Documentation of the IG-541 Extended Discharge Gas Extinguishing System with ContinueOxy® Installed in Pilot ROP Dwellings
Master thesis

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https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3173567Utgivelsesdato
2024Metadata
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Sammendrag
The ROP dwellings are one-story buildings constructed with non-combustible walls. They are simpler in design and limited in volume. Each dwelling is a single fire cell, and the living room has several windows and doors. Users living in the dwellings often have hoarding behaviour, so a high fire load can be expected. These residents have substance abuse problems; therefore, during the event of a fire, they might not be able to evacuate and can be present in the fireroom.
Installing a gas-based automatic extinguishing system in the ROP dwellings aims to protect the person who might not be able to evacuate in case of fire. Standard IG-541 system performs well under airtight spaces where the leakage is minimal and the compartment's integrity is maintained. However, in residential dwellings, openings can be presented, which can disrupt the system’s integrity and cause leakage of gas, which could affect the system's functionality and effectiveness.
Therefore, in this ROP dwelling, the IG-541 extended discharge system with ContinueOxy® is used to resolve the integrity problem associated with the possible opening. In this customized system, the basic system is expanded with extended discharge, and additional cylinders consist of 50% IG-541 gas and 50% compressed natural air. These additional cylinders are flooded inside the compartment for a longer time, more than 20 minutes. Despite using additional gas cylinders, the design concentration does not exceed LOAEL limits, i.e. 10 % oxygen concentration, because the equal number of air cylinders dilutes the Inergen® concentration. An aspiration detection system is used to detect the fire early and is coupled with an automatic gas extinguishing system to extinguish the fire early. This makes the environment tenable so that a person can be safely rescued once firefighters arrive at the site. In addition, secondary damage is avoided, thereby minimizing the downtime of the dwelling.
The use of IG-541 gas extinguishing systems in residential buildings is a topic of debate in Norway. This thesis focuses specifically on the IG-541 extended discharge system with ContinueOxy®, which operates effectively regardless of the building's integrity. Furthermore, the thesis is limited to applying these systems to protect residents in ROP detached houses. This study is part of a pilot housing project to test innovative solutions over time.
This research evaluated the documentation regarding using the IG-541 extended discharge system with ContinueOxy® and performed a comparative analysis based on the fire scenarios considered. The oxygen concentration level was used as a reference parameter to determine the extinguishing functionality of the IG-541 extended discharge system with ContinueOxy®. When the oxygen concentration goes below 15 %, a fire starts extinguishing and cannot sustain combustion.
Results from earlier work at HVL and others have been used to provide documentation for this specific application. This earlier work includes bachelor’s and master’s thesis projects, research articles, and fire tests carried out by external companies.
At HVL’s Hall of Flame, equivalent tests of the standard IG-541 system and residential sprinkler were carried out to compare the performance of both systems under identical conditions. The initial fire test results of the standard IG-541 system, based on residential sprinkler standards, with two doors open and
closed, show that fire was quickly extinguished compared to the residential sprinkler under identical circumstances. CO production was quite lesser compared to sprinkler activation. However, the hold duration of 10 minutes was not achieved in all scenarios except when all doors were closed.
A cold discharge test was performed in a newly constructed ROP dwelling with the IG-541 extended discharge system with ContinueOxy®. The test results showed that oxygen concentration remained below 15 % for more than 18 minutes, with one door and one window partially open in the living room. Therefore, it is anticipated that in more challenging scenarios, such as with two windows and a door open in the living room, the system could still reduce the oxygen levels below 15 % to extinguish the fire. However, maintaining the duration of 10 minutes could be challenging due to continuous gas leakage from the open door and windows.
The qualitative analysis of test results between the IG-541 extended discharge system with ContinueOxy® and the residential sprinkler shows that the sprinkler and IG-541 system perform equally well during the flaming fire scenarios. Additionally, the oxygen concentration remains above 10 % in all considered fire scenarios, ensuring a safer hypoxic atmosphere for occupants for at least 15 minutes. However, the sprinkler system did not activate during the smouldering fire, and when the fire was confined within the shelve, it was controlled but did not extinguish.
The quantitative analysis has shown that the IG-541 extended discharge system with ContinueOxy® has equal or better reliability than the residential sprinklers in successfully extinguishing the considered fire scenarios that will likely occur in the ROP dwellings.
Upon detection of the fire at an early stage, the fire brigade will be notified, and firefighters will be on-site within 10 minutes. The loud noise produced during the gas release will stimulate the residents to evacuate the dwelling. For any resident who may be unconscious, the lower oxygen level combined with a mixture of low carbon dioxide will increase the chance of early fire extinction and lower carbon monoxide generation inside the compartment.
Based on the documentation requirement as per building regulation TEK 17, the conclusion is that the IG-541 extended discharge system with ContinueOxy® fulfils the functionality, personal safety, and reliability parameters and is as good as a residential sprinkler system.
Beskrivelse
Master Thesis in Fire Safety Engineering