FHC - Sprinkler Hydraulic Calculation Software for the fire sprinkler Industry

FHC is a world leader in fire sprinkler hydraulic calculation software and has hundreds of users in over 40 counties. The software has been successfully used for the design of fire sprinkler systems, water-mist, medium and high velocity water spray systems, hydrants and foam/water monitors. FHC complies with over 12 international standards including LPC, NFPA, FM, BS 5306 part 2 andEN 12845. With FHC you can build complex hydraulic models simply, with a set of easy to use design tools and you can see the pipe network instantly on the screen. You can calculate any type of pipework network from simple tree systems to multiple looped systems or any other combination. As you create the hydraulic model and connect pipe nodes together FHC will automatically find any tees and elbows you have create and will add the fitting to the pipe and lookup the equivalent length in its extensive pipe and fitting database. With FHC's fast calculation algorithm will get your results in seconds allowing you to concentrate on optimizing the systems for the most economically design. Pipework pressure losses can be calculated using Hazen-Williams or DarcyWeisbach equations, making FHC suitable for more demanding systems and high pressure watermist calculations. Two design wizards QUICK-GRIDTM and TREE PLANTER are included which will help you quickly create a grid system or a terminal end system with minimal information. FHC will calculate the source pressure and flow requirements or you can balance the system to a fire pump curve, constant pressure pump or to a city water supply.

Hydraulic calculations for Wet & Dry risers systems

A useful research report has been published by ODPM to provided information on the limitations of fire rising mains such as wet and dry risers complying with BS 5306 part 1 : 2006. The report looks at a number of different pumps and nozzle and hydraulic calculates the pressure loss through the pipe. The Canute - FHC hydraulic calculation software is able to make the same types of pressure loss calculations as presented in this report which may help installers and designs verify designs.

Fire Sprinkler Hydraulic Calculation Software

FHC recognized thought the world as the leading hydraulic calculation software for the fire sprinkler industry and has hundreds of users in over 40 counties. The software has been successfully used for the hydraulic calculations of fire sprinkler systems, water mist, medium and high velocity water spray systems, hydrants and foam/water monitors systems. The FHC hydraulic calculation software can be used with 16 different national and international design standards including EN 12845, BS 9251, FM, NFPA, CP 52, ASIB, and AS2118.1

Examples of some FHC Fire Protection Calculations.

FHC can model and calculate many types of fire protection systems including fire sprinkler systems, deluge, water mist and many more, giving the fire protection designer the ultimate freedom.

Two Installations & one water supply

An example two-installation control valves supplied by one water supply. The first installation is a grid roof sprinkler system designed to give 12.5 mm/min over 260m2, and the seconded installation feeds the in-rack sprinkler system. The FHC program calculated this system in under 1 second.

ESFR Sprinkler Installation

A ESFR sprinkler system can be model very quickly by using the 'Quick Grid' wizard. This can be useful for establishing pipe sizes and water source demand for a project at the development stage. The 'Quick Grid' wizard can also be used for a more traditional grid system given a AMAO and design density.

Water-Mist Installation
FHC can model water mist system in accordance with NFPA 750.

Calculations are based on Darcy Weisbach equation and can take into account both the fluids absolute viscosity (centipoises) and the density of the fluid. The water supply can be from a pressurized cylinder, constant pressure pump or other type water source. Custom nozzle and pipe data files are used for the hydraulic modeling water mist system and Canute or the water mist manufacture can supply them.

Fire Hydrant Systems

FHC can hydraulically model fire hydrant systems, configured as simple layout or loop systems. Any number of hydrants can be flowing and you can specify different flow and pressure from each hydrant if required. If the hydrant system is to be feed from a pump supply then you can determine the actual flow rate from the hydrants or minimize the pipe sizes by using FHCs auto pipe size command.

Deluge / Spray Installation

Deluge installation of any type can be model with the FHC program. In this example medium velocity sprayers are protecting a vertical cylinder. Within the FHC hydraulic model we specified an area for each nozzle and a minimum design density of 10 mm/min.

Simple Tree Network

This example is of a simple tree pipe network. We used the FHC 'tree planter' wizard to quickly build the tree network. Then we allowed FHC to automatically sizes the pipes based on a maximum pipe velocity of 6m/sec which we specified.