Lab Report

Title: FIRE FIGHTHING EQUIPMENT

Table Content

Number Description Page

1.1 Introduction 2

1.2 Objective of the experiment 2

1.3 Learning Outcome 2

1.4 Theoretical background 2

2.1 Problem Statement 2

3.1 Apparatus 3

3.2 Procedures 3

3.3 Result and Analysis 3

4.0 Discussion 10

4.1 Conclusion 11

A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection measure, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flow rate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected. Although historically only used in factories and large commercial buildings, systems for homes and small buildings are now available at a cost-effective price. Fire sprinkler systems are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. In buildings completely protected by fire sprinkler systems, over 99% of fires were controlled by fire sprinklers alone.

A fire hose is a high-pressure hose that carries water or other fire retardant (such as foam) to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it attaches either to a fire engine or a fire hydrant. Indoors, it can permanently attach to a building's standpipe or plumbing system. 1.2 Objectives

The objective of this activity is:

To understand the basic operation concepts and principles of fire sprinkler system and fire hose reel in building.

1.3 Learning Outcomes

At the end of the laboratory activities, student would be able to:

1. Describe the basic concept and principles of a fire sprinkler system.

2. Explain the installation and selection of the fire sprinkler head as a safety aid in the building.

3. Describe at least the minimum requirement of installation of safety equipment and measurement according to Uniform Building by Laws (UBBL) 1984

1.4 Theoretical Background

Fire fighting system is a prevention system to prevent fire from spreading in a building. For most fire fighting, water represents the ideal extinguishing agent. Fire sprinklers utilize water by direct application onto flames and heat, which cause cooling of combustion process and prevent ignition of adjacent combustibles.

2.0 Problem Statement

The system are most effective during the fire’s initial flame growth stage, while the fire is relatively easy to control. A properly selected sprinkler head will detect the fire’s heat, initiate alarm, and begin suppression within moments after flames appear. In most instances

sprinklers will control fire advancement within a few minute of their activation, which will in turn result in significantly less damage than otherwise would happen without sprinklers. Each group are require to operate the Sprinkler Trainer Unit Model AFSS-1055-24 and determine the appropriate parameter namely the time taken for the sprinkler hear to rupture and the pressure required for the system to stabilize.

 Sprinkler System Model  Stopwatch

3.2 Procedure

1. The sprinkler head was inserted into the holder ( make sure the seal tape is used to prevent leakage at sprinkler heads )

2. Open water inlet valve and water pressure reading was taken.

3. The fire was lighted up by using candle and was put under the sprinkler. ( make sure the fire is heat up the sprinkler )

4. The sprinkler model door was closed to prevent the fragment and the water form flow outside.

5. The time taken and the water pressure reading was taken from the sprinkler start to heat until the bust.

4.0 Result

Type of Sprinkler : Quartzoid Bulb Type Head

Colour of Liquid used : Red

Time Taken to Bust: 1 Minute 32 Seconds

Pressure of water Before Bust :

64 bar

Pressure of water after bust :

Type of Sprinkler a) Quartzoid Type Head

 A glass tube is used to retain a water valve on its seating.

 The bulb or tube contains a coloured volatile fluid, which when heated to a specific temperature expands to shatter the glass and open the valve.

 Water flows on to a deflector, dispersing as a spray over the source of fire. Operating temperatures vary with a colour coded liquid

Orange - 57

℃

℃

℃

℃

Figure 1 : Quartzoid Sprinkler

b) Fusible Strut Type Head

 Contains metal struts soldered together which are used to hold the water valve in place.  At certain temperature, heat from a fire melts the solder and the struts fall away allowing

the head to open

Figure 2 : Fusible Soldered Strut type Head

c) Duraspeed Solder Type Head

 Contains a heat collector on which a cap is soldered.

 When heat from the fire melts the solder, the caps falls away.  Thus, displacing a strut which allows the head to open.  Produced in a range of operating temperatures.

Operation of Sprinkler System

 The quartzoid bulb sprinkler system is activated by bursting or expansion bulb acted as valve, thus water sprayed.

 A wet pipe sprinkler system is a sprinkler system employing automatic sprinkler heads attached to a piping system containing water and connected to a water supply so that water discharges immediately from sprinklers opened by heat from a fire.

 Permanently charged with water for instant response when sprinkler head burst.  If there is a burst of town water main from one side, the stop valve of both town water

main and branch pipe can be closed, and water is supply from the other branch pipe.

Figure 4 : Water Supply to hose reel and sprinkler installation

Water Supply for Sprinkler System  By using direct from the main pipe

 By using suction tank and pump (indirect from Main)  By using elevated water tank

HOSE REEL SYSTEM

Hose reel system is intended for the occupant to use during the early stages of fire and comprises hose reel pumps ,fire water tank ,hose reels ,pipe work and valves. The hose reel system generally serves as an initial fire fighting aid. When the hose reel is brought into use the pressure in the pipe immediately downstream of the pump check valves will drops below the field adjusted pressure setting of the pressure switch thereby trigerring the pump to comes into operation automatically to feed a steady supply of water to discharge through the hose.

Fire fighting hose reel is the part which can be easily accessible. The fire hose reel outlets should be properly housed in glass fronted cabinet secured under lock and key.

Fire hose reels are manufactured to comply with AS/NZS 1221. They are connected to the mains water supply or Fire Systems, and are either wall-mounted or in cabinets. They require appropriate signage indicating their location and suitability. The length of a fully extended fire hose is between 18 and 36 meters with a diameter of 13, 19mm or 25mm.

Component in Hose Reel system

Components Details

Drum

The hose reel drum is a universal swing type, where the hose drum rotates around a horizontal shaft and the hose can be withdrawn from any direction.

Hose The fire hose reel is made of non-kinking, braided rubber type and the length of the hose is 30 meter.

Stop Valve A 25mm diameter stop valve to BS 1010 is provided for the connection of the hose reel to the water supply.

Nozzle

The shut –off nozzle assembly which is fitted at the end of the hose is constructed of corrosion resistant material conforming to BS 336. There are markings to indicate the open/shut positions of the nozzle

Principle of Operation

to operate the system efficiently, the following instructions should be followed.

1. Ensure the nozzle or jet is in the closed position

2. Turn on the main valve (some will not let the nozzle out until this is done) 3. Reel out the hose, towards the fire

4. Open the nozzle or valve and direct the stream of water at the fire, from a safe distance.

Discussion

In the discussion, the equipment for sprinkler system have been handle careful due to avoid any injuries to the student when conduct the demonstration. One of the precaution steps that have been taken was the sprinkler system have been conduct in the secured glass. This is to avoid the Quartzoid bulb’s glass that have break due to the high temperature can endangered the students watching around the demonstration. Besides that, the experiment must be conduct by lecturer or laboratory assistor to avoid any accidents happen in demonstration. This is because the lecturer or laboratory assistor already know how to conduct the equipment.

The advantages for sprinkler system installed in the building is because the system use water as a good medium which protect and give a cooling the object we prevent it from reaching its ignition point. By this way we can overcome the fire. Besides that, this system always available 24 hours because the system have automatic progress when fire detect the smoke and fire.

The disadvantages for this sprinkler system is water that from the sprinkler system can damaged the electronic things or any equipment in area. This is because water can conduct the electric that can cause short circuit to electric components.

For the maintenance of the system, the stop valve must closed first. The test valve can be opened to create flow and cause the non-return section alarm valve to open, to test the alarm. Regular maintenance of the system consists of greasing the various valves and checking their freedom of movement, logging the pressure gauge reading, before and after each alarm valve (thus checking the tightness of the non-return valves) and checking the alarm system.

The pressure tank level is checked and recharged, if necessary, with fresh water and air. The centrifugal salt-water pump should also be tested by closing the isolating valves and draining the pressure switch circuit, when pump should start automatically. Besides that, the delivery pressure should be logged. In the event of a fire, when a normal situation is recovered the section and system are drained and flushed out; the recharged with fresh water and air.

Conclusion

From the experiment, we have achieved the objective of the experiment which is to to understand the basic operation concepts and principles of fire sprinkler system and fire hose reel in building. In the conclusion, all the operations, functions each components in the system, advantages and disadvantages of system, and background for this system have been included to this report. The Quartzoid bulb contained red liquid take about 1 minutes 32 second to break the glass. That means the system have late respond for mercury to expand and burst to break the sprinkler head.

Besides that, we can conclude from the experiment that this type of sprinkler, the life span of this sprinkler is about 50 years can be hold if the sprinkler is not burst out. The sprinkler is being used in the high rise building or large building. There is also many type sprinkler that is being used in building. From the experiment, we have learn about only three types of sprinkler.

Appendices

Figure 1:Fire fighting room Figure 2: Map fire exit routes Figure 3:

Figure 7: Type of colours at Figure 8: experiment sprinkler head Figure 9: Fire reel hose sprinkler head