INTELLIGENT FIRE
FIGHTING SYSTEMS
WHAT IS FIRE SAFETY
FIRE SAFETY IS A SET OF PRACTICES INTENDED TO REDUCE THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED
BY FIRE AND IS INTENDED TO PREVENT IGNITION OF UNCONTROLLED FIREAND LIMIT
THE EFFECTS OF FIRE ONCE IT STARTS.
INTELLIGENT FIRE SAFETY- WHAT AND WHY?
In intelligent buildings (IB) a mechatronic approach is applied to effectively integrate services and systems such as the elevator
system, power systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, lighting system and fire protection system (FPS).
The purpose of this integration is to get low costs, better efficiency, productivity, security and safeness when compared with
conventional building.
THE TRUE DAMAGE OF FIRE AND WHY WE NEED INTELLIGENT FIRE PROTECTION
• In less than 20 seconds, even a small flame can get out of control – beyond anything that could be contained with a fire
extinguisher.
• In minutes, the destructive force of a fire increases exponentially; fueled by the rapidly rising temperatures that can reach as high
as 1,800°F.(980 Celsius)
• In a conventional building, the systems such as elevators, water distribution, power systems, heating, ventilation and air
conditioning, illumination and FPS works independently.
• Consequently, the building is not able to operate in situations that involve the conflict of resource demand.
• The FPS integration with other building systems can result in operational and economics benefits.
• The proper integration of a fire protection system aids in easier evacuation of people and hence saves life. It also plays a role in
reducing the extent of property destruction.
TECHNOLOGIES
Detection Systems
Modern smoke-detection systems go beyond the small device that senses smoke and triggers the alarm system. Intelligent
smoke detectors can differentiate between different alarm thresholds.
Heat detectors are another option. They can trigger alarms and notification systems before smoke even becomes a factor.
The main benefit of good detection (beyond triggering the alarm system) is that, in many cases, there is a chance to extinguish a
small, early blaze with a fire extinguisher.
Alarms and Notification Systems
Alarm systems are a must in any facility - alarms that alert building occupants of a fire and alarms that alert emergency public
responders (police and fire) through a central station link so they can initiate a response.
Sound wave extinguisher
When compared to the chemical compound of classic fire extinguishers, their invention offers the cleanest way to put out flames
They started with a wide range of frequencies; while high frequency doesn't do much, low frequency of sound is pretty decent
for extinguishing a flame.
sound waves have the ability to manipulate both oxygen and burning material. If these two gets separated, the fire dies away. In
other words, a sound wave is a type of pressure wave. Pressure wave will remove oxygen from air molecules. Given that oxygen
is the main fuel for the fire, this will allow you to eliminate it.
Water mist system
A water mist system is a fire protection system which uses very fine water sprays (i.e. water mist). The small water droplets allow the water
mist to control, suppress or extinguish fires by:
• cooling both the flame and surrounding gases by evaporation
• displacing oxygen by evaporation
• attenuating radiant heat by the small droplets themselves
The effectiveness of a water mist system in fire suppression depends on its spray characteristics, which include the droplet size distribution,
flux density and spray dynamics, with respect to the fire scenario, such as the shielding of the fuel, fire size and ventilation conditions.
The use of water mist fire suppression, when compared to the use of gaseous agents and traditional sprinkler systems, has revealed
advantages such as:
• Immediate activation
• High efficiency in the suppression of a wide variety of fires
• Minimized water damage
• Environmentally sound characteristics
• No toxic problem
Early suppression fast response fire sprinkler systems
Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) systems are quick responding, high volume sprinkler systems that provide exception protection for
high piled storage occupancies. Instead of merely controlling a fire until the original fuel source is depleted, ESFR systems are designed to
suppress the fire by discharging a large volume of water directly to the fire to reduce the heat release rate. These systems, installed at the
ceiling, use large volumes of water delivering large water droplets at a high velocity to knock down the fire plume and provide enhanced
protection for High Piled Storage Occupancies
FIRE FIGHTING IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS
High-rise buildings present seven core challenges to
a fire system -
False Alarm Management
- Evacuations of high rise buildings can shut down large areas of
a city when carried out
- Imperative to only evacuate when the fire is real
- A false alarm management strategy must be in place and be
represented in the system programming.
Smoke Control
- Extremely important to control smoke and airflow - Both in
aiding firefighters in controlling the spread of fire and in ensuring
that evacuation routes are kept clear of smoke.
- Can be managed via fans and dampers, using either the
Evacuation building’s HVAC system
- Main challenge
- Evacuation process must be managed in stages to avoid
overcrowding exits
- Closest areas to the fire - Evacuated first
- The floors above and below the fire come next
- Triggered by different strobe, beacon or sounder patterns or
even live voice notifications
Panel Capabilities
- Fire system in a high-rise building must do much more
than merely detect a fire and notify the occupants.
- Must control critical systems, manage the building’s
response to each individual incident to protect life and
property
- Must also help the fire services do their job.
Emergency Lighting
- To ensure escape routes are visible for the occupants
- Illumination is also needed to assist firefighters
Networking
- Rapid data transfer and control across a high-rise
Interfacing
building’s fire system
- Fire system needs to interface with other systems
- Creates a link to hundreds of panels and repeaters.
such as suppression panels, emergency monitoring
- Works dynamically and/or under the control of the fire
stations, building management systems, graphics PCs,
paging systems/DECT phones or the internet for
INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS
False Alarm
Management
EVACUATION THROUGH SPIRAL SLIDEWAYS Working Principle – Like the spiral sliding ladder in a children’s
park
- Unique, new, simple structure
- Easy to use and suitable for all kinds of quick Concerns –
evacuation situations from high-rise buildings - Dizziness due to sliding
- Does not require any need of power and strength hundreds of metres down
- Ensuring no damage to the
Types – evacuees’ due to friction
- Can be divided into two types as per slideway - Preventing
categories - Single slideway system and Dual slideway crowding/stampedes
system
Avoiding injury –
Protective pads for every
person to be evacuated
-Evacuation capacity and
speed are better than
traditional staircases
Intelligent Panel Capabilities – Emergency Lighting – Networking –
- Remains operational for long - Can self-test each luminaire Provide reliable and real-time
periods in adverse conditions and ensure they work when feedback covering items such as –
they need to
- Designed to cope with higher - Different messages on different
currents and fluctuating voltages - Directs the public towards a floors
across the system. specific exit route, and not only - Evacuation status of floors
lighting up the area. - Functionality of smoke
- Built-in redundancy management system?
- Also provides standby or ‘stay- - Redundancy systems in place
put’ lighting indicating non- - Status of fire suppression
evacuation
SMOKE CONTROL SYSTEM
Smoke and heat exhaust ventilation systems (SHEVS) are natural or
powered systems to remove smoke from a building allowing low level
escape routes to be kept clear of smoke and reducing damage to other
parts of the building.
Objectives of smoke control system-
• Containing the smoke to the zone of fire origin
• Maintaining tenable environment within exits and smoke refuge areas
• Maintaining smoke layer interface to a predetermined elevation.
SMOKE CONTROL SYSTEM- HOW?
• Effective smoke control starts with providing automatic sprinkler protection.
• Smoke ventilation system is either natural or powered. Natural system uses the
buoyancy of hot gases to drive the smoke flow through the ventilators.
• Powered systems rely on mechanical systems like fans to extract the smoke.
• In such a case, supply of replacement air is essential which includes integration with
HVAC system. Air supply may be from natural ventilators or dedicated low level air inlets
(HVAC system)
• Modern building codes also address smoke control by varying degrees of
compartmentation ranging from corridor walls to smoke barriers and fire barriers.
• Control features in air handling units also address smoke control by reducing likelihood
that smoke will spread through AHUs to
• Different techniques:
1) Smoke spill system
2) Supply ventilation system
3) Lift lobby pressurization system
ROLE OF ARCHITECT
• Because of critical nature of fire-signaling and life-safety, wiring for fire alarm systems should be in conduits or
raceways separate from other, non critical power or low voltage systems.
• Power supply: from the emergency system and backed up by an independent power system such as battery packs
or on-site engine generators.
• Location of fire and smoke detectors: storage rooms, electrical-mechanical rooms and public egress area (e.g.
entrances, elevators, or lobbies, near stairways, etc.)
• Sound power(dB): higher than 60dB at any location but not more than 120dB.
• Visual systems such as flashing or strobe lights for hearing impaired.
CASE STUDY