Play it safe with advanced flame and gas detectors

Given the potential for deadly alcohol based fire in laboratories, there is no room for complacency with fire safety.

This is where sophisticated and advanced flame and gas detection systems can come into their own. Such devices are ideal for combatting flash fires that could otherwise ignite and spread quickly in labs, or in high-risk industrial sites.

One of the most highly regarded manufacturers of such devices is Singaporean company Gasensor, which specialises in advanced flame and gas detection systems that maximise fire safety across various industrial and commercial environments, from labs and refineries to petrochemical plants and offshore wellhead platforms. Its products provide early warning of fire and gas hazards, cutting the risk of devastating fires that could affect personnel, property assets and operations.

Unlike some other sensor options on the market, Gasensor’s products are known for having a very fast reaction time between detecting flames or gas leaks, enabling operators to quickly activate a fire-mitigation response in locations where traditional detection systems or smoke detectors are not suited for the job.

Smart choice
Gasensor's Ultra FL800 Series flame detectors draw on the latest technology, using multi-spectrum infrared (MSIR) sensor arrays combined with optical path scanning technology to detect fires produced by alcohol, heptane, gasoline, jet fuels and hydrocarbons.

They also minimise the chance of annoying false alarms from non-flame sources such as sunlight or hot objects. These detectors are typically housed in stainless steel explosion-proof enclosures, making them suitable for harsh industrial conditions where fire risks are often elevated. They are also less susceptible to faults caused by inclement weather.

In addition to the flame detectors, Gasensor has a range of gas detectors that identify combustible and toxic gases. They can also monitor oxygen levels to prevent depletion. For example, the GT-CT8900 fixed-type catalytic combustible gas sensor is engineered specifically for detecting methane and vapour, while the GQ-CE8900 toxic gas detector can monitor the presence of dangerous gases in installation sites.

Such detectors are crucial for early warning of gas leaks, enabling prompt evacuation and mitigation measures to protect on-site workers.

Speed is the key
One of the primary advantages of Gasensor’s products is their rapid response time. Its flame detectors, for instance, use optical technology – including infrared, ultraviolet and multi-spectrum combinations – to detect flames within milliseconds. This is far quicker than older smoke or heat detectors, which often do not trigger until it is too late to stop a significant fire.

Speed is crucial in environments where flammable materials are ever-present, and any delays can mean the difference between saving and losing significant assets, or even an entire facility.

Commissioning and installation of such detectors is easy. An experienced fire-safety expert will typically conduct a thorough risk assessment of a relevant site or facility and then recommend the specific detectors that suit that environment. Once they are installed, minimum maintenance is required.

Importantly, these advanced flame and gas detection systems help industries comply with relevant safety regulations and standards, while reducing the risk of accidents and associated liabilities. Gasensor complies with the AS 1670 standard requiring systems to operate effectively to detect fires early and alert building occupants, and they are also approved for hazardous zones under the IECExstandard.

Given these safety advantages, the Gasensor detectors represent a smart investment that can safeguard people and property, and minimise downtime from fire-related incidents at high-value operations. They also have the potential of lowering insurance premiums due to improved risk management of sites.

The most advanced flame and gas detection monitors can be the difference between saving high-risk industrial sites, or suffering fire-related losses through property damage and downtime. Click here to find out more and contact Australia’s leading provider of fire-protection systems.

What is gaseous suppression and how total flood gas suppression systems work

When protecting high value equipment and mission critical infrastructure, traditional fire suppression methods like water sprinklers can often do more harm than good. That’s where gaseous Suppression and gas suppression systems come in, offering fast, clean and highly effective fire protection for enclosed spaces.

We explore how gas suppression equipment works, where it’s used and why partnering with the right gas suppression supplier is key to safeguarding your facility.

Understanding gaseous suppression systems

Gaseous suppression is a method of fire protection that uses inert or chemical gases to suppress fires without water or foam. These systems are ideal for environments that house sensitive electronics, irreplaceable data, or critical operations.

A total flood gas suppression system releases a clean agent into a fully enclosed room or space, effectively extinguishing fires while causing minimal disruption or damage.

How a total flood gas suppression system works

  1. Clean Agent Fire Suppression

Gas suppression systems use agents such as:

These gases extinguish fires by:

  1. Total Flooding Application

The gas is rapidly released into the protected space, flooding the entire volume. This ensures even coverage and quick suppression across all areas, which is especially important for protecting sensitive electronic equipment.

  1. Automatic or Manual Activation

Gas suppression systems can be activated automatically through smoke or heat detection systems or manually using control panels or pull stations. Quick activation is key to reducing fire damage and maintaining business continuity.

Where Gas Suppression Systems Are Used

Because of their clean and equipment friendly nature, gas suppression equipment is commonly used in:

These are areas where water or foam suppression would be unsafe or damaging.

Benefits of gaseous fire suppression systems

No residue, no cleanup

Clean agent gas suppression leaves no residue behind, making it ideal for environments with electronics, sensitive materials, or valuable documentation.

Rapid fire suppression

These systems act within seconds, reducing the spread of fire and limiting potential damage. Quick suppression also supports faster business recovery times.

Safe for occupied spaces

When properly designed and installed by a professional gas suppression supplier, these systems are safe for human occupied spaces, provided evacuation protocols are in place.

Environmentally friendly

Modern clean agents have low Global Warming Potential (GWP) and zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP), offering effective protection with minimal environmental impact.

Minimal downtime

No water, no mess and no damage to hardware mean your business can resume operations quickly after a suppression event, often without interruption.

Non Corrosive to equipment

Clean agent gas suppression equipment protects valuable assets like servers, control panels, and telecommunications systems without causing corrosion or requiring replacements.

Customisable design

From small control rooms to large data centres, gas suppression systems can be designed to meet the specific requirements of your facility. Whether using inert gases or chemical clean agents, the system can be tailored to your risk level and budget.

Compliance and Safety

Gas suppression systems must meet Australian safety standards:

A certified gas suppression supplier will ensure that your system complies with these standards and is maintained for long-term reliability.

Choosing the Right Gas Suppression Supplier

Working with an experienced gas suppression supplier is essential. They’ll assess your fire risks, design a compliant system, install certified gas suppression equipment and provide ongoing maintenance.

Look for suppliers who offer:

If you’re operating a facility with sensitive equipment, valuable data, or high fire risk, a gas suppression system provides fast, clean and reliable protection. With no water damage, minimal downtime and full compliance, gaseous suppression delivers peace of mind while protecting your people, assets, and operations.

Ready to protect your critical infrastructure? Click here to find out more.

Also read: Enhancing fire suppression and revolutionising fast response with video detection and IR cameras

Foam dosing systems lead the fight against industrial fires

Highly sophisticated foam dosing systems are increasingly becoming the weapon of choice to combat industrial fires that pose immense risks to businesses and their employees.

Offering rapid and effective fire control, the technology represents a superior fire suppression option to traditional water based systems and older proportioning solutions. With such fires typically involving extreme temperatures and hazardous materials, modern foams are used to disperse a thick blanket of foam over the fire to smother flames, cool hot surfaces and prevent reignition. This approach is especially beneficial for fires involving flammable liquids such as oil, gasoline and chemicals that are commonly used on industrial sites.

Traditional foam systems have been featured bladder tanks, foam pump proportioners and in-line inductors to inject the foam concentrate into the fire water. While they can be effective, such systems can have shortfalls, including being complicated to set up, refill and maintain. They must also have the correct flow and pressure to ensure compliant proportioning.

Verifying that the proportioning device is suited to and designed for the proposed foam is critical, particularly given the wide range of viscosities with the new fluorine free foams that are being offered by manufacturers.

By contrast, the best water motor driven pump foam dosing systems feature variable viscosity proportioners, ensuring an uninterrupted foam supply as long as water and concentrate are available. Adding other concentrates is as simple as connecting another container to the system.

The modern models are ideal in settings such as aircraft hangars, petrochemical plants, mines, refineries, manufacturing facilities and marine applications.

How they work
Foam dosing systems are installed inline with the fire water supply. As water passes through the unit, a turbine is driven that operates a positive displacement pump and foam is automatically dosed into the fire water to create the foam solution.

The quantity of water supply, foam concentrate and the size of the foam dosing unit depends on a number of factors, including the type and size of the risk, duration of discharge.

The foam-dosing unit can precisely mix the foam concentrate with water to achieve the desired foam proportioning. Knowledge of the viscosity of concentrates is important given the current shift in the market from the more traditional foams, including AFFF (aqueous film forming foam) and protein based foams, to SFFF (synthetic fluorine-free foam) concentrates. With regulatory bodies driving the change, the viscosity of the newer SFFF concentrates is the key to selecting an appropriate proportioner and complying with the latest rules and standards.

This underlines the importance for industrial site managers to draw on the experience of qualified fire-prevention experts, who can help design and deploy the best technology. Contemporary foam dosing solutions, including the well-regarded FIREMIKS range that Delta Fire distributes in Australia, are engineered to accept different foam types.

Best of the best
Unlike traditional fire suppression methods that often require extensive infrastructure and continuous water supply, the foam dosing systems optimise concentrate consumption, leading to lower operational costs and reduced maintenance requirements over time.

FIREMIKS offers a diverse range of solutions catering to various flow sizes and proportioning requirements. While the technology is complex and state of the art, the systems are easy to install, handle, maintain and test.

At the heart of the FIREMIKS model is a water-driven volumetric pump proportioner designed for fixed installations. The model also stands out by offering two types of dosing pump proportioners – piston and gear pumps – with the most suitable pump type depending on factors such as foam type and viscosity.

Units with piston pumps are particularly suited for use in foam-dosing systems with low startup flows, such as sprinkler systems. Water motor driven proportioners equipped with gear pumps are well-suited for handling high and very high viscosity concentrates. Most other manufacturers do not offer dual pump options, giving FIREMIKS an advantage in providing the right solution for a specific site and fire type.

Another strength of the FIREMIKS model is its testing capabilities. Unlike many others, all FIREMIKS units can be supplied with a dosing-return valve that returns the concentrate back to the tank during a test. This provides an important environmental benefit, as well as substantial cost savings as there is no cleaning up or destruction of dispersed foam.

FIREMIKS also has mobile proportioner units that can be used by fire brigades.

A life-saving investment
By adopting superior foam-dosing technology, industries can better protect their assets and employees from the devastation and downtime that major fires can cause. As ageing, traditional proportioning systems reach the end of their life cycle, technology advances are leading to the integration of foam dosing systems with more effective and environmentally friendly foam concentrates.

Although the systems are easy to install and operate, for best results it is advisable to seek the advice of fire safety experts who can help site managers choose the most appropriate foam dosing models and concentrates. Doing so will go a long way towards adhering to the latest foam regulations, while providing peace of mind for all people who enter potentially dangerous industrial sites.

The latest foam dosing technology is a game changer for industrial sites that want to quickly and effectively mitigate severe fire risks. Click here to find out more and contact Australia’s leading provider of fire protection systems.

The 5 hottest fire-suppression trends engineers must know about

A strong knowledge of strategies to prevent or limit fires on industrial and commercial sites is essential for engineers and designers as they seek to minimise risks for their clients. Here are some key factors to understand. 

1. Environmentally friendly foam suppressants

Stopping an out-of-control fire is one thing – doing it in a way that minimises fallout for the environment is another. The latest foam suppression concentrates can protect business assets from fire risk without contaminating the surrounding land, air and waterways. A range of synthetic and biodegradable protein firefighting foams are suitable for a variety of scenarios, including wildfires, aviation, petrochemical and marine events.

Proportioning systems such as water-driven foam dosing of fires is renowned as a way to extinguish fires faster while reducing a blaze’s environmental impact. Such techniques are cost-effective and provide peace of mind for environmentally aware site managers.

2. Fire-safety arsenal for wind turbines

With renewable energy sources now in vogue, applications such as wind turbines are increasingly being used. They need reliable fire protection measures as the risk of burning debris falling to the ground and setting alight the surrounding countryside can be catastrophic.

The solution is specialised tube-based systems. One of the most effective and environmentally friendly solutions is Firetrace’s linear pneumatic system which provides both fire detection and suppression in a single, self-contained package. It uses a fire-protection fluid that, when discharged, turns into a colourless and odourless gas that disperses naturally, leaving no residue that could damage sensitive electrical equipment.

3. Pre-engineered systems for commercial kitchens

Some fires in commercial kitchens are inevitable, but with the right advice and equipment from an experienced fire-prevention expert the aim is to quickly detect and suppress kitchen fires before they take hold. Pre-engineered systems such as Ansul R-102 – the world’s most popular kitchen fire-protection solution – use advanced suppression agents that have three vital characteristics: fast flame knock-down; vapour securement; and the ability to cool hot surfaces and cooking oils.

The system can be triggered manually or automatically, and affected areas simply have to be flushed out with water or steam after a fire – meaning that the kitchen can be back up and running very quickly. It meets all the relevant Australian and international standards and can be retrofitted to existing kitchens.

 4. Spray systems for the mining industry

Fires in heavy mobile equipment on mining, forestry and other industrial sites can lead to costly machinery damage and operational delays. However, specially developed vehicle fire-protection systems such as the acclaimed Amerex DCP/ICE vehicle suppression system can limit the fallout. It features linear or spot detection devices which are located in at-risk areas of the vehicle.

Heat causes a control module to alert vehicle operators and activates dry chemical extinguishing agents and/or foam spray systems to put out the fire. It is important to seek the assistance of a reputable fire-prevention expert who can assist clients with the commissioning and installation process.

5. Advanced fire monitors

Prevention is always the best cure, so choosing and using the right fire monitor can make all of the difference when it comes to warding off fire disasters. There are essentially two types of monitors – fixed and mobile. The choice can have serious implications for users, but it is not always a straightforward decision. Fixed monitors are attached permanently to pipework and are positioned to attack a fire at a specific risk point.

They typically target flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel, methanol etc. on sites including petrochemical refineries, LNG facilities, tank farms, fuel distribution depots and loading jetties. A major benefit of a fixed monitor is that it can be activated and used to fight a particular fire faster than a mobile unit, which has to be transported. However, mobile monitors are versatile and can be trailer mounted or positioned by hand for fast deployment in a range of scenarios. As with any fire risk, it is important to discuss the best option with highly qualified professionals with extensive technical expertise who can assess your business requirements.

Delta Fire is a commercial fire safety expert that specialises in the design and installation of all the fire-suppression systems and products mentioned in this article. Visit www.deltafire.com.au for more details.