As part of the order from a CHP plant the WOLFF GROUP completed a project concerning the comprehensive implementation of a coal conveyor gallery sprinkler system.
In order to ensure fire protection of the coal gallery, the sprinkler system was divided into an appropriate number of fire-extinguishing zones. The number of sections was optimised and selected so as to obtain appropriate hydraulic parameters for selected sprinklers, taking into account the conditions prevailing in the customer’s existing system.
A fire is an uncontrolled combustion process taking place outside the place designated for this purpose and entailing property damage. It is accompanied by harmful factors, such as flame, a temperature rise, smoke, explosions, sparks, toxic combustion products, the consequence of which can be damage to building structures and process plant, destruction of crops or forest.
All protected spaces are controlled by properly calibrated heat detectors monitoring the occurrence of fire within the protected area. In addition, the system was fitted with manual call points located inside and outside the coal conveyor gallery, which allows the personnel to report any undesirable phenomena during a routine inspection.
Individual system sections can also be manually controlled with the use of “start extinguishing” buttons, which are located near deluge valve stations.
The automatic fire extinguishing system is activated based on a signal that meets the conditions characteristic of a fire, which is generated as a result of the coincidence of two alarm states. In order to avoid incorrect fire detection indication by only one sensor the so-called two-group coincidence was provided.
For the protected zone sensors were fitted at equal intervals of 3 m over the entire length of the protected surface. This allows the coincidence to be implemented and ensures compliance with the requirements arising from environmental conditions.
As soon as fire is detected in an extinguishing zone, the control panel and the control modules will trigger the opening of the water valve and supply water to the sprinklers of the affected extinguishing zone and the next adjacent one.
The fire extinguishing system is supplied with water from the customer’s fire-fighting water supply system. The sprinkler system installed guarantees the required level of protection of the entire inclined gallery of the CHP plant with two belt conveyors.
As part of the turnkey contract the following was completed:
- development of a technological concept (including process calculations), piping (including hydraulic calculations), mechanical, construction, fire detection, electrical, I&C and visualisation,
- execution of detailed and as-built documentation for the inclined gallery protection,
- execution of sprinkler systems (disassembly of the existing system, delivery of components, installation and commissioning),
- execution of the fire detection system,
- earthworks and connection to the existing fire protection system,
- execution of visualisation and control system of the sprinkler system.
