INTRODUCTIO

N TO FIRE
SUPPRESSION
SYSTEMS
january 2023
 01 02 03

CORPORATE FIRE EXTINGUISHING

PROFILE PROTECTION AGENTS

04 05

INERTEC QUESTIONS
& ANSWERS

AGENDA
CORPORATE
PROFILE
 CORPORATE PROFILE

LEADING THE FIGHT

AGAINST FIRE

Since 1974, SRI has been a leading manufacturer of

fire fighting equipment, providing local and
international players with a comprehensive range of
f i r e f i g h t i n g s o l u t i o n s . We a p p l y o u r d e c a d e s o f
experience and expertise to every project and
collaborate closely with our clients to tailor
solutions that are the exact fit for their
requirements. Fire safety to us is more than just a
business, it is about protecting lives and spaces.

O U R G R O U P O F C O M PA N I E S
 OUR CAPABILITIES

ORIGINAL RESEARCH &

MANUFACTU CUSTOMISAT EQUIPMENT DEVELOPME
RING ION MANUFACTU NT
RER
 OUR PRODUCTS

Fire Cabinets & Hydrants, Valves & Fire Suppression

Extinguishers Hose reel Others Systems
OUR PRODUCTS
 GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

SRI products can be found in nearly 70

countries worldwide and we work hard
to ensure they are certified by some of
the most recognised global approval
AT L A N T I C and certification bodies
OCEAN PA C I F I C
OCEAN

PA C I F I C
OCEAN

INDIAN
OCEAN
 ASIAN PRESENCE

NEPAL
151 SITES
PROTECTED
HONG KONG
351 SITES
PROTECTED
BANGLADESH
186 SITES
PROTECTED
MYANMAR
135 SITES
INDIA
PROTECTED
280 SITES
VIETNAM
PROTECTED
CAMBODIA 251 SITES
PROTECTED
236 SITES
PROTECTED
We sell a wide variety of products to
countries all over Asia, from
THAILAND
traditional fire fighting products to 108 SITES

fire suppression systems. Our ability PROTECTED

to deliver turnkey solutions is one of

SINGAPORE
our greatest strengths. 278 SITES INDONESIA
PROTECTED 75 SITES
PROTECTED
 OUR PROJECTS
HAMAD
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
QATAR

TUN RAZAK
DARLING HARBOUR EXCHANGE
SYDNEY, PETRONAS TWIN
AUSTRALIA TOWERS
NGHI SON SENGKANG KUALA LUMPUR
REFINERY COMBINED CYCLE
VIETNAM POWER PLANT
INDONESIA

BANYAN TREE
RESORTS HONG KONG
VIETNAM DISNEYLAND
 OUR PROJECTS
ALLIANZ ARENA SEPANG
MUNICH INTERNATIONAL
RACE CIRCUIT

HEINEKEN FACTORY
CAMBODIA

COCA COLA
FACTORY PUNGGOL EAST HDB
MYANMAR SINGAPORE

FV HOSPITAL POST TOWER

VIETNAM GERMANY
 FIRE
PROTECTION
 TYPES OF FIRE PROTECTION

ACTIVE PASSIVE
 Automated
Clean agent
EXTINGUISHI
NG
system
 WHY DO WE USE CLEAN AGENTS
• Fire Suppression Systems are used to extinguish or prevent the spread of fire in a building or entity.
• It uses a combination of dry chemicals and / or wet agents to suppress equipment fires.
• The system has become a necessity to several industries as they help control damage and losses to life and
equipment.
• Common means of detection are through heat sensors, smoke detectors or manual detection (depending on
system selection).
• The system prevent re-ignition by removing the necessary elements of combustion .
 WHY DO WE USE CLEAN AGENTS

Electrically No Residue Suitable for Class A, B Reduces smoke Minimizes business

Non Conducive Post Discharge and C fires damage with early downtime
detection
 WHERE DO WE USE CLEAN
AGENTS

Server Room & Archives Wind Turbines Museums and Art

Data Centers Galleries

Switchgear Rooms & Valuable Item Telecommunication

Electrical Vaults Storage Towers
 TYPES OF FIRE SUPPRESSION
SYSTEM
Co2
HFC 227ea
- Carbon Dioxide
- Heptafluoropropane Chemical Gas
Natural Gas
- Pressurised Liquid Form
- Gas Form

Suppression
Systems

Inert Gas
- IG 01 (Argon)
FK 5112 - IG 55 (Argon & Nitrogen)
- Fluorinated Ketone -IG 100 (Nitrogen)
- Pressuried Liquid Form -IG 541 (Argon, Nitrogen & CO2)
- Gas Form
 TYPES OF FIRE SUPPRESSION
CO2 HFC 227ea
SYSTEM FK 5112 Inert Gas 01/55/100
Appearance Colorless Liquified gas Colorless Liquified gas Colorless Liquified gas Colorless Gas

Electrical Conductivity and No No No No

Corrosion

NOAEL (no observed adverse Not Applicable 9% 10% 43%

effect level)

LOAEL (low observed adverse Not Applicable 10.5% >10% 52%

effect level)

Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) 0 0 0 0

Global Warming Potential (GWP) 1 3220 1 0

Atmospheric Life Not Applicable 34 Years 5 Days Not Applicable

Residue Upon Discharge Yes No No No

Fire Triangle Element Oxygen Heat / Breaking chain reaction Heat / Breaking chain reaction Oxygen
Suppression

Bomba Approval N/A Yes Yes Yes

TNB Approval No Yes Yes Yes

Cost (1=highest,4=lowest) 4 3 2 1

Refilling Cost (1- 4 2 1 3

highest,4=lowest)
 TYPES OF CLEAN AGENTS
AVAILABLE

Hydroflourocarbons Florinated ketones

Inert Gases
(HFC-227ea) (FK-5-1-12)
(IG01, IG55, IG541 & IG100)
 FIRE TRIANGLE

01.
A 15% concentration of oxygen is
required to fuel a fire. Air

EN
contains a 21% concentration of

2.
YG oxygen

HE
02.
OX

AT
Heat is needed to raise the fuel to
it’s ignition temperature
1.

03.
Fuel may be in the form of Gases,
3. FUEL Liquids or Solids
 FIRE TRIANGLE

01.
A 15% concentration of oxygen is
required to fuel a fire. Air

EN
contains a 21% concentration of

2.
YG oxygen

HE
02.
OX

AT
Heat is needed to raise the fuel to
it’s ignition temperature
1.

03.
Fuel may be in the form of Gases,
3. FUEL Liquids or Solids
 GAS AGENT TIMELINE

HALON AS A FIRE HALON PHASE OUT GASEOUS

SUPPRESSANT Among the SUPPRESSION
alternatives found for halons
DEVELOPME Prior to the 1980s, halon was considered a
superior performing suppression agent as it
As such, fire protection halons were phased
out of production in developed countries as SYSTEMS
were inert gas agents and halocarbons.
NTAL was cost effective and performed well on reflected in the Montreal Protocol. SInce HFCs have modified molecular structures
that are modified to reduce or eliminate the
TIMELINE OF most classes of fire. Halon 1301 and 1211
were the most commonly used agents
the 1980s, research efforts for halon
replacements have suggested multiple chlorine/bromine atoms responsible for
FIRE however they contributed significantly to
stratospheric ozone depletion.
possible alternatives. ozone depletion. Inert gas agents are
naturally occurring and have zero ODP and
SUPPRESSION no Global Warming Potential.
SYSTEMS

MONTREAL KYOTO KIGALI

RELATED PROTOCOL
Signed in 1987 and designed to PROTOCOL
Determines quantified emission
AMENDMENT
The 2016 amendment to the Montreal

REGULATIONS control the production and

consumption of CFCs and Halons
limitations and reduction
commitments of industrialised
Protocol aiming for a 80% reduction
in the use of HFCs by 2047
countries
 GAS AGENT TIMELINE
• Came into force on 1 January 2019
• To-date, 121 countries have ratified the Kigali Amendment, and have committed to
legally binding targets which mandate the gradual reduction in HFC consumption
• By 2048, all of the countries’ consumption will not be more than 15-20% of their
current consumption
• Please refer to below table for the phase-down schedule:

Non-A5 (developed countries) A5 (developing countries) Group 1 A5 (developing countries) Group 2

Baseline Years 2011-2013 (average consumption) 2020-2022 (average consumption) 2024-2026 (average consumption)

Baseline Calculation Average production/consumption of HFCs in Baseline Years +

65% of HCFC baseline production/consumption
Freeze - 2024 2028

1st step 2019-10% 2029-10% 2032-10%

2nd step 2024-40% 2035-30% 2037-20%

3rd step 2029-70% 2040-50% 2042-30%

4th step 2034-80% - -

Plateau 2036-85% 2045-80% 2047-85%

 GLOBAL WARMING PROPERTIES

OZONE DEPLETION 0 0 0
POTENTIAL

GLOBAL WARMING 3500 1 0

POTENTIAL

ATMOSPHERIC 33 0.014 0
LIFETIME (YEARS)
 HEALTH AND SAFETY
CONSIDERATIONS

All clean agents recognised in NFPA 2001 must be evaluated and listed under the
EPA – SNAP Program

Safety levels expressed by NOAEL and LOAEL designation

NOAEL LOAEL
No Observable Adverse Effect Level Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level
The highest concentration at which no The lowest concentration at which an adverse toxicological
adverse toxicological or physiological effect has been or physiological effect
observed has been observed
 HEALTH AND SAFETY
CONSIDERATIONS

NOAEL
No Observable Adverse Effect Level 43%

LOAEL
Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level 52%
 CLEAN AGENT DESIGN
CONSIDERATIONS

1. C o s t 2. Environmental 3. Design flexibility

concerns
Any budget constrains? Multi-storey facility? Cylinder location?

Any GWP concerns? Green building

requirements? Local restrictions?
 AGENT COMPARISON

LEAVES NO RESIDUE

ELECTRICALLY NON CONDUCIVE

<1 GLOBAL WARMING

POTENTIAL

SHORT ATMOSPHERIC LIFESPAN

SAFETY MARGIN >50%

ROOM OVERPRESSURE
VENTING NOT REQUIRED

SEALED ROOM REQUIRED

MINIMAL SPATIAL REQUIREMENTS

 CLEAN AGENT DESIGN
CONSIDERATIONS

S PA C E P L A N N I N G AGENT REQUIRED ROOM

Determining how many cylinders can
be reasonably fit into the space.
How large are the cylinders required?
Select the type of agent required (eg. FK-5-1- R EaQ
Is there U I floor
raised R E orMa Efalse
N Tceiling?
S
12, HFC-227ea or Inert Gas)
Is the room properly sealed to maintain the
Determine the design concentration. design concentration?

Determine the volume of space to be protected Can the HVAC be shut down if the room is
(eg Length x Width x Height) not self contained?
SYSTEM STRUCTURE
 APPROVALS

Fire and Rescue Department,

VdS Schadenverhütung Malaysia
Tenaga Nasional Berhad
 VDS SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
200 BAR SYSTEM
200 AND 300 BAR SYSTEM

• IG01, IG55, IG541 AND IG100 OPTIONS

• 80L AND 140L SEAMLESS CYLINDERS

• VDS APPROVALS

• CONSTANT FLOW REGULATOR

• SELECTOR VALVE OPTION

 Gas composition
300 BAR SYSTEM

Argon – 100% Argon – 40%

IG01 Nitrogen- 52%
CO2 – 8%
IG541

IG55
Argon – 50%
Nitrogen- 50% IG100 Nitrogen- 100%
 VDS SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
CONSTANT FLOW REGULATOR PRESSURE REDUCER UNIT
(300 BAR SYSTEM)
200 BAR SYSTEM (200 BAR SYSTEM)

Working Principle • Pressure is reduced from 300 bar until 60 bar • Pressure is reduced from 200 bar until 60 bar
• Installed in between discharge hose and manifold inlet • Installed in between outlet of manifold and main pipe
Safety • Lower risk on the safety issue as manifold doesn’t hold really • Higher risk on the safety issue as manifold is still holding
high pressure high pressure
• Manifold will need to use Schedule 40 specification • Manifold will need to use Schedule 160 specification
Cylinder • Lesser cylinder required • More cylinder required
• Saving around 20% - 30% cylinder compared to 200 bar • Require additional 20% - 30% cylinder compared to 300
system bar system
Price • Expensive as more component is needed • Cheaper as only one unit of PRU is needed

Constant Flow Regulator Pressure Reducer Unit

 VDS SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
200 BAR SYSTEM

Discharge Time: Minimum Holding Time:

10 minutes
i. 60 seconds for Class B Fire Hazard (Or as required by the Local Authority
Having Jurisdiction). Room integrity test is
ii. 120 seconds for Class A & C Fire Hazard essential to determine holding time.
 VDS SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
200 BAR SYSTEM

Constant Flow Regulator Pressure Reducer Unit

 DESIGN CONCENTRATION

IG01 IG55 IG541 IG100

CLASS A FIRE 43.2% 37.9% 34.4% 37.2%

CLASS B FIRE 56.2% 47.1% 44.7% 42.4%

CLASS C FIRE 45.0% 42.7% 38.5% 41.9%

AIR COMPOSITION CHART BEFORE &
AFTER IG55 GAS DISCHARGE
 DISCHARGE SEQUENCE

01 02 03 04 05
Smoke detector Heat detector will Shutdown of Time delay of System is
will go off if there go off in the auxiliary approximately 30 discharged into
is the presence of presence of equipment such seconds to system protected area
smoke, triggering sufficient heat, as air discharge will
the first stage of triggering the conditioning and start
alarm second stage of exhaust fans
alarm
SYSTEM SETUP
Seamless cylinder
Discharge valve
CONSTANT PRESSURE
REGULATOR
PRESSURE GAUGE
PRESSURE GAUGE WITH SWITCH
ELECTROMAGNETIC ACTUATOR
MANUAL/PNEUMATIC RELEASE
DEVICE
PNEUMATIC RELEASE DEVICE
DISCHARGE HOSE
DN05 PILOT HOSE
CHECK VALVE
DISCHARGE NOZZLE
manifold
 PIPES & FITTINGS

All pipes used for the Inertec system must be Schedule 40 black pipes, A-
53B/A-106B.

The pipe shall be pneumatically tested in a closed circuit for a period of 10

mins at 276kPa (40PSI). At the end of 10 minutes, the pressure drop shall
not exceed 20% of the test pressure.

A flow test using nitrogen or an inert gas shall be performed on the piping
network to verify the flow is continuous and that the piping and nozzles
are unobstructed.

Class 300 threaded malleable/ductile iron, groove type or flanged joints

 ROOM INTEGRITY TEST

Performed in order to check the vacuity of a room

by pressurising and depressurising a room.

Upon reaching the desired pressure, flow pressure

is captured by a digital gauge and a software is
used to estimate the holding time.
 PRESSURE RELIEF DAMPER

In the event of discharge, the amount of gas released into the

room will displace some of the air in the area which results in a
pressurised room.

Most small/medium sized rooms have sufficient natural ventilation

to relieve this pressure, however larger enclosures requiring huge
amount pf gas are more likely to require pressure relief vents as
the surface area to enclosure volume ratio falls.
 SPD@SRI.COM.MY
SALES@SRIGLOBAL.SG