation by second level contractors (e.g. cable pullers) not operatingunder the GC must also be subjected to this requirement under their contracts. If the Clean





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Agent system is being installed as a retrofit, one contractor must be made responsible forsealing existing holes. If no building contractor is involved in the retrofit, the Clean Agentinstaller may be able to arrange for this service.

The prescriptive specifications give guidance on what must be sealed, while the performance

specification determines whether the job was done right. In order to pass the EnclosureIntegrity Test, the contractor may have to seal items, which are not specifically described,in the prescriptive specifications. Item 2.02C covers just about every possibility.

Enclosure Integrity Performance Specification

Enclosure leakage shall be eliminated to at least the degree necessary to enable the

Clean Agent protected enclosure to pass a test conducted in accordance with the Year

2000 NFPA 2001 Enclosure Integrity Procedure. Variables of interest are listed in Article

6, APPROVAL/ACCEPTANCE OF ENCLOSURE INTEGRITY.

It is possible to calculate in advance using NFPA 2001 Appendix C what the maximumallowable Equivalent Leakage Area would be for the enclosure. If this is done, theperformance specification could be even more specific.

Enclosure Integrity Prescriptive Specifications

The following items cover enclosure leakage in a general fashion, and should be placed inthe General Contractor's specification. He should then repeat those appropriate to specificsubcontractors in their specifications. If the client or AHJ requires that the materials andtechniques used must produce a one or two-hour fire rated enclosure, this must bespecified.

Because historically the walls and roof of unprotected ceiling voids above suspended ceilingshave not had to be well sealed to retain agent, existing building practice, if retained, willproduce enclosures where large leakage areas will be measured, resulting in unacceptablylow predicted retention times. It is recommended that where possible the walls and roofs ofunprotected ceiling voids be sealed as tightly as the protected enclosure below. If this is notpossible or practical (in a retrofit for example), it is generally possible to accept theenclosure using the B-2.6.2 Suspended Ceiling Leakage Neutralization Method. It isrecommended however that every attempt be made to seal the ceiling void first.

1. The perimeter walls of the protected enclosure shall extend from the structural floorto the structural floor above, or the roof.

Alternately: The ceiling of the enclosure shall be ( ) inch drywall (plasterboard),

mudded, taped and painted per Article ( ). Access panels shall be provided as

indicated on the plans (# ).





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Possible addition: The ceiling system shall be constructed with an upper deck in

order to provide a walk on surface for servicing above ceiling utilities. (Specify

construction details if desired.)

2. Where an under floor space continues out of the Clean Agent protected area into

adjoining rooms, airtight partitions shall be installed under the floor directly underabove-floor border partitions. These partitions shall be caulked top and bottom. If a

removable floor tile extends under a doorway over such a partition, it shall either be:

permanently sealed in place; installed with a flexible seal between it and the wall

below; or the tile shall be discontinued at the doorway with a permanent airtight

ledge created up to which the floor tiles abut. If adjoining rooms share the same

under floor air handlers, then the partitions shall have dampers installed of the same

type as required for ductwork.

3. All holes, cracks, or penetrations leading into or out of the protected area shall be

sealed. Pipe chases and wire troughs shall be sealed around both the outside andinside at a point where they pass through the envelope of the protected zone. All

walls shall be caulked around the inside perimeter of the room where the walls rest

on the floor slab and where the walls intersect the ceiling slab or roof above.

4. Porous block walls shall be sealed slab-to-slab to prevent gas from passing through the

block. Multiple coats of paint may be required.

5. All doors shall have door sweeps or drop seals on the bottoms, weather stripping

around the jambs, latching mechanisms and door closer hardware. In addition,

double doors shall have a weather-stripped astragal to prevent leakage betweendoors and a coordinator to assure proper sequence of closure.

6. Windows shall have solid weather-stripping around all joints. Glass to frame and

frame to wall joins shall be sealed.

7. All floor drains shall have traps designed to have water or other compatible liquid in

them at all times.

8. All unused and out-of-service ductwork leading into or from a protected area shall be

permanently sealed off (air tight) with metal plates caulked and screwed in place atthe point where they breach the envelope of the protected zone.

9. All ceiling tiles shall have a weight of at least (xx) pounds per square foot.

Lightweight vinyl coated acoustic tiles shall not be used.

The possibility of ceiling tiles being displaced during a discharge should be addressed at thedesign stage. Possible options include tile clipping, nozzle deflectors, lowering the nozzles a





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certain distance from the ceiling and ensuring proper nozzle location. Contact Clean Agentequipment manufacturers for guidance.

10.3 Clean Agent System Specifications

(For the Clean Agent Contractor)

This section covers only the issue relating to the Clean Agent system design, which has animpact on the Enclosure Integrity Test. A complete specification should cover theappropriate Year 2000 NFPA 2001 articles and features of particular interest to the client.

Note: Examples use Halon because it is generic - substitute the proper values using Halon as

a guide.

Past practice in the industry has been to specify the minimum concentration (usually 5% forHalon) which has to still be in the room at the end of the required retention period (usually

10 minutes). The typical Clean Agent installer, knowing that some enclosure leakage isusually present, prudently designs for l0% to 20% more Agent on the initial discharge.

Experience has shown this to usually be sufficient to deal with either the room volume lost ifmechanical mixing takes place, or the dilution of the upper layer of the Clean Agent columnif a descending interface forms. The descending interface's dilution is caused by theinfiltrating air, which enters high in the room. After l0 minutes, the top l0% or so of theClean Agent column usually contains only half its initial concentration. The vast majority of"5%" systems are, therefore, installed to provide between 5.5% and 6% initially.

While a small amount (10% to 20%) of extra Agent is generally needed, more is rarely better(if mechanical mixing doesn't occur). The greater the initial concentration, the denser theClean Agent mixture becomes, the more the column of Clean Agent weighs, and the fasterthe descending interface will drop. If a room is leaky the answer is generally to make theenclosure tighter, not to add more agent. The following from NFPA 2001 Appendix Aconfirms this: "The rate at which the interface moves downward increases as concentrationsof Agent increase, so that simply injecting an overdose of Agent initially will not provide anextended period of protection."

It is important to note however that this is only true if a descending interface forms during

the retention period. If mechanical mixing occurs, more Agent will extend the retentionperiod.

The essential point to be made is this: If a discharge concentration test will not beperformed, it is necessary to specify the initial Clean Agent concentration required (usually6% for Halon) that would normally ensure the desired minimum concentration is maintained(usually 5% for Halon). Otherwise, the marketplace will compel the Clean Agent installer to





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install only enough gas to reach 5%. This is a distinct departure from past practice, whichhas generally been to only specify the minimum.

If mechanical mixing will occur in a small room, it is prudent to specify an even higher initialconcentration (e.g. 6.5% to 6.75% to retain 5% for Halon). These ratios can be adjusted

accordingly if the client requires more than the most commonly required minimum of 5%.

The system shall be designed and installed to provide a (6) % halon concentration

throughout the protected enclosure upon discharge, as calculated in NFPA 2001. The

protected enclosure extends from the floor slab to (the slab above) (the suspended

ceiling). The following rooms are considered to constitute the Clean Agent protected

zone: ( ).

10.4 HVAC Specifications

(For the Mechanical Contractor)

Ductwork

Ductwork in service with the building air handling unit shall have gasketed low leak

agent/smoke type dampers with flexible seals (option: conforming to UL-555S "Standard

for Leakage Rated Dampers For Use in Smoke Control Systems", Class I leakage rated).

Rigid metal-to-metal blade seals shall not be used. Dampers shall be spring-loaded or

motor-operated to provide near airtight shut-off. (Option: The dampers shall be of the

spring close, motor open type.)

The dampers shall be installed as close as possible to the duct's point of entry into theroom. All duct joints between the damper and the duct entry point shall be sealed. The

gap between the damper frame and the duct wall shall be sealed. A minimum 6" square

access panel shall be installed to permit internal inspection of the damper.

Alterations to air conditioning, heating, ventilating ductwork and related equipment

shall be in accordance with NFPA 90A, Standard for the Installation of Air Conditioning

and Ventilating Systems, or NFPA 90B, Standard for the Installation of Warm Air Heating

and Air Conditioning Systems, as applicable.

It is recommended that whenever possible, any in-room air conditioning units be shut downupon discharge to reduce the possibility that they will expel the mixture from the sub-floor.

Ideally, the Clean Agent protected enclosure will be a "dead" room from a static pressurestandpoint by the time the Clean Agent discharges. If the dampers are truly tight, and thein-room air conditioning units are shut down, close to zero pressure is usually achieved.Occasionally, however, significant imbalances exist in the building HVAC system, which could





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increase the leakage of Clean Agent from the enclosure. If a significant static pressure isuncovered during the Enclosure Integrity Test which is not solved by improving damper sealsor sealing leaks, it may prove to be necessary to have that zone of the building's air handlersshut down in addition to closing the dampers.

10.5 Approval/Acceptance of Clean Agent System

The following article covers only the acceptance of the Clean Agent system, which is theClean Agent installer's responsibility. Adequate enclosure integrity is confirmed in section 6.Historically, the vast majority of discharge test failures have been caused by lack ofenclosure integrity. Nonetheless, if a discharge test is not being carried out, it is essentialthat other aspects of the system installation be verified and tested per NFPA 2001.

1. The contractor shall carry out the acceptance tests described in NFPA 2001 year 2000

edition, section 4-7 in the presence of the AHJ or its representative.

2. The contractor shall provide a test report. After the tests are completed and the

system has been accepted, the system shall be brought to full operating condition.

10.6 Approval/Acceptance of Enclosure Integrity

In most instances, the Clean Agent contractor is required to provide the Enclosure IntegrityTest, although it is possible to separate it from the overall contract and obtain bids fromother parties. The following wording assumes that the Clean Agent contractor is providingthe test, and these articles are placed in his contract. It is important to note that while theClean Agent contractor is often responsible for providing the Enclosure Integrity Test, heshould not be responsible for the sealing unless very specifically stated in his contract. Thisusually is only possible on some retrofits.

Article 11.6.1 may be used if the enclosure will have a raised floor and/or a suspendedceiling, and if the specifier wants to have the Clean Agent contractor involved in inspectingthe General Contractor's sealing work. This task could be done with the inspectingauthority. The intent is to confirm that all possible leaks have been sealed at the earliestand easiest stage of construction.

1. Prior to the installation of the (raised floor) (and) (suspended ceiling) the Clean Agentcontractor shall depressurize the enclosure to at least -5 pa (-.02" w.c.) with a door fanunit and inspect the enclosure using a smoke pencil. The inspection shall be done in thepresence of the owner's representative and the General Contractor. Uncalibrated fansand/or the building return air-handling system may be used if needed to create thepressure differential required. Temporary sealing of un-closeable openings is permittedif this is needed to obtain the pressure differential required. Examples of such openingsare doorways without doors, ducts without dampers and unsealed cable trays i.e. those





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openings which are ultimately to be sealed prior to contract completion. Measurementsneed not be recorded. A written report and plan view of the enclosure identifying thelocation and nature of leaks uncovered shall be submitted.

2. Upon completion of the enclosure by all trades involved (e.g. doors and dampers

installed, all penetrations sealed), the Clean Agent contractor shall conduct an EnclosureIntegrity Test in conformance with NFPA (12A 1994) & 2001 Appendix C, in the presenceof the owner's representative and the General Contractor. Variables of interest are listedin Article 11.6.4 below. Acceptable deviations from the Procedure are listed in Article11.6.5 below. Should the test be unsuccessful, an inspection shall be conducted and areport and plan view of the enclosure identifying the location and nature of leaksuncovered shall be submitted. If more than one test is required, additional tests shall beat the expense of the contractor(s) whose deficiencies are responsible for the testfailure.

3. Upon successful completion of the test conducted in article 6.02, a final EnclosureIntegrity Test per Year 2000 NFPA 2001 shall be conducted in the presence of the AHJ orhis representative. The contractor shall provide a test report, including a copy of therecorded measurements.

Adequate notice shall be given to the AHJ or its representative to enable either or bothto attend.

If the enclosure's leakage has increased since the successful completion of the testspecified in 11.6.2, and this leakage causes the enclosure to fail this test, the enclosure

shall be inspected to uncover the source of this leakage. If retesting is required it shallbe conducted at the expense of the contractor (s) whose deficiencies are responsible forthe test failure.

4. Variables of Interest

A. (MECHANICAL MIXING) (DESCENDING INTERFACE)

The Clean Agent leakage shall be modeled assuming that (mechanical mixing)(descending interface formation) takes place during the retention period.

B. (MINIMUM PROTECTED HEIGHT) (MINIMUM ALLOWABLE CONCENTRATION)

The Minimum Protected Height shall be xx.x feet from the floor slab.

Use this if a descending interface will form. Note: This is not the height to be used in thecalculation of total extinguishing Agent required.





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The Minimum Allowable Concentration shall be (x)%.

Use this if mechanical mixing will take place during the retention period.

C. RETENTION PERIOD

The minimum retention period shall be (10) minutes.

5. Acceptable Deviation From Year 2000 NFPA 2001 Procedure

ONLY TO BE INCLUDED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION ORTHEIR REPRESENTATIVES.

The following optional items address possible refinements of the testing procedure. Theyhave not been reviewed or accepted by the 2001 Technical Committee as of the date of this

document.

Determination of Height of Protected Enclosure

Very high or very deep spaces in the room may be ignored when determining the Height

of Protected Enclosure provided that the volume of the space represents less than 15%

of the zone's volume. If the space is very deep (e.g. dropping below floor level) a

qualitative leak inspection must confirm that insignificant leakage exists in the space.

The wording in paragraph 4-7.2.3 states that the enclosure shall be "examined or tested" to

ensure tight construction. Since most AHJs prefer a quantitative test over a subjectiveexamination, the door fan test is likely to be most often requested. However, thisparagraph does not specifically state that leakage measurements must be taken or that thetest be used to predict retention time. It is up to the AHJ to determine:

a) What procedure to follow (possibly Appendix C),

b) Whether the enclosure has to pass a retention time prediction,

c) How to test and accept enclosures that are outside the scope of Appendix C,

d) What testing is required in addition to that specified in section 1-7.4 in order toaccept the system.

10.7 Warranty

If Maintenance Service is requested as part of initial installation, add this article to otherstandard system checks.





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12 months after the acceptance of the enclosure, the Clean Agent contractor (or other

testing agency if appropriate) shall conduct an Enclosure Integrity Test in conformance

with Year 2000 NFPA 2001 Edition Appendix C. Variables of interest are listed in article

6.04 above. Acceptable deviations from the procedure are listed in article 6.05 above.

Should the test be unsuccessful, an inspection shall be conducted and a report and planview of the enclosure identifying the location and nature of leaks uncovered shall be

submitted.

Furnished by:Retrotec Energy Innovations Ltd.,1015 Ironwork Passage Vancouver BC,Canada V6H 3R4

e-mail [email protected] Phone: (604) 732-0142 FAX: (604) 737-0152

Retrotec provides this information as an industry service. The material is not copyrightedand may be copied and redistributed without restriction.

Constructive criticism and comments on this document are welcome in order to improvefuture revisions.




Appendix D – Enclosure Integrity Verification Form

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11 Appendix D – Enclosure Integrity Verification Form

Enclosure Integrity verification form

Building

RoomTest #

Testing technician

Witness

Date and time of test

Check

off Screen tab

Name on Computer

ScreenWhat to look for

__ yes

__ noHome

“View” button will

display the currentcertificate

Is the One Year Calibration Certificate up todate?

__ yes

__ noHome

“View” button willdisplay the currentcertificate

Is the Five Year Calibration Certificate up todate?

__ yes

__ noHome

“View” button willdisplay the currentcertificate

Does the technician have the correct level oftraining? See Level 1-A, page 15

__ yes

__ noBuilding/Room Elevation Is it correct within 1000 ft.?See Level 1-A, page 12

__ yes

__ noBuilding/Room

Net protected roomvolume

This is used to re-calculate the designconcentration. It must be re-measured, was it?See Level 1-A, page 12

__ yes

__ noBuilding/Room

Room operatingtemperature

Was the temperature expected during a dischargewithin 10F or 5 C? It may differ from thetemperature at the time of test.See Level 1-A, page 12

__ yes

__ noBuilding/Room

Maximum agentheight

Was it re-measured from floor slab to highestcombustible? Enter the maximum agent heightfrom lower slab to highest point that is floodedwith agent. See Level 1-A, page 13

__ yes

__ noBuilding/Room

Minimum agentretention

Do you agree with the time shown?See Level 1-A, page 13





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Check

off Screen tab

Name on Computer


__ yes

__ no

Agent/Test Agent weightWere you able to confirm the agent weight orvolume? See Level 1-A, page 14

__ yes

__ noAgent/Test Agent volume Only used for INERGEN in North America

__ yes

__ noAgent/Test Initial Concentration

Does the concentration meet the specification?See Level 1-A, page 14

__ yes

__none

Remove all temporary tape or get sufficientassurance it will be replaced with a permanent

seal.

__ yes

__ no

__ n/a

Total LeaksEnter untestedvalues

If untested values were entered, do you agreewith their validity? See Level 1-A, page 16. Itwould be unusual to have untested values.

__ yes

__ noTotal Leaks Smoke

Did you see the smoke movement test at thedoorway? See Level 1-A, page 17

__ yes __ no

Total Leaks Test bothdirections:

Was the enclosure tested in both directions?

__ yes

__ noTotal Leaks Static pressure

Did you observe the static pressure measurementat the time of the door fan test?

Temperature duringtest(0F)

__ yes

__ no Total Leaks

Temperature during

test(0C)

Was the temperature within 100F or 50C of thatrecorded? The NFPA Procedure requires ameasurement if the difference is greater than 180F or10 0C

__ yes

__ no Total LeaksRange for roompressures:

Was the room pressure reading within the rangespecified?





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Check

off Screen tab

Name on Computer


__ yes

__ no

RetentionNo mixing duringretention

Would conditions be calm enough after dischargefor no mixing of agent and incoming air?

__ yes

__ noRetention Extended discharge

Is there an extended discharge. If so, what is thequantity and duration?

__ yes

__ noRetention Smoke

Have the enclosure set up as it would be just priorto agent discharge. Do you think the smokedirection recorded is the same as what it would beduring the retention period?

__ yes

__ noRetention Minimumprotected height

Was the height above the lower slab to the

equipment being protected, properly measured?Only applies if there is no mixing but it is usefulto have it recorded either way.

__ yes

__ no

__ notsure

RetentionMinimumconcentration

Do you agree that the value recorded willprevent re-ignition at the end of the retentionperiod? Only applies if there is mixing but it isuseful to have it recorded either way.

__ pass

__ failRetention Time,t

This is the retention time given all the variablesinput into CA2001 so far. If this is greater orequal to the “Minimum agent retention” specifiedon the Building/Room tab, the room PASSES.

Note any other concernsyou had about the test ->




Appendix E – Glossary Of Terms of 109

12 Appendix E – Glossary of Terms

60 Gauge

The gauge used to measure the Room pressure. Full scale is 60 Pascals (or 0.24” W.C.). It isusually located on the left and connects to the door panel by a red tube.

250 Gauge

The gauge used to measure Flow pressure. Full scale 250 Pascals (or 1.004” W.C.). Itconnects to the blower via quick connects and a clear tube.

Agent

Short form for Clean Agent fire suppressant. Can be an inert or a halocarbon.

Agent/Air Interface

See sharp interface - the vertical distance through which the agent concentration goes from

that discharged to 0.

AHJ

Authority Having Jurisdiction.

ASHRAE

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. Developersof standards and technical guidance relating to HVAC/R issues.

BCLA (Below Ceiling Leakage Area)

Leaks below a suspended ceiling. Hole in the floor or lower leaks. Often assumed to be onehalf of the Total Hole in the Room (ELA).

Below Ceiling Leakage = Lower Leak

See Lower Leak.

Blower

As used in the text, this term means the Retrotec Infiltrometer fan unit that both flows airand provides a FLOW PRESSURE signal from which flow is measured. Sometimes it is called afan.

Ceiling neutralization = Flex-duct test = BCLA (Below Ceiling Leakage Area) test

Center Panel

A red ABS plastic molded sheet, which goes between the upper and lower panel to fill thegap.





Compartmentation = Compartmentalization

Conditioned Space

An area or volume that is normally air-conditioned or heated (i.e. inside the thermal

envelope). Even though supply ducts may not discharge directly into these spaces, they areconditioned if their temperature follows indoor temperature closer than outdoor.

Continual Mixing

Airflow activity within the test room that is sufficient to maintain an equal concentration atall locations and prevent the formation of distinct zones of air and agent/air mixture, i.e. nointerface develops.

Continuous Discharge = Extended Discharge

See Extended Discharge.

Descending Interface

Agent leaks out during the retention period and air leaks in the upper part of the enclosureto replace the lost volume. Typically it is assumed that as the agent leaks out, an interfacewill occur between the layer of agent on the bottom and the layer of air on top. Since thisinterface drops with time, it is called a descending interface and is the most commonlyassumed leakage regime. The other regime is Continual Mixing.

Depressurization

The process of creating a negative pressure in the house by blowing air out of the house. Air

is drawn in from outside to replace it, showing up as "geysers" when checked with an aircurrent tester.

Door Fan = Blower Door = Blower Door Fan = Infiltrometer ( reg’d tm of Retrotec) A test instrument that fits into an open doorway in order to pressurize and enclosure. Theresult is a measurement of the hole size.

Dropped Ceiling

See suspended ceiling

Dynamic discharge pressureThis is a combination of the peak pressure during the actual discharge and the velocitypressure associated with streams of agent hitting walls or ceilings, thereby trying to force itsway out of the enclosure during this brief period.

Enclosure=Room

In this manual, this word is used to mean the volume that is protected with clean agent. Itcould also mean the above ceiling space if it is not protected since for all intents the





enclosure boundary is at the fire barrier and suspended ceilings do not represent a firebarrier unless they are fitted with special fire rated tiles.

Envelope

The surfaces composed of floor and walls and floors that separate the test volume from

volume surrounding the test volume

ELA= Total Leak = Whole room leakage= Equivalent Leakage Area=Total Leak

Equivalent Leakage Area (ELA)

In layman's terms, the ELA is the size of hole we'd have if all the building's cracks and holescould somehow be brought together. Also called: Whole Room Leakage and includes Leaksthrough the ceiling and below the ceiling (BCLA). In CA2001 we measure this in units of ft2 or m2 at a reference pressure in Pascals (Pa).

In Engineer’s terms: the equivalent size of hole required in a flat plate to give the same flowrate having a discharge coefficient of 0.61 and taken at the Reference Pressure. This ELA issometimes called the EqLA or Canadian ELA because it was first used in the Canadian CGSBair leakage standard for houses. This ELA enjoys worldwide acceptance by most testers,even in the US.

This ELA should not be confused with another ELA that is often called the EfLA or EffectiveLeakage Area. It is very unfortunate that both these ELA’s have the same acronym of ELA.The EfLA was developed for the US ASTM Standard and is smaller than the EqLA by at least afactor of 0.61 because it uses a discharge coefficient of 1.0. This EfLA is sometimes called

the LBL or Lawrence Berkley Labs ELA because it was developed there and is used in the LBLnatural airchange model that enjoys wide usage- apart from that usage, the EfLA is not usedvery much but the existence of both can create huge problems that are totally lost on someusers.

Expander Mechanism

The red metal mechanism attached to the door panel that enables the panel system toexpand sideways into the doorframe. It has a mechanical ratio of 5:1.

Extended Discharge = Continuous Discharge

An optional method to maintain concentration whereby after the initial discharge anextended discharge takes place with the intention of maintaining the original concentrationmore or less by injecting a continuous stream of agent for an extended period (usually 10 to20 minutes). Retrotec CA2001 software will calculate the amount of extended dischargerequired.

Extender Panel





An optional molded plastic panel, which can be temporarily attached to the main door panelto fit up to 48" wide doorways.

False Ceiling

See suspended ceiling. Also, can be called T-bar ceiling or Lay-in ceiling.

Flex-duct ceiling neutralization

A door-fan test method that uses a second blower connected through the suspended ceiling.The second blower takes care of the upper room leaks with the above the ceiling blower.

The first blower takes care of the Lower Leaks. The flow through both blowers is adjustedtill there is neutral flow across the ceiling that is determined by smoke puffed into gaps.The Lower blower measures the Lower Leaks.

Flow Pressure

The pressure difference between inside the blower and the surrounding air read off of theInfiltrometer's 60 and 250 Pa flow gauges. It is used by the computer to calculate theairflow through the blower.

Height of Interest

The highest point in the room requiring protection for the duration of the specified retentiontime. In the NFPA procedure it’s called the “height of interface from floor”, in the softwareit’s called the Minimum Protected Height.

Hole in Floor (BCLA)

All Below Ceiling Leakage Area (BCLA) is assumed to be in the floor to get worst-case leakagerate.

Room Pressure

The pressure difference created by the blower between inside and out, read off of theInfiltrometer's 60 Pa gauge. This gauge is labeled "Room/House Pressure".

HVAC

Heating Ventilating and Air conditioning system.

InfiltrometerA name used and registered by Retrotec to describe their door-fan equipment. Often calledblower-door.

Large or Main Panel

Refers to the panel with the 20" diameter hole intended for sealing the doorway.

Lay in (Tile) Ceiling





See suspended ceiling.

Leakage

A general term used to describe holes or the area of holes or leakage through holes in oraround an enclosure. See also Total Leaks and Lower Leak(s).

Leakage Area

This is the same as “Leakage” but express in sq.ft. or sq.m.

Lower Leak = Below Ceiling Leakage

A lower leak is any leak below the ceiling. Leaks in the walls and floor are counted as Lowerleaks where agent will leak out. Lower Leak also refers to the Lower Leak tab of CA2001where the Lower Leak would be measured.

Lower Leaks

Leaks attributed to air that flows in from below. If the room were filled full of water, morewater would leak from these leaks. All leaks below the ceiling are assumed to be LowerLeaks. Includes wall and floor leaks.

Negative Static Pressure

A room pressure that is independent of the door fan that will cause test smoke to flow intothe room.

PaSee Pascal.

Pascal Often shown as “Pa”. A very small metric unit of pressure. Equal to 1/249th of an inch ofH2O. There are 249 Pascals in 1" Water Column (the pressure required to push water up 1"in a tube). One Pascal = 0.000145 psi.

Peak Pressure = Vent Pressure

When the system is discharged, there is brief period at the ten-second mark where a

maximum peak pressure is created in the room. For inerts, this is where the flow rate isnear maximum. For halocarbons this occurs at the end of the discharge where the coolingeffect of the agent is reduced and it starts to expand. CO2 starts to increase in volumetowards the end of the discharge because the cooling effect caused by the rapid flashing ofthe agent at the nozzles is eliminated.

Positive Static Pressure





A room pressure that is independent of the door fan that will cause test smoke to flow out ofthe room.

PressurizationThis is the process of creating a positive pressure in the house by blowing air into the house.Air is pushed out through all the leaks, causing the smoke to move away from the operator

when checked with an air current tester.

Protected enclosure

This term describes the total space that is flooded with clean agent upon discharge. Thisincludes above ceiling spaces only if that volume is intentionally flooded with agent. Thisincludes adjacent rooms if they are discharged at the same time.

Protected enclosure boundaryThis term describes floor, wall and surfaces that define the protected enclosure.

Reading

A set of simultaneous Room Pressure and Flow Pressure readings. Sometimes referred to asa data set or test point because it is plotted as one point on a graph.

Reference Pressure

The pressure at which the ELA is calculated, usually at the test pressure.

Return Path Space (Relief Zone)The volume around the tested room that the Infiltrometer blows into (under roomdepressurization) or out of (under room pressurization). The flow from the Infiltrometermust be allowed to return to the point of leakage in the room through the return path space.

Room = Enclosure

Sharp Interface

The height at which the agent concentration is considered to go form that discharged to 0.The boundary between the agent mixture below and the pure air above.

Smaller Panel

Refers to the smaller sliding panel used to seal the doorway. It's permanently attached tothe large panel.

Suspended Ceiling = T-bar ceiling = False ceiling = Dropped ceiling = Lay-in ceiling

Common ceiling type found in most computer rooms and offices. Tiles lift up to exposespace above.





Total Leaks = Whole room leakage = (ELA)

Total Leak includes floor, wall and ceiling leaks. It also refers to the Total Leak tab inCA2001 where the total leak is measured.

T-bar CeilingSee suspended ceiling.

Upper Panel Cover

This covers the 22" diameter hole (20” for the older 900 series models) in the upper paneland has 2-calibration holes cut to precise size at the factory. The panel comes out with aquick pull.

Upper Leaks

Leaks attributed to air that flows in from above. If the room was filled full of water, no

water would leak from these leaks. Also called the Hole in the Ceiling.

Vent Pressure = Peak Pressure

Whole Room Leakage (ELA)= Total Leak = Whole room leakage

Includes leaks through ceiling and lower leaks.




Appendix E – of 109

13 Appendix E – CA2001 Demo Example

If you already have a version of CA2001 either from CD or from a download, this buildingshould be preloaded. If it is not, you can import 10 Northtown City Hall test.txt. Thisexample shows screenshots from the software for you to follow.

Test: Northtown City Hall

This NFPA Retention Time test took place on a small computer room. The first four screensshow how easy it is to enter the data to get a Retention Time. The next screens show howto enter the door fan data to get the Leakage Area. The Field Calibration, Wind Losses andVenting test screens are also shown. These are followed by the computer report, then thewritten report with pictures.

13.1 Home tab





13.2 Building/Room tab

Choose a “New Building” and input the data shown.

13.3 Agent/Test tab

Note that this Technician is certified to Level 4, the highest Level. In general, testers needa minimum of Level 2 for a single-door fan test and Level 3 for a double-door fan test.





13.4 Total Leaks tab

Since you may have no ability to enter real door fan test data, just click the “Enter untestedvalues” button, then put “.12” into the “Leakage area, ELA” box.Hit the “Calculate/Save” button and move to the Retention tab.

13.5 Retention tab

The result is 19.1 minutes.





You have now successfully completed a Retention Time calculation using a directly enteredLeakage Area value.

Now, go back to the Total Leaks tab in your program. Enter the door fan data supplied on

the next page. You should get the same Leakage Area and Retention Time result.

13.6 Total Leaks tab

Input these “Test” values. You should arrive at the same result as previously.

The room pressure was entered as 17 but displayed as 17.4 here and in the printout. Thisresulted from the readings being automatically corrected according to the CalibrationCertificate that can be viewed any time by hitting the “View” button on the Home tab.





This Retention Time test is now complete, but we can look at the other tabs to see what isgoing on.

13.7 Field Cal tab

This Field Calibration procedure allows the operator to test his equipment as required byNFPA2001 at any time. Witnesses may ask for this test to be performed to test both theequipment and the operator. 15% is the maximum allowable error.

Here, a room is tested, then a 144 sq inch hole is added and the room re-tested. We shouldsee a 144 sq inch difference, though the actual result will never be exactly 144 sq inches. Inthis case, 133 sq inches was measured which translates into a -7.4% error, which isacceptable.

The Field Calibration Report is produced when this button is pressed.





13.8 Wind Losses tab

There are not any Wind Losses in this case because the enclosure has no surfaces exposed tothe outdoors.

We did a wind calculation anyway to show what the losses might be if this building wereexposed to the outdoors.

Most enclosures have no walls facing the outdoors. Some have one or two walls facing theoutdoors, but most of the leaks are within the building, making Wind Losses small. In thefew cases where most of the leaks are in walls exposed to the outdoors, these losses caneasily exceed the NFPA or ISO maximum losses.





13.9 Venting tab

The venting test was conducted at a higher room pressure than that of the Total Leakagetests and it indicates a correspondingly higher leakage. The vent test should be run at thehighest possible pressure to get the most realistic reading.

In this case, the maximum allow able room pressure (by design) is 478.9 Pa or 10 lb/sq ft,but the predicted pressure is only 149Pa which will not cause an overpressure problem.





13.10 Saved Tests tab

Notice the new test that has been added.

This file can now be saved outside the CA2001 program using the Export Building button.





The computer will ask you where you want to save this file and by what name.

When you use this feature to import files from another user, you not only receive all of theuser’s data associated with the test, but you also receive the complete equipment andtechnician Calibration Certificates. You will see the information exactly as the originator ofthe test saw the data, analysis, and results.





13.11 Calibrations and Reports

Both Calibration Certificates are also available for inspection.This is what you see when you hit the “View” tab.

Gauge readings are corrected automatically according to this certificate.





Note that this certificate shows this technician’s certification.Blower readings are corrected automatically according to the N, K, K1, K3 and K4 values onthis certificate.





.





Note that the statement on this page of the report shows this Technician is certified.





Level 2 Certification is the minimum required for Technicians performing tests with a singleblower. Technicians using two blowers require a minimum Level 3 Certification. Level 4 isfor ISO and venting tests.

This graph on page 3 is a nice visual but does not mean a lot for single point tests. Its realvalue lies in multi-point tests under ISO.




13.12 Field Calibration Report

level 1 manual

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