Fire safety spray systems can be found in various industries, but fire safety itself is a specialized engineering field. There are two key spray applications in fire safety: fire prevention and fire suppression.
Fire Prevention
Fire prevention systems aim to reduce the risk of a fire or explosion by increasing the moisture in the air or on a surface, thereby reducing the combustibility of the environment.
Anti-Static Systems
To reduce the risk of explosion caused by the electrostatic charging of airborne dust particles, a fine mist of water is sprayed. However, in cases where the material being protected cannot get wet, low flow rate spraying with fine atomization is required. The PJ series of low-flow rate misting nozzles are often suitable for such anti-static applications.
Moistening Systems
In applications where wetting is possible, fire prevention systems will deliver a small amount of moisture to the item to reduce the risk of fire. Care must be taken to ensure that water doesn't build up, so controlled and metered spraying is essential. For instance, if combustible material is moving on a conveyor belt, a series of flow-rate flat fan nozzles would be appropriate.
Anti-Static Tank Cleaning
Many tank cleaning nozzles use rotation to create a high-impact spray around the tank. However, rotational metal tank cleaning nozzles may be limited in use if the tank contains potentially hazardous fumes.
Fire Suppression
Fire suppression systems are designed to help put out fires once they have started. There are two methods for doing this: misting replacement systems and soaking/sprinkler systems.
Misting Replacement Systems
In misting replacement systems, a fine spray is applied to the fire. The heat from the fire quickly evaporates the fine droplets, displacing air and suffocating the fire. For this system to work effectively, very fine droplets must be achieved. Misting nozzles are typically suitable for this application.
Soaking/Sprinkler Systems
In soaking/sprinkler systems, water (or other fire retardants) is applied directly to the fire, taking the heat out and suppressing the fire. The sprays required typically contain a combination of small and larger droplets, with the smaller droplets providing greater extinguishing power by removing heat from the fire more quickly, and the larger droplets providing penetration into the fire. Without the larger droplets, the fine droplets may be blown away by heat flows and fail to act.
In fire protection systems, large volumes of liquid must be delivered quickly, so drop size is minimal.
For more details on fire prevention and fire suppression spray systems, visit our Fire/Blast Prevention Systems Applications page.
