Introduction to Clean Agent Systems

Where did we come from?

How did we get here?

Halon 1301

• In 1947 that research by the Purdue Research Foundation and the U.S. Army resulted in the discovery of two effective low toxicity Halons: 1211 and 1301.

• It was introduced as an effective total flooding gaseous fire suppression agent in the 1960s

– aircraft, – mainframe computers, – telecommunication switching centers

• Halon 1301 is also used in the F-16 fighter aircraft to prevent vapors in the fuel tanks from becoming explosive. Upon entering areas with possible unfriendly fire, Halon 1301is injected into the fuel tanks for one-time use.

Montreal Protocol

• An international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion.

• The treaty was opened for signature on September 16, 1987, and entered into force on January 1, 1989. Approximately 196 states have currently signed it.

• The Montreal Protocol required that all production of new Halon cease by January 1, 1994. Recycled Halon and inventories produced before January 1, 1994, are now the only sources of supply.

Major Users of Halon 1301 Today

19%

19%

10% 5%47% US Millitary

Areo Space

Petro-Chem

Telecom

Other

Note: Values shown above are estimated from Halon industry representatives. No data study was completed.

Support and Availability

• Number of existing Installed Halon 1301 systems is not clear

– HTOC report - Approx. 76,200 installed systems

• Manufacturer support across all companies is waning

• Halon 1301 availability in future is uncertain.– Plentiful vs. limited supply (3 to 20 year supply?)– Surplus from Europe sustaining current demand– US base of Halon 1301 demand is consistent regardless of

price per lb.

Major Halon 1301 alternative clean agents

• Total flooding systems with distribution piping network

ASHRAE Name Trade Name Manufacturer

HFC-227ea FM-200 DuPont

FK-5-1-12 Novec 1230 Fluid 3M

HFC-23 FE-13 DuPont

HFC-125 ECARO-25 DuPont

IG-55 Argonite KiddeIG-541 Inergen ANSUL

Understanding the Need for Clean Agents

Choosing the Kidde Engineered System

• Business interruption– Recent events prove proactive risk management

saves money– Cost of downtime often astronomical

System vs. Agent

• Agent– One component in the overall suppression (or

protection) system– Typically viewed as the most important component– Often sole focus of decision making or specification

creation

System vs. Agent

• System– Incorporates dozens of components– Detection system(s)

- Conventional / intelligent / HSSD / water / heat– Control system(s)

- Fire alarm / suppression release / monitoring– Suppression system(s)

- application specific

Total Flooding Suppression Systems

• A system consisting of an agent supply and distribution network designed to achieve a minimum agent concentration through the hazard volume

Local Application Suppression Systems

• A system consisting of a supply of extinguishing agent arranged to discharge directly on the burning material.

• Concept derived from NFPA-12: Carbon Dioxide

• Currently no Kidde Fire System carries approval or listing for Local Application

– Design Challenges– Approval Procedures

What are HALOCARBON Agents?

• NFPA 2001: An agent that consists as primary components one or more organic compounds containing one or more of the elements fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine.

• Typically heavier than atmosphere… descending layer interface which requires room integrity to maintain concentration levels

• Electrically non-conductive HF production when in contact with a flame sheet

• Visible obscuration during discharge

• Most are suitable for Class A, B, and C Fires

What are INERT Gases?

• NFPA 2001: An agent that contains as primary components one or more of the gases helium, neon, argon, or nitrogen. Inert gas agents that are blends of gases can also contain CO2 as secondary component

• Same density as the atmosphere…will mix with the air and hold concentration levels

• Does not conduct electricity

• No toxic by-products when exposed to heat

• No visible obscuration during discharge or residue after discharge

• Suitable for Class A, B & C Hazards. Stored and Discharged as a Vapor (Gas)

Fire Protection At-A-Glance

Fire Classes

• Class-A: Ordinary Combustibles

• Class-B: Flammable or Combustible Liquid or

Gaseous Fuels

• Class-C: Energized Electrical Equipment

• Class-D: Metal Fires (Magnesium + Others)

• Class-K: Cooking Oils or Animal Fats

Defining Characteristics of a Fire

• Flaming

• Smoldering

• Deep Seated

Fire Tetrahedron

People Safety

• Cardiac Sensitization- The increased sensitivity of the heart to adrenaline, leading to the sudden onset of irregular heartbeats and possibly heart attack

• NOAEL – No Observable Adverse Effects Level

• LOAEL – Lowest Observable Adverse Effects Level

• PBPK – Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling

FM-200® Systems

FM-200 Agent

• Heptafluoropropane (C3HF7 )

• HFC-227ea

• Modes of Fire Protection– Primary: Flame Cooling– Minor: Chemical Inhibition

FM-200 People Safety

• NFPA 2001, 2008 Edition Allows Use of FM-200 As Follows:

• In Normally Occupied Spaces– Concentrations up to 10.5% v/v. Maximum exposure time is no more than

5min.– In Normally Not Occupied Spaces

- Concentrations up to 10.5% v/v- Concentrations exceeding 10.5% v/v provide occupants can evacuate

within 30 seconds- Lock-out valve,- Mechanical time delay, - Pressure operated siren and - Signage required

FM-200 People Safety

FM-200 is So safe, It has been

Designated as a replacement

propellant in medical inhalers.

FM-200 and the Environment

• FM-200 is a responsible choice by any measure:

– Zero Ozone

Depletion Potential

– Low Atmospheric Lifetime

– Efficient Use of Resources

– Fixed Fire Protection is

Essentially Non-Emissive

FM-200 Applications

• Telecommunications

• Data Centers

• Computer rooms

• Clean Rooms

• Process Facilities

• Etc

FM-200 Strengths

• Cylinder storage space

• Rapid discharge time

• Rapid extinguishment

• People Safety

• Equipment Safety

• Field Recharge

• ADS flexible design

• Proven all over the world!

FM-200 Weaknesses

• Agent cost

• ECS System design constraints

• Perceived environmental foot-print

Kidde FM-200 Offering

• ADS Series

• ECS Series

Kidde Engineered Fire Suppression System Designed for Use with 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid

Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid

• 3M has long history in clean fire protection industry

Novec 1230 fluid is an advanced halon replacement, designed to balance industry concerns for human safety, performance and the environment.

Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid

• Halon 1301 and halon 1211 replacement

• Unique physical properties

• Balanced protection for your assets and employees

– Performance– Health and safety– Environmental profile

3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid

• Fluoroketone Introduced in 2003, at NFPA

• CF3CF2C(O)CF(CF3)2

• Modes of Fire Protection– Primary: Flame Cooling– Minor: Chemical Inhibition

Product Awareness

• Frequently Asked Questions– What is Novec 1230 fluid?

– Liquid to a vapor at discharge?

– HF Generation - Yes

– What is a Fluoroketone?

– Liquid pooling after discharge

- Low temp cylinders / Low temp enclosures

– Low odor…Yes

– Filling by gravity – Proceed with caution

Novec 1230: Environmental Profile

– EPA SNAP/NFPA 2001 standard– Design concentrations well below safety thresholds– Clean environmental profile

- GWP = 1; ATM life = 5 days– Liquid at room temperature low Pv

– No residue– Electrically non-conductive

NOVEC 1230 People Safety

• NFPA 2001, 2008 Edition Allows Use of NOVEC 1230 As Follows:

• In Normally Occupied Spaces– Concentrations up to >>10.0% v/v. Maximum exposure time is no more than

5min.– In Normally Not Occupied Spaces

- Concentrations up to >>10.0 v/v- Concentrations exceeding >>10.0% v/v provide occupants can evacuate

within 30 seconds- Lock-out valve,- Mechanical time delay, - Pressure operated siren and - Signage required

Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid Strengths

• Novec 1230 fluid benefits– Completely safe and approved

for use in occupied spaces– Best environmental profile of all “active” agent Halon

alternatives– Provides minimum business interruption with

maximum asset protection– Ease of transportation

Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid Strengths

• Bulk transport– Low vapour pressure (6 Psig) – bulk air travel

• Offered in – 11 lb Demo Container,– 661 lb Drums– 2425 lb totes

Key Applications

• Pharmaceutical / Healthcare

• Data processing centers

• Telecommunications – Cell sites, switching centers

• Industrial– Oil and gas

• Museum & cultural heritage

• Any environmentally sensitive market or end user

• 10, 20, 40, 70 lb.

• 125, 200, 350 lb.

Available Sizes:

-Vertical only

• 600 and 900 lb.

The Kidde Engineered System

The Kidde System Limits - Compared

• Sapphire™ Vs. Kidde’s engineered system

73 psig61 psigMin Nozzle Pressure

32 x 3235.5 x 35.5Nozzle

Coverage

850 lbs910 lbsMaximum

Cylinder Size

32 to 130 F32 to 130 FOperating

Temperature

Sapphire™Kidde

The Kidde System Limits - Compared

• Sapphire™ Vs. Kidde’s engineered system

2.0 sec6.3 secRun-out Time

1.0 sec2.0 secArrival Time

80%100%% Agent in

Pipe

14 ft.16 ft.Nozzle Height

Sapphire™Kidde

Kidde FE-13

FE-13

• Trifluoromethane (CHF3)

• HFC-23

• Modes of Fire Protection– Primary: Flame Cooling– Minor: Chemical Inhibition– Minor: Oxygen Reduction

• Boiling point = -115.7F (-82.0C)

• Vapor pressure = 686 PSIA @ 77F

FE-13 Agent Characteristics

• High Pressure – Low boiling point = wide temp range– High velocity = expansion

- Large spaces- High ceilings- Clutter

FE-13 People Safety

• NOAEL = 30%

• LOAEL = >30%

• Typical use concentration = 18%

• Large safety margin – Tough hazards - mixed flammables– Variables– Inerting

FE-13 and the Environment

• ODP = ZERO

• HGWP = 5.7

• The EPA Says…“HFC-23 is Acceptable as a Halon 1301 substitute.”

• “Since HFC-23 is ... a by-product of manufacturing ... EPA is allowing the use of this agent wherever applicable given technical or market considerations.”

FE-13 Applications

• Mixed flammables

• Forensic Evidence storage

• Rail locomotives

• Mining vehicles

• Rooms with variable fill” capacity

• Rooms with extremes in temperature

• Inerting

North Slope of Alaska

• Low temperature

• Inerting

• Large, cluttered spaces

• Difficult egress

North Slope of Alaska

FE-13 Strengths

• Flexible design

• High ceilings (25 ft) with one tier of nozzles

• Inerting applications

• Safety margin for people exposure

• Design temperature limits

FE-13 Weaknesses

• Cylinder storage space requirements

• Perceived environmental issues

• Relative cost of system– high pressure system (piping, cylinders etc)

• Recharge capability

Kidde ARGONITE®,

THE NATURAL ALTERNATIVE

INERT Gas

• Two commonly, commercially available Inert gases

• Mixture of naturally occurring gases:

IG-55 IG-541– Nitrogen 50% 52%– Argon 50% 40%– Carbon Dioxide 0% 8%

Features of Argonite Agent

• No decomposition products

• Clean, naturally occurring gases

• Electrically non-conductive

• Effective against Class A, B and C fires

How Does it Work?

• Extinguishes through physical means

• Reduces enclosure’s O2 concentration

• Safe for people

4352

12 100

10

20

30

40

50

Residual Oxygen % NOAEL/LOAEL %

Determining Human Safety

• NOAEL and LOAEL – No Observable Adverse Effects Level– Lowest Observable Adverse Effects Level

37.9% 39.1%43.0%

52.0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Class A Class B NOAEL LOAEL

Design Concentration vs. NOAEL/LOAEL

Human Safety/Design Concentration

ENVIRONMENTAL

• Oxygen Depletion Potential (ODP): 0

• Global Warming Potential (GWP):0

• Atmospheric Lifetime (ALT): 0

Agent Listings/Approvals

• IG-55 (Argonite) agent carries health and safety approvals in many countries and is on the US EPA SNAP list.

INERT Gas

• The marketer of IG-541 claims that the CO2 in the mix of their product enhances the body’s ability to assimilate Oxygen by increasing a persons respiration rate and the body’s ability to absorb Oxygen.

• The marketers of IG-55 claim that CO2 is not required to help a person breathe in a >12% O2 environment, as concentration levels are below the NOAEL.

• US EPA position

Argonite Applications

Markets for Argonite

• Environmentally sensitive end-users/industries

Benefits of Argonite Agent

• A truly “green” agent

• A safe work environment

• Readily available

• Easy to mix

• Longer hold time

Benefits of Argonite System

• Air tight enclosure not required

• No agent related downtime

• Cost-effective system

Argonite Weaknesses

• Large cylinder footprint/storage

• Pressure relief venting

• High pressure hardware/piping – costs

Large Scale Argonite System

Features of Argonite System

• Multiple release modes

• Selector Valve option reduces costs

• Operating Temperature: -20ºF to +130ºF

System Listings/Approvals

• Factory Mutual Research Corporation

• Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada

Argonite Summary

• Argonite should not be marketed as a direct competitor of FM-200.

• Argonite is an environmentally friendly alternative and a welcome addition to our portfolio.

FE-25 (HFC-125)

“Rumors” to the next best clean agent

• It’s a drop in replacement for 1301

• It’s better

• It is very “green”

• It does everything

• It’s cheaper

• It can . . .

Some History

• In the early 90’s there were a lot of births

• One was named FE25

• At birth FE-25’s parents said:– “…the higher concentrations required to effectively extinguish fires

can, based on our recently completed testing, lead to cardiac

sensitization problems. Therefore, FE-25 (HFC-125) is no longer

considered a viable alternative for Halon 1301 in occupied spaces.

– Dupont Fire Extinguishants News, Volume 1, No.3, Fall 1992

Some interesting facts

• The exact same chemical that was introduced in the early 90’s

• It can be used now because of change in NFPA standards

• It can be used on Class A fires in occupied spaces

• It can not be used on Class B fires in occupied spaces

• It can be used as a “drop in” replacement for 1301 in very limited circumstances

FE-25 Strengths

• It uses less agent, for Class A hazards, than is necessary with FM-200

• It is UL Listed and FM Approved

FE-25 Weaknesses

• Single source supplier

• Toxicological issues

• Field recharge capability

• Liability issues

Inert GasHFC-125HFC-227eaNovec 1230Metric

~38%8.0%7.0%4.2%DesignConc.

0280029001GWP

n/a32.6 yrs36.5 yrs5 daysATM life

2250 psi165 psi44 psi6 psiVapor P

Fire Protection Fluid Summaries

Design Concentration Vs. Toxicity

Trade Name Min. Design NOAEL LOAEL Concentration

Halon 1301 5.00 5.0 7.5

FM-200 6.25 9.0 10.5

FE-13 18.0 30.0 >30.0

Novec 1230 4.20 >10.0 >10.0

FE-25 8.00 7.5 10.0

Note: All Concentration levels are % v/v

The Importance of the Kidde Fire Systems Brand

Kidde Fire Systems,

The world leader in providing total system

solutions for special hazard fire protection,

offers a comprehensive portfolio of detection,

notification, suppression and control products

that can be tailored to fit specific applications.

Kidde Fire Systems

• Kidde Fire Systems products can be found protecting industries around the world, such as: mining, marine, power, oil and gas, manufacturing, semiconductor, commercial cooking, education, cultural and heritage, service and timber and wood.

• Kidde Fire Systems has decades of experience in the fire protection industry and has become one of the most recognized brands in fire protection today.

Objectives

• Support distribution

• Review and reinforce systems approach

• Synergy of detection and suppression

• Reinforce sales strategies around all Kidde products

Systems Approach

• Complete Kidde systems– Detection (smoke, heat and water)– Controls & monitoring– Suppression

• One source system– Manufacturer and distributor

• Total solutions expertise

Strategies

• Proactively sell solutions

• Enhance, strengthen and grow relationships and contacts

• Enhance knowledge of products

• Integrate products seamlessly

• Enhance knowledge of competition

Choosing the Kidde Engineered System

• Proactive / supplemental code compliance– Minimum CC often not sufficient– Due diligence crucial– Water based systems = fire control = structural

protection– Waterless systems =

operational and asset protection

Choosing the Kidde Engineered System

• Asset protection– Value of High value assets grows annually– Capital expenditures require supplemental protection

Choosing the Kidde Engineered System

• Environmental stewardship– Zero ozone depletion– Near zero GWP– ATM life in days, not years

Detection

• Benefits– Early notification & response– Reduce smoke (or other incipient) damage– Automatic suppression actuation

• Options– Application specific– Performance criteria– Orion, conventional, smart, spot and linear heat,

water

Detection

• Challenges– Specifications calling for suppression release from

air sampling

Controls & Monitoring

• Conventional panels– Aegis

• Smart systems– Aries

Suppression

• Agent options– FM-200– Novec 1230– Argonite– FE-13– CO2

Suppression System Options

• Super-pressurized with Nitrogen– ECS FM-200– Novec1230 Systems

• Self-pressurized– FE-13 Systems– CO2 Systems– Argonite

• Hybrid– ADS FM-200

Integration

• Advantages of complete Kidde system to end users– Single source provider– Specifiable– Cost savings to end user– Enhanced reliability & compatibility– No service responsibility questions– Complete warranty coverage

Integration

• Disadvantages of multi-part solution to end users– Multiple equipment manufacturers– More cost and time– Poor reliability & compatibility– Multiple service providers– Little or no warranty coverage– Poor response during difficulty (lots of finger

pointing)

Integration

• Advantages of complete Kidde solution to Customer– Trust and credibility– Engineering expertise– Training experience and future training costs– Less inventory– Reduced administrative costs– Warranty support

Industry Websites

• www.kiddefiresystems.com

• www.ul.com

• http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Novec1230/Home/

• http://www2.dupont.com/FE/en_US/

• www.cganet.com

• www.fssa.net

Questions? - Comments? - Discussions?

The End