The basics of nitrogen for fire suppression and prevention
If you work in an industrial facility with expensive electrical equipment, it's important to avoid water as a means of fire suppression. In this context, a gas system with pressurized nitrogen (N2) is ideal. Additionally, N2 can be used for fire prevention. By injecting nitrogen in a room, oxygen (O2) levels are reduced – minimizing the risk of a fire even starting.
That said, when discussing fire prevention, protection, and suppression, it's important to note key differences. You'll find these compared below, followed by more information on prevention versus suppression and the use of N2.
Prevention
- Works to reduce the likelihood of a fire occurring.
- Methods include smoke detectors, proper flammable material storage, routine fire safety inspections, and electrical system maintenance.
Protection
- Minimizes the damage caused by a fire once it has started.
- Involves fire resistant materials, fireproofing with special doors and walls, and alarms / sprinkler systems.
- Limits spread of fire and enables a safe evacuation.
Suppression
- The goal is to actively put the fire out while making sure minimal damage occurs.
- Includes sprinklers, fire extinguishers, and other agents to douse flames.
More about industrial fire prevention
Fire prevention is a crucial step in saving the potential loss of lives and money. That’s why it’s important to follow the suggested steps pointed out in the introduction. It also goes without saying that you want to ensure fire regulations are met. In addition, you’ll want a proper plan outlined, as well as good ventilation, and well-trained staff.
This is particularly important when it comes to your equipment. Electrical fires are very common, particularly when machinery is poorly maintained and overworked. Like stated, nitrogen can be effective here. Since oxygen is in the air we breathe, and can fuel the spread of fires, one method is to reduce O2 levels.
Ambient air typically contains 21% O2 and 78% N2, with the remaining 1% made up of various gasses. If O2 levels are reduced (typically to below 15%), the air is still safe for humans while ensuring it's no longer flammable. By pumping N2 into a room, this can be achieved.
That said, it's also possible to inject different N2 levels, depending on time of day. For example, when no one will be working in the respective space. This can be an effective strategy during nights and weekends. N2 prevention systems are designed to make sure optimal N2 levels are sustained.
Fire suppression systems
When discussing fire suppression, there are typically five ways to put out fires. These include gas, chemical foam, water mist, foam deluge, and pneumatic heat detection tubes. Like stated, it's best to avoid any liquid when suppressing fires in industrial facilities with electronics.
The last thing you want is for machines like computers and servers to get destroyed as a result of water/moisture damage. When considering the types mentioned, N2 gas systems are ideal in this context.
They use pressurized N2 to reduce the oxygen level in the space to where the fire will extinguish automatically. This means no moisture is used to suppress flames. N2 is also used as a supervisory gas in the pipes of dry pipe sprinkler systems, only to be replaced with water when a fire actually occurs. This prevents corrosion and bacteria caused by water vapor and oxygen (O2) sitting in the pipes.
Using an on-site nitrogen generator
Whether using N2 as fire prevention, or suppression, you'll want clean, pure gas. This is especially true if it's to come in contact with humans. In addition, it's important to have a readily available supply of N2 to ensure maximum effectiveness.
There are external companies who can deliver N2 to your facility, but this requires extra admin and logistics, and supplier dependency. It also costs more and comes with transport CO2 emissions.
An on-site N2 generators guarantees purity levels and an always available N2 supply. This equipment saves money and transport emissions. With N2 generation, there are two approaches, membrane and pressure swing adsorption (PSA).
They're both effective at removing O2 and leaving pure N2 from air fed through a compressor. The main difference is that PSA generates higher purity levels than membrane. With that, membrane is both suitable and cost-effective for fire prevention and suppression.
We're here to help
We hope the information found in this article is helpful for better understanding the role of N2 in fire prevention and suppression. If you'd like more information about the topics covered, including the right N2 generator solution, feel free to reach out. Our team is happy to speak further and configure the right setup for your situation.
