FIRE TESTING & WITNESSING

MSC/Circ 668/728 Testing

Fogex water fog fire protection system is a state-of-the-art fire extinguishing system using high pressure to achieve fog formation to combat fires. Fogex has been tested in accordance with IMO Guidelines MSC/Circ. 668/728 for use in machinery spaces and cargo pump rooms (500 cu. metres), and as per Factory Mutual machinery spaces, industrial hazards, combustion and gas turbine enclosures >260 cu. metres. Testing was conducted at VTT Building & Transport, independent Fire & Research Testing Laboratories in Finland during year 2000.

Local Application fire testing was conducted at VTT Building & Transport, independent Fire Testing & Research Laboratories in Finland during March 2002. Witnessing authorities included Lloyd's Register of Shipping, Det Norske Veritas, American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas and Finnish Maritime Directorate. All 1.0 megawatt and 6.0 megawatt Diesel spray fires were extinguished within a narrow time interval ranging from just 4 seconds and up to 29 seconds. Nozzle heights were 2.0 metres minimum distance from the fire source and up to 10.1 metres from the fire source. The Fogex F11 nozzles demonstrated their superior fire fighting efficiency using only 10.0 litres water each nozzle at 100 bar operating pressure. Forex nozzle grid spacing was 4.0 m x 4.0 m.

All prescribed IMO Guidelines fire tests have been passed. The Fogex F20 & F27 nozzles were used in these tests. The Fogex F20 nozzles flow just 6.4 litres per minute at 100 bar pressure and the Fogex F27 door screen nozzles flow just 5.3 litres per minute at 100 bar pressure. These are very minute amounts of water to accomplish fire extinguishment for these severe and challenging fire tests. For marine approvals, the system operating pressure is 110 bar and for land approvals the system operating pressure is 100 bar.