FIRE PROTECTION

(WATER BASED SYSTEMS)

BASICS & DESIGN
WHAT WE WILL BE COVERING?

Why we need these systems?

What is Fire?

Fire Zoning

Fire Water Demand Calculation

Fire Water Hydraulics

Ring Main (Its Basis)

Locating Hydrants & Monitors

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WHY WE NEED THESE SYSTEMS?

Worst Industrial Disasters

December 3, 1984
The Bhopal Disaster

The Bhopal disaster in India is one of the

largest industrial disaster on record.
Release of Methyl Isocyanine at Union
Carbide plant resulted in;

 2,500 immediate fatalities

 20,000 total deaths
 Many other offsite injuries

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WHY WE NEED THESE SYSTEMS?

Worst Industrial Disasters

April 20, 2010
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Gulf of Mexico
An explosion and fire that resulted in a
massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico,
considered the largest offshore spill in U.S.
history

 11 men killed
 Severe environmental impacts
 Grave financial losses to BP

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FIRE

• How fire starts?

• What if any one the

elements are taken out?

• What is required to

extinguish fire?

1. Quenching

2. Smothering

3. Starvation

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FIRE POTENTIAL EQUIPMENT

Any equipment (containing flammable or combustible material) that has

the potential to initiate or support fire.

HIGH FIRE MEDIUM FIRE LOW FIRE

POTENTIAL POTENTIAL POTENTIAL
EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT

Equipment handling approximately 5m3 inventory.

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FIRE POTENTIAL EQUIPMENT

Pumps
HIGH FIRE Compressors
POTENTIAL
EQUIPMENT Air Fin Fan Coolers
Reactors
Accumulators
MEDIUM FIRE Towers
POTENTIAL Air Preheaters
EQUIPMENT Transformers
Pressure Vessels

Pumps (Class IIIB)

LOW FIRE
POTENTIAL
Piping Systems
EQUIPMENT Heat Exchangers
Separators

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FIRE ZONING

Fire Zone:
“It is an area enclosed by imaginary
boundary where a fire is assumed to occur”

Following criteria is used to separate fire zones;

• 15 meter separation
• Pipe rack According to API-521;
• Firewall
• Roads “A fire impact area is
• Bunds frequently limited to a
ground area of 230 – 460
• Dykes
m2” which correspond to
a radius of 8.6 – 12.1 m”

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descon.com
METHODOLOGY

Identify the fire potential equipment

Yes
Does the equipment hold sufficient (5m3) of No
flammable/ combustible inventory to cause
pool fire?
Yes

Is there any other equipment within 15 m No

Separate the fire zone
radius?
Yes

No Does this equipment also a fire potential

equipment?

Yes
No
Is there any fire barrier?

Yes

Separate fire zone

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FIRE ZONE LAYOUT

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FW DEMAND CALCULATION

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WATER SPRAY DENSITIES

WATER SPRAY DENSITY

EQUIPMENT REFERANCE
(USGPM/ft2)

PUMPS 0.5 NFPA-15 (Clause 7.3.2)

COMPRESSORS 0.5 NFPA-15 (Clause 7.3.2)

VESSELS 0.25 NFPA-15 (Clause 7.4.2)

NFPA-15 (Clause 7.4.4.3)

TRANSFORMERS 0.25

AIR FIN COOLERS 0.25 API-2030 (Clause 7.3.4)

BURNING STORAGE TANK 0.35 API-2030 (Table 1)

API-2030 (Table 1)
ADJACENT TANK COOLING 0.1

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SAMPLE CALCULATION
FIRE ZONE-01

Protected Water spray

Fire water demand
Protected equipment area density
(USGPM)
(ft2) (USGPM/ft2)

Pump-01 40 0.5 20

Compressor-01 2200 0.5 1100

Vessel 100 0.25 25

Exchangers 80 0.25 20

Transformers 1500 0.25 375

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HYDRAULICS

• Plot Plan

• Schematic of Fire Water Ring main

• Maximum demand

• Operating conditions (Pressure, Velocity)

• Velocity in ring main should not exceed 3.5m/s.

• Remotest point pressure of 6.9 barg.

• Define pipe type and schedule

• Define physical properties (Density, viscosity)

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HYDRAULICS OUTPUT

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CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT OF FW RING

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LOCATING HYDRANTS / MONITORS

• Safe envelope for their operation is 15m.

• Two devices will provide coverage to equipment at a time.
• Process Area;
Min: 30 m
Max: 45 m
• Utilities Area;
Min: 70 m
Max: 90 m
• Isolation valves located at the maximum of 100m for
process area.
• Isolation valves located at the maximum of 300m for utility
area.
• No more than 3 hydrants or monitors isolated at a time.

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