PHILIPPINE MARITIME INSTITUTE QUEZON CITY

I.

INTRODUCTION

Fire can be devastating on a ship - particularly on a passenger ship, where large numbers of people may need to be evacuated, or on a ship carrying inflammable cargo, with serious risks to crewmembers or to ports and harbours. On 1 July 2002, a comprehensive new set of requirements for fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction on board ships entered into force as a new revised Chapter II-2 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, as amended, incorporating technological advances in fire detection and extinction as well as lessons learned from fire incidents over the years. The regulations are designed to ensure that fires are first of all prevented from occurring - for example by making sure that materials such as carpets and wall coverings are strictly controlled to reduce the fire risk; secondly, that any fires are rapidly detected; and thirdly; that any fire is contained and extinguished. Designing ships to ensure easy evacuation routes for crew and passengers are a key element.

II. DISCUSSION
Fire pumps
A fire pump is a specialized water pump that provides constant, high pressure for a watersystem used to extinguish fires. The fire pump intake can be connected to an undergroundwater pipe or a static source, such as a water tank or reservoir. Fire pumps may be poweredby an electric or diesel motor. The fire pump starts up when the water system dips below acertain pressure threshold, which can happen as sprinkler system heads, fire hoses andother firefighting connections are opened. There are two main types of fire pumps: positivedisplacement and centrifugal.

Fire Detectors
The concept of defense in depth is applied in fire protection when an early warning fire detection systemis used to communicate plant or equipment status to a central location or assigned staff. The first line of defense is the early warning fire detection system designed to detect the particles of combustion formedbefore overt signs of fire appear, followed by systems designed to detect fire and release extinguishingagents. The systems purpose is to provide the earliest possible warning of a potential fire hazard,principally by the extensive use of ionization smoke detectors.

The three basic types of detectors

Smoke Detectors
Ionization smoke detectors contain a small amount of radioactive material which ionizes the air in the sensing chamber,thus rendering it conductive and permitting a current flow through the air between two charge delectrodes. When smoke particles enter the ionization area, the detector circuit responds with an alarm or buzzing. Photoelectric spot type detectors contain a chamber that has either overlapping or porous covers of light that allows the entry of smoke. The unit contains a light source and a special photosensitive cell in the darkened chamber. The cell is either placed in the darkened chamber at an angle different from the light path or has the light blocked from it by a light stop or shield placed between the light source and the cell. With the admission of smoke particles, light strikes the particles and is scattered and reflected into the photosensitive cell. This causes the photosensing circuit to respond to the presence of smoke particles in the smoke chamber.

Heat Detectors
Can be configured as spot type or line type. In spot type detectors the sensingelement is concentrated at a particular location. Line type detectors sense temperature changes along thelength of a metal wire. When heat above a predetermined level reaches the lines strung throughout anarea to be protected, an alarm or alarm and fire-suppression system is triggered. Heat detectors are fixed-temperature, rate-compensated, or rate-of-rise types. A fixed-temperature detector is a device thatresponds when its operating element becomes heated to a predetermined level or higher. A rate-compensated detector is a device that responds when the temperature of the air surrounding the device reaches a predetermined level, regardless of the rate of temperature rise. A rate-of-rise detector is a device that responds when the temperature rises at a rate exceeding a predetermined amount.Device that responds to the appearance of radiant energy visible to thehuman eye or to radiant energy outside the range of human vision.

FLAME DETECTOR Flame detectors are optical fire detection devices. Which are able to detect infrared and/or ultra violet radiation given off from a flaming fire.

Infrared Flame Detector is a device with a sensing element that is responsive to radiant energy outside the range of human vision. Ultraviolet Flame Detector is a device with a sensing element that is responsive to radiant energy outside the range of human vision. Components of Fire Detectors 1. Normal Power Supply The normal power supply may be supplied either by a separate branch circuit from the ships switchboard or by storage batteries. When the power supplied by the storage batteries, they must be used only for the fire alarm and fire detection systems. 2. Emergency Power Supply Emergency power maybe supplied by a separate branch circuit taken from the temporary emergency lighting and power system switchboard or by storage batteries. If duplicate storage battery supply the normal power, the battery bing charged may served as the emergency power source.

3. Fire Detection Control Unit The fire detection control unit consist of a drip proof enclosed panel containing the fire alarm signaling, trouble alarm and power failure alarm devices. This devices must register both a visual and an audible signal. The visible signals are lights: - A red light indicates fire or smoke - A blue light indicates trouble in the system - A white light indicates that the power is on the system The control unit also contains a power supply transfer switch to engage the emergency power supply if the normal power supply fails. 4. Vibrating Bells Vibrating bells are like the red lights on the control unit fire alarm signal, the operation of any automatic fire detection system must automatically cause sounding of vibrating bells.