- Author
- Lay, D.
- Title
- New Concept for Automatic Detection and Extinction of Fires. Final Report.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBSIR 76-1028, March 1976, 19 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Book or Conf
- AACHEN. International Conference on Automatic Fire Detection, 7th. Probleme der Automatischen Brandentdeckung. March 5-6, 1975, 111-126 p., ['1975', '1976']
- Keywords
- carbon dioxide | fire detection | fire suppression | heat detection | smoke detection | flame detection
- Abstract
- The use of automatic fire detectors to trigger fire extinguishment systems has gone on for many years. Systems of this type use a variety of extinguishing agents including water, carbon dioxide and, most recently, the halogenated agents. Automatic extinguishing systems with practically an unlimited supply of agent suffer from the fact that these systems often continue in operation long after the fire is out resulting in additional damage. This doesn't occur with those systems having limited supplies such as carbon dioxide systems and the like. However, these systems are only successful if: (1) their original design was correct; (2) no unanticipated changes are made in the area or materials to be protected; and (3) extinguishment commences at a time when successful extinguishment is possible. This paper describes how the disadvantages recommended above can be avoided, to a large extent, with a modified design for permanently-installed, automatic extinguishing systems and how systems can be provided which will only discarge extinguishant at the proper time and in the proper amount.