Firetrace releases new report on Wind Turbine Fire Protection

Firetrace manufacture a range of systems that are suitable for the protection of key identified risks such as Transformers, braking systems & electrical enclosures. Their new report, The Complete Guide to Wind Turbine Fire Protection, answers commonly asked questions about wind turbine fires and details the costs associated with installing wind turbine fire protection as well as the break-even point for fire protection on various turbine sizes.

Wind turbines are expensive and highly technical machines. In order to be financially viable, these machines must operate for a number of years without interruption. The last thing an operator wants to happen is a fire of any size breaking out that would put the turbine out of action.

A study conducted by Imperial College in 2014 concluded that wind turbines might catch on fire ten times more often than is publicly reported. Turbines are prone to catching on fire due to their design, which places extremely flammable materials such as hydraulic oil and plastic in close proximity to machinery and electrical wires which can ignite a fire if they overheat or are faulty. The study found the main causes of fires are lightning strikes, electrical faults, mechanical failure and errors with maintenance.

Fire damage can be limited or even prevented by installing an automatic fire suppression system in the nacelle and base of the turbine that would rapidly suppress a fire at the point where it started preventing expensive unnecessary damage.  However traditional total flooding fire suppression systems may not always be suitable for the remote and ventilated risks that wind turbines create.  A better solution is to install a targeted system that uses pneumatics in preference to electronics. This removes the need for any separate backups using batteries or alternative power supplies and helps to make the system autonomous, robust and reliable. 

To find out more, visit www.firetrace.com/

Interactive Valve and System Configurator from Viking Group

Viking Group has introduced a digital tool that assists its users in the configuration of Viking valve and trim selections. The new “Valve and System Configurator” simplifies the complex process of identifying and ordering the proper valve and trim combination for virtually any fire protection challenge.

The configurator, which can be accessed at http://webtools.vikingcorp.com/valveconfig/, allows customers to interactively build a complete system riser for Viking’s wet, dry, deluge and precaution systems. Additional systems, including flow control, pressure regulation, and Firecycle®, will be added in the spring.

“Viking offers hundreds, if not thousands, of valve and trim combinations,” said Jeff Norton, Vice President of Marketing for Viking Group. “Our digital solutions team worked tirelessly to ensure that this tool saves time and produces just the right solution for our customers’ needs.”

In the configurator, customers first select their desired system type. Next, the configurator walks the user through selecting an appropriate valve, trim set, and available system options. Throughout the configuration process, a representative 3D model of the system is dynamically rendered, allowing the specific system to be analysed from any angle.

After all the selections are made, a summary is generated with a complete bill of materials including part number, description, and quantity. This list can be sent to Viking SupplyNet automatically for quoting.

Finally, a zip file is provided that contains all related technical documentation for the system riser, including technical data sheets, trim diagrams, and friction loss charts.

For more information about the Viking Valve & System Configurator, visit http://www.vikinggroupinc.com.

Chubb presents high tech solutions to protect data centres from fire

Due to the growing usage of mobile data, the production and consumption of rich internet content anytime and anywhere, as well as secure data storage demand from a variety of industries, our lives now rely on data centres. These data centres host and manage the data that makes our day-to-day activities possible – from energy and lighting, to urban traffic management, collaborating with friends, family, co-workers and customers, and even security systems.

Data centres are one of the fastest-growing categories of real estate assets in our cities, and London alone has over 300 data centres. According to commercial real estate firm JLL, there are currently 63.4 million square feet of data-centre space globally and another 4.3 million square feet under construction*. The U.S. and EU currently have the most, and the number in the Middle East and Asia is also growing rapidly**.

Data centres are large, complex and mission-critical facilities. The high-value equipment contained within them needs to be running 24/7/365 with uninterrupted electricity and a constant flow of cool air to secure IT equipment and information. Any interruptions to its operation can have an enormous ripple effect. The operational risks around any disruption are high, in terms of time, money and reputation. A recent report found that, on average, a single hour of downtime can cost an organisation around $300,000***.

One of the key operational disruption risks to a data centre can be from a fire event. The threat of fire at a data centre is higher than people might imagine, with electrical fires a significant risk given the vast networks of power, cabling and electronic equipment used. The risk of fire not only poses a threat to property and human safety, it can also pose a dramatic threat to a business. For co-location and cloud service providers, fire events can be highly significant as service providers are often held to strict service level agreements for application availability.

Businesses rely on highly technical, advanced computer storage and networking resource availability. These are dependent on the availability and performance of the underlying critical infrastructure of which fire systems is an important component. For some businesses, a power outage at a data centre would be detrimental to its survival. For example, ‘business as usual’ at a financial services institution, such as a bank or trading platform, would be seriously compromised by a data centre fire. Hospitals also rely on huge swathes of readily available data and computer power, and so are dependent on the fire and security measures in place to avoid an outage. It is true that fire events are not commonplace, however, they can be costly and catastrophic.

The dependence of businesses on data centres is only going to increase, with the global roll out of 5G in addition to the rise in company outsourcing to third parties for their data needs. This has resulted in the development of large-scale data centres, utilising Internet of Things (IoT) technology or providing AI/ML capabilities, which use high speed and high power. Seconds matter when dealing with data centres, so the solutions need to be fast-acting. They also have to be very reliable, as false alarms result in unnecessary stoppages, which must be avoided at all cost.

There are a number of different ways of protecting a data centre from fire. Before deciding on the type of system required to protect a data centre, it is important to conduct a risk analysis to understand the needs of the organisation, the environment and the main risks. This analysis is complicated by the fact that the data centre industry is constantly evolving, with the development of new technologies and systems posing new challenges for fire and security professionals. For example, Edge Computing systems feature high-powered and advanced data processing at the edge of a network and are typically “lights-out” compared to a centralised data processing centre. This means that fire and security systems have to be set up and engaged remotely, often without industry professionals present. Adding to this complexity, is the high speed processing and power densities that can result in higher temperatures across the network.

In the case of the Hong Kong financial markets operator, after a thorough study of the existing operational and fire and security protection requirements, Chubb designed and recommended an intelligent, integrated solution. This leveraged 3,000 fire detectors and a surveillance system with 400 CCTV cameras to enhance building safety.

One of the choices for fire and security protection methods is between a water or gas solution. Gas protection consists of injecting halogenated gas into the room, which both reduces the oxygen content and interferes with the combustion process.

A second method is to reduce the oxygen level by injecting an inert gas into the room. When activated, gas systems may require evacuation of staff if the event is not localised. However, in order to minimise disruption to the data centre, the extinguishing gas nozzles can be fitted with sound absorbers that limit the noise associated with gas release and prevent damage to data centre equipment.

Alternatively, there are two water-based options to consider – conventional sprinkler or water mist systems. Water mist will spray a fine, high-pressure water mist into the burning area. It may sound strange to introduce water into an area with electricity and mission-critical information, but in fact the high-pressure water mist system brings together the best of sprinkler and gas methods and is highly suitable for suppressing fires.

Indeed, it can be favoured in certain instances because in order to incorporate methods using gas, the room housing the data centre needs to be either purpose-built with gas suppression in mind or retrofitted to withstand a semi-pressurised environment.

The systems involving water do not require the room to be pressure sealed, the ventilation system to be switched off, or require people to be evacuated. The discharge is localised so it minimises the water damage, and resetting to standby position is both fast and inexpensive.

However, recently, a shift has been taking place across our cities, as buildings utilise integrated solutions to manage their fire and security solutions. An integrated system can include surveillance systems, fire suppression systems and alarms – all aligned to optimise response time and protect vital internal infrastructure. In Hong Kong, we helped a financial client utilise 3,000 fire detectors and a surveillance system with 400 CCTV cameras to enable them to have real-time video of fire alarm scenes. The data centre operators can see the actual fire situation, so the whole process of identification to extinguishing takes 10 seconds, reduced from 15 minutes with a traditional fire alarm response.

The dependence of businesses on data centres is only going to increase. Key considerations across all these system choices are safety, cost of implementation and best utilisation of the space available. In addition to this, it is important to be mindful of the impact on the environment and operations around the systems that make up part of the data centre’s infrastructure. Ultimately, business continuity is the most important factor for data centre fire solutions.

Footnotes 

*https://www.jll.co.uk/en/trends-and-insights/investor/global-capital-shows-commitment-to-booming-data-centre-market

**Kaiser Research – Technavio (2016) Global Data Center Market 2016 -2020

***Gartner: The cost of downtime

www.chubbfiresecurity.com

ADIPEC 2020 to be held virtually from 9-12 November due to COVID-19 restrictions

dmg events, organiser of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), and with the support of its strategic partner and host, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has announced that the ADIPEC Strategic and Technical Conference will take place virtually between November 9 and 12, 2020.

This follows a directive from Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism that events should not take place in light of Covid-19 restrictions. The next full in-person annual exhibition and conferences will take place from November 8 to 11, 2021.

The decision to hold an online event ensures the ADIPEC Strategic and Technical Conferences will continue to provide the thought leadership that will frame the future oil and gas landscape and connect global organisations to shape the industry’s future.

Omar Suwaina Al Suwaidi, Chairman of ADIPEC said: “Despite the global challenge of COVID-19, we are delighted the ADIPEC strategic and technical conferences will take place virtually this year, enabling leaders from across the oil and gas industry to come together to share ideas and connect on a range of key industry trends, challenges, and opportunities.

“The health and welfare of all ADIPEC participants is our highest priority and we look forward to welcoming all visitors to the full in-person exhibition and conference at ADIPEC 2021. As we look to the future, collaboration, technology and innovation will be essential levers as we continue to identify new smart growth opportunities across the global energy landscape.”

ADIPEC is an annual global industry event that attracts world energy leaders to discuss and debate the future of global energy markets, geopolitics, and technology. Held for over thirty-five years, ADIPEC underpins Abu Dhabi as a global energy hub in bringing together the best of minds at a government and industry leadership level including senior academics, technology innovators and financial leaders.

dmg events Global Energy President, Christopher Hudson said: “We are committed to ensuring ADIPEC remains at the heart of the global oil and gas landscape, driving forward the conversations, collaborations, and connections that address key challenges and fuel innovative ideas and strategies that shape the industry.

“By staging a concentrated and abridged virtual conference program this year, ADIPEC will utilise cutting edge technology that has evolved exponentially over the last 4-5 months, to ensure the industry and its community has a voice to discuss and share the learnings of this year and into the future.”

Khalifa Yahweel Al Qubaisi, Chief Commercial Officer at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), stated: “The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company always co-ordinates closely with its partners to find optimal solutions that ensure the competitiveness of events which it hosts on both the local and international level. In order to ensure the health and safety of exhibitors and visitors, which is our company’s foremost priority across our operations, it was agreed with the organisers of ADIPEC to postpone the activities of this year’s exhibition to 2021.”

He added: “We look forward to welcoming the upcoming ADIPEC 2021 exhibition at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Our teams are currently developing a wide range of programmes that will improve exhibitor’s and visitor’s experience at this important event, ensuring to exceed their expectations and provide leading sector-based standards.”

Marking its 10th anniversary milestone this year, ADIPEC Awards 2020 will be presented in an immersive and interactive virtual awards experience in November 2020.

Fatema Al Nuaimi, Chief Executive Officer of ADNOC LNG and ADIPEC Awards Chairperson commented: “I am pleased we will be virtually staging this year’s awards and I am confident the progress and enhancements made to the ADIPEC Awards will magnify the value, prestige, and visibility of the ADIPEC Awards for years to come”.

As the organisers and ADNOC look to the 2021 edition, the event will retain its position as the premium event partner of choice and market leader within the global energy event industry, with ADIPEC 2021 promising a powerful platform for industry stakeholders and its value chain to display their innovation, launch new products, strike partnerships and conduct business that will fast track their recovery and highlight pathways to a successful future.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE ADIPEC 2021 will take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). ADIPEC is hosted by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and supported by the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Abu Dhabi Chamber, and the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.

www.adipec.com/

DuPont publishes 2020 Sustainability Report

DuPont has announced the release of its 2020 Sustainability Report, which is the first for DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (following its separation from DowDuPont), and covers integrated activities during the calendar year 2019.

DuPont’s innovation culture and diverse portfolio position the company to deliver science-based solutions that create sustainable, positive societal change and competitive advantages in essential areas such as clean water, health and safety, high- speed connectivity, and automotive electrification. Among the many ways the company’s competitive differentiators are being harnessed to create social and environmental advantage are its investment in advanced technologies for 5G networks to support more connected, sustainable communities, and DuPont’s AHEAD™ automotive program, which will help accelerate the transportation industry’s transformation to hybrid and electric vehicles.

DuPont’s 2030 Sustainability Goals underscore the importance of bringing sustainable innovations to market and draw inspiration from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which help to gauge what the biggest market drivers will be in the years to come and chart a clear path ahead for its businesses.

“At the end of 2019, we announced our 2030 Sustainability Goals—nine ambitious, long-term goals developed to amplify our company’s contributions in areas that are critically important to our stakeholders and society,” said Alexa Dembek, DuPont Chief Technology & Sustainability Officer. “In this, our first sustainability report, we introduce our roadmap to meet our goals, hold ourselves accountable, and track our progress. You’ll read about how we engage our colleagues and the communities we live in by empowering people to drive change and be part of the solution. While the report tracks 2019 performance, this commitment is especially visible right now, as we find new ways to secure the health and safety of our own teams, recommit to our responsibilities to assure racial justice for Black Americans, and partner with fellow industry leaders to provide the protective equipment frontline workers, including many of our own, need to combat the pandemic.”

Highlights of the company’s 2019 performance include: 

  • In our operations, we continue to deliver world-class health and safety performance. In 2019, 75 percent of DuPont sites achieved zero injuries and/or illnesses, which is the best safety performance our businesses have ever recorded.
  • We are advancing water security, availability and quality worldwide through our filtration and purification technologies, and we’ve expanded our capabilities with strategic acquisitions of Memcor, Inge, Desalitech and OxyMem.
  • We partnered with Habitat for Humanity International to provide safe, affordable, and energy-efficient housing for people in need worldwide. In the second half of 2019, 400 DuPont employees donated more than 2,550 service hours to Habitat projects in 16 communities across the U.S. and Canada.
  • We continue to affirm our commitment to address climate change as a member of the CEO Climate Dialogue, a collaboration between large companies and NGOs working together to advance effective climate legislation in the U.S.
  • We were named to the 2019 Bloomberg Gender- Equality Index (GEI), and for the sixth year in a row, scored a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI).  

“DuPont’s businesses and employees have a long history of improving the world through science-based innovation and that is reflected today in an approach to sustainability that empowers people everywhere to be agents of change,” said Ed Breen, DuPont Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our goals include achieving a more just and equitable world for all, which is why I felt it was so important to sign on to the Catalyst CEO Champions for Change, pledging to advance more women, particularly women of colour, into senior leadership positions and onto our board, and the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge. In this period of profound global change and unprecedented health, economic, and societal challenges, I expect this first Sustainability Report will be the foundation for meaningful change, with DuPont innovation helping to lead the way to dramatic improvements on multiple fronts.”

https://www.dupont.com/about/sustainability.html

Honeywell launches digitised workforce management suite

Honeywell has announced a complete, modular software solution to help industrial companies enforce compliance with key health and safety requirements as their employees returning to the workplace, including body temperature checks and automated entry management processes.

Leveraging Digitised Workforce Management with real-time location functionality, the solution facilitates site monitoring compliance in accordance with social distancing policies and enables contact tracing and monitoring of worker safety. It also includes remote collaboration capabilities to empower company operations with a reduced workforce.

As part of a broader Plant & Personnel Safety portfolio, Honeywell Digitised Workforce Management – Business Continuity and Response solution combines software and hardware technology to support return to work and transition to operations.

The system can support Honeywell thermal cameras that can be used with systems compliant with NDAA 2019, Section 889 to check for elevated body temperatures and provide input to the access control system. This can enable operators to restrict entryway access if an elevated temperature is detected helping to automate the preliminary screening process and reducing manual tasks. This helps to optimise the individual and collective risk profiles of the workforce. Digitising the entryway approval workflow for visitors and returning employees and contractors enables organisations to onboard the workforce  efficiently, leveraging workforce management and access control into a new layer of protection.

“These new layers of protection help industrial companies bring their workforce back to work with greater protections, at the appropriate time,” said Pierre Van Neste, global director of sales, Plant & Personal Safety, Honeywell Process Solutions. “These protections don’t just provide utility here and now – they give workers, businesses and industry alike a broader solution for preparedness and situational awareness in the future.”

Honeywell’s integrated safety and security solutions with digitised workforce management software creates scalable support services for clients to minimise the risk of exposure and transmission within their workplace while enabling business continuity and accelerating a managed return to safe operations.

For more information, please visit Honeywell’s Plant and Personnel Safety Solutions.

Introducing the new TYCO® Concealed Window Sprinkler

The TYCO® Model CWS Window Sprinkler is a specific application sprinkler that is a cost-effective alternative to fire-rated glass. The sprinkler discharges an even coat of water when activated, which cools the window to help prevent shattering in a fire event.

The flat-plate concealed design houses the sprinkler above the ceiling and the cover plate is available in a variety of colours and finishes, as well as in custom, factory-painted colours. This solution offers the cost-saving and aesthetic benefits of using non-fire-rated glass, while also providing an effective fire protection solution that blends into the ceiling.

This sprinkler is part of a full window sprinkler line that includes horizontal sidewall and pendent models. It also joins the TYCO® family of aesthetic fire sprinklers, including commercial flat-plate concealed models.

Main Benefits:

• The only UL Listed automatic sprinkler that is designed to protect window glazing

• Provides an alternative to the use of “fire-rated” glass

• Deflector design that wets the entire window combined with a fast response operating element

• Concealed model blends with the ceiling and the cover plate is available in a variety colours and finishes

• Applicable in many building types, including healthcare, academic, commercial, high-rise, multi-family residential

tycofpp.com/

Olympia Electronics develops series of luminaires for tunnel placements

In line with the current era’s needs, OLYMPIA ELECTRONICS S.A. has developed a range of emergency luminaires, ideal for placing in tunnels.

The emergency luminaires series, named ‘TUNNEL LIGHT’, meets the necessary specifications with the additional characteristics: Ingress Protection (IP65) Impact Protection Rating (IK08) High Viewing Distance (125m). The series can also be powered and controlled by a 24V DC Central Battery System (CBS) and are designed for recessed wall mounting too.

The company suggests a combination of luminaires as a complete solution.

OLYMPIA ELECTRONICS S.A. is driven by quality and has adopted production and inspection procedures that help to supply the market with products that are in accordance with the European construction prototypes (ΕΝ).

www.olympia-electronics.com/

AP Sensing: above-ground conveyor belt monitoring

AP Sensing is monitoring conveyor belts at the largest salt production site in Germany. The Zielitz Plant extracts approximately 12 million tons of crude salts per year and the mine operator, K+S, is an international mining company with sites across five continents.

K+S pursued an AP Sensing fire detection solution for early detection on conveyor belt bridges. Such bridges typically have a wooden floor, which would burn quickly. AP Sensing’s Linear Heat Detection (LHD) protects these conveyor belt bridges, and due to the project’s success and AP Sensing’s scope of certifications, K+S and AP Sensing entered a firm partnership to equip further sites.

In total, 22 conveyor belts are monitored with 11 LHD devices spread across the entire site. The operator, K+S, conducted trials and a benchmark comparison at the beginning of the project, additionally testing thermo cameras and point sensors. But due to the salty air in the conveyor belt bridges, the other sensor types were unsatisfactory as the corrosion of components is high, visibility low, and the maintenance effort higher.

AP Sensing’s simple approach, combining our sensor cable along the conveyor and LHD units in different control rooms, is the best solution for this type of application and its tough environmental conditions.

Conveyor Belt Monitoring

The conveyor belts are used to transport the salt from the ground to the storage halls, mills, other production facilities and load out ramps. After an incident at another site where one conveyor belt bridge burned, K+S sought out a fire detection system. These conveyor belts are important to monitor as none of them are redundant.

Installation

Following a successful pilot installation, K+S installed 11 fibre optic LHD units. All units have two channels and work in a fully redundant setup. AP Sensing’s Sensor Cable Steel is installed along both sides of each conveyor to achieve maximum coverage and the fastest possible detection. The cable has been fixed with high temperature cable ties along a tension wire.

Fire Coverage

To guarantee quality and reliability in the harsh conditions of the mine, a robust and maintenance free fire detection system is necessary. This solution consists of over 10 km of cable distributed throughout the site, providing area coverage for the conveyors, three reclaim tunnels, the handling and preparation plant, and the train load out conveyor and bin.

Precision of detection is unaffected by wind, dust and harsh environmental effects. All LHD units transmit alarms via relay contacts to different alarm panels on site in order to inform the plant fire brigade immediately. Additionally, AP Sensing’s SmartVision™ asset visualisation software is in use to demonstrate the exact location of temperature events along the conveyors.

The project was successful and K+S used AP Sensing’s LHD solution for other K+S sites. AP Sensing’s DTS technology is ideal for the extreme environmental conditions often found in mines. It is fully certified, resilient and maintenance-free, withstanding extreme temperatures without losing monitoring capabilities. Fibre optic LHD provides a simple and cost-effective solution for minimising serious damage, protecting employees and reducing operational shutdowns.

www.apsensing.com/

Hochiki Asia Pacific launches new Smoke Detector

Hochiki Asia Pacific have just announced the release of the SOC-E-IS, the new Intrinsically Safe Conventional Smoke Detector to replace the SLR-E-IS model. This new replacement model reportedly maintains the same functionality and classifications for hazardous environments and uses the same I.S. mounting base, YBN-R/4IS.

The SOC-E-IS has been developed with built-in technology that ensures its operation at the optimum sensitivity and reducing the potential false alarms. By using the same Automatic Sensitivity Window Verification (ASWV) technology, the SOC-E-IS will continue to adjust its sensitivity threshold to compensate contamination inside the optical chamber and provides visual notification when maintenance is required.

According to the manufacturer, the use of this new built-in technology makes the SOC-E-IS more reliable and more superior than its predecessor, the SLR-E-IS.

The SOC-E-IS is a Photoelectric Smoke Detector, which is fully compatible with the majority of existing Conventional systems. The SOC-E-IS incorporates Hochiki’s unique High-Performance photoelectric smoke chamber removing the need to use Ionisation Detectors in the majority of applications.

‘AFVW’ Drift Compensation technology is incorporated to ensure the Detector is operating at its optimum sensitivity and therefore reducing potential false alarms. If the contamination limit is exceeded, then the integral red LED will flash once every three seconds to give a visual warning. The smoke chamber is easily removed or replaced for cleaning and utilises a unique baffle design which allows smoke to enter the chamber whilst keeping out ambient light.

Features:

  • Removable, High Performance chamber
  • Automatic Sensitivity Window Verification (ASWV) – Drift Compensation Technology Remote Indicator output
  • Wide voltage range (9.5 ~ 30 VDC)
  • Low profile design with one-piece outer cover
  • Single fire LED – 360° viewing
  • ATEX Classification to: Ex ia IIC T5 Ga (-20°C ≤ Ta ≤ +55°C)
  • Suitable for installation in areas at Category 1 (inc all lower categories)
  • Approved by LPCB & VdS

www.hochikiasiapacific.com/