Inert Gas Fire Suppression Systems
There are a number of forms of inert gas extinguishing agent, but they all operate exactly the same. In the event of a fire, a combination of inert, naturally occurring gases (which already make up 80% of the atmosphere) is released into the protected area. This reduces the proportion of oxygen to below a level where fire can exist. As a result, this suffocates the fire whilst not actually creating an environment that would be fatal to people.
IG55 (commonly known as Argonite) is an excellent fast acting fire extinguishing agent. Furthermore, it is environmentally neutral, safe for occupied areas and leaves no residue. These properties make it an ideal option for control and computer rooms, manned areas and ventilation systems.
Argonite consists entirely of naturally occurring gasses. It is an equal blend of nitrogen and argon. It produces no secondary combustion products and is particularly suitable for fighting fires in confined spaces. It is also suited to either total flooding or local application. Because the extinguishants molecular weight is close to that of air, it lingers longer than many of its alternatives when discharged to extinguish a fire. As a result, this reduces the integrity testing requirements for the protected room. A process that can be very expensive and needs to be repeated every time structural changes are made.
Benefits of Inert Gas Fire Suppression Systems
- Fast acting and effective against nearly all fire hazards
- Environmentally neutral – zero Ozone Depleting Potential and zero Global Warming Potential
- No post-fire residues or damage to protected equipment
- Electrically non-conductive
- Safe for occupied areas
- Can be integrated with existing detection and alarm systems
- Automatic or manual release
- Minimum downtime after a fire In addition to this it is not prone to fogging, is non-toxic, non-corrosive, leaves no residue and is electrically non-conductive. This has led to it being successfully specified in applications where there is a need to avoid secondary damage by the fire fighting agent. Therefore, it is regularly used in rooms, tape and archive stores, electrical cabinets and switchgear compartments.
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