The recent JCI event was a resounding success and there has been very positive comment about the dramatic full fire extinguishing demonstration, presentations by JCI and the stunning display by aeroSPARX . Craig Roper and Adam Waddley were on hand to assist JCI guru, Martin Perkins.
However, JEM Fire’s involvement started way before that in April with a phone call from Martin to say “Fellas, there’s this demo rig…”
We regularly work with Martin on large or complex system implementations, and he is always our go-to when we need technical assistance to confirm the right way to connect bits of pipe to lots of other bits of pipe. This though… well, this promised to be a little different.
The demo rig houses a fryer which has been doctored so that it continues to heat past a safe point which would usually be governed by a thermostat. Martin can repeatedly cause it to burst into flame. The word ‘repeatedly’ is important in that Martin’s specification called for the system to be piped using schedule 40 stainless steel to withstand the abusive cycle of being heated to full-flame, extinguishing, cooling to goo, and then starting all over again.
Those who know their Regulated Release from their Remote Release will see that both are mounted on the frame. These two devices would not appear together in a production environment, but here the Remote Release is connected to the fusible link detection line so that a light indicates the moment that the system would automatically activate, but – in the instance of this demo – does not release any suppressant.
The Regulated Release is connected to a pull-station and contains a tank of Ansulex. Martin can delay the time of release to suit the test. UL300 tests demand a burn time of two minutes while an LPS1223 spec only requires a burn time of one minute. (Martin likes to show off the capabilities of the UL300 specified Ansul R102 system.)
In May, Adam Waddley and Craig Roper met Martin at JCI’s Manchester offices to install and commission the system. Sadly, no amount of begging and pleading would persuade Martin to count this installation towards JEM Fire’s RAP score.
In the week prior to the test, the entire rig was shipped down to the event venue allowing Martin a chance to test-fire it before the first demonstration on Wednesday. The Ansul R102 system is proven, but outdoors there are some environmental factors, (like gusting wind!) which are a little outside of those envisaged by United Labs.
On day one of the event a group of spectators gathered, perhaps not realising that a couple of Ansul installers and a JCI Senior Engineer had been keeping an eye on the weather. A stiff breeze would fan the flame and disperse the Ansulex unpredictably.
Finally, the fryer gained enough heat to ignite and a pleasing flame danced across the surface. At the minute mark (LPS1223 standard) this was more of an impressive fire. At 90 seconds, the fire and heat had built such that it activated the automatic detection. In a real event, the Ansul system would now be triggered.
Martin, however, was still adamant that he wanted to demonstrate a full UL 2 minute burn. Adam and Craig said that the seconds ticking away from 90 to 120 dragged, while the breeze continued to accelerate the fire with the flame billowing outside of the canopy. Silently and nervously, they were willing Martin to ‘pull the damn pull-station!’
After what seemed like an age, the system was triggered and the cloud of Ansulex vapour enveloped the fryer, extinguishing the fire in seconds.
