Regular testing and maintenance ensure a maximum service life and practical and failure-related safety of technical appliances. The similar applies to foam-based fire extinguishing methods and the foam proportioners installed in them.
Up to now, such testing and upkeep have required the presence of personnel on-site. However, it would be simpler and extra cost-efficient for extinguishing system operators if this was possible in a completely automated and remote-controlled manner. For example, this would also make common maintenance personnel journey to remotely positioned proportioners redundant. In addition, this is ready to be positive that necessities by the manufacturer, requirements and sets of regulations are noticed with none practical deviations and unsuitable time intervals.
The remote testing system throughout the ‘Smart Proportioner’ development framework has been created only for this purpose. pressure gauge ไฮ ด รอ ลิ ค is an advancement of the remote monitoring system.
Brief overview of the distant monitoring system
The remote monitoring system is used for proportioner monitoring in testing mode during maintenance and live firefighting operations.
In the course of remote monitoring, the proportioning price and different working parameters are decided, recorded and forwarded to the system operator if essential. Thus, the graceful functionality and operational readiness of the system are monitored and ensured this fashion.
A distant monitoring system consists of a management system, including an elective local display unit (HMI) if relevant, and sensor expertise. The sensor technology includes, at the least, the chance to determine the water motor’s variety of revolutions and to determine the foam agent move price. These values are used to calculate the proportioning price. This determine is the core characteristic through the operation and testing of a foam proportioner. Further sensor expertise is on the market on an optionally available basis.
The distant monitoring system helps the operating and service personnel on-site. It can be appropriate for remote monitoring of the froth proportioner.
However, it is a basic fact that personnel are at all times necessary to hold out the upkeep work or the proportioning fee testing on-site as the system plays a monitoring role solely. It does not actively work together with the functioning of the proportioner.
In the course of remote monitoring, the proportioning fee and different operating parameters are decided, displayed and forwarded. Images equipped by Author / Contributor
Evolution – from remote monitoring to remote testing
The query is tips on how to further reduce the maintenance effort on foam proportioners.
The solution lies within the distant testing system, the subsequent step of the intelligent FireDos proportioners. The distant testing system permits monitoring of the proportioner and individual maintenance, together with proportioning fee testing.
The condition of the proportioner can be checked without having to begin out up the hearth extinguishing system. No personnel are required on-site. Proportioners in a remote place or which are solely not often inspected by personnel on-site could be checked with out upkeep employees and associated expenses, such as journey expenditure. In particular, growing the testing interval is feasible with out extra efforts. The instruction guide for FireDos proportioners requires regular starting-up, using the service crank manually as a minimum. This is meant to forestall deposits inside the tools, impairing its ease of motion and thus conserving the proportioner’s performance. The remote testing system can undertake these common actions and take a look at the proportioning rate, growing the service life and practical safety of the proportioner.
What is the design of a distant testing system?
The remote testing system is generally primarily based upon the remote monitoring system. It is, however, significantly prolonged by the use of actuators. This is because they allow the fully impartial operation of the distant testing system; i.e., the proportioning rate of the proportioner is tested with out activating the water pumps of the fire extinguishing system.
The core elements include a central management system, with an optional HMI, sensor technology, electrical ball valve drives, an electrical drive for the proportioner and a bypass line previous the water motor.
The connection of the electrical drive and the proportioner is designed so that the electrical drive could have no interference with the proportioner’s functionality within the case of a fire. This method, the benefits of the mechanical proportioning principle are preserved.
How does the distant testing system work, and the way can the proportioning price be checked without activating the water pumps?
If in ready-to-operate mode, the proportioner is all the time in the proportioning position. Upon initiation of an computerized testing process, no matter if after a defined time interval, upon request through a cloud answer or from the fire extinguishing system/a local operator, the proportioner is put into testing operation. Specifically, the management system places the proportioner into testing operation using an electrically actuated ball valve drive whereas the froth agent isn’t combined into the extinguishing water but returned to the foam agent tank. At the same time, it opens the electrically actuated ball valve in the bypass line past the water motor. Next, the electrical drive of the proportioner is activated, driving the complete proportioner at its start-up circulate rate. The start-up move fee is the bottom operating level of a proportioner to succeed in its nominal proportioning fee.
Due to the external electrical drive, the water motor works like a pump and generates a water move via the bypass from the water motor’s outlet to the water motor’s inlet. The operation causes no change of strain in the extinguishing water line. The fire extinguishing system is due to this fact not influenced when the proportioner is examined.
As the extinguishing water circulate rate simulated by the external drive can additionally be identified due to the known ratio of the water motor’s variety of revolutions and the water circulate price, just the froth agent move fee should be decided to permit the next calculation of the proportioning fee. This is finished by a volumetric circulate meter between the proportioning pump’s outlet and the ball valve, which switches between returning and proportioning mode. This allows willpower of the froth agent flow fee, both in testing mode and whereas proportioning in case of an alarm.
The proportioning price is determined in accordance with the method as required in the standards and laws EN 13565-1, NFPA 11, FM 4-12, and the Nordtest NT Fire 042 method.
Foam agent circulate rate [l/min]
(Extinguishing water flow fee x a hundred = proportioning rate %+ foam agent circulate rate) [l/min]
After completion of the testing process, the electrical drive of the proportioner stops, the bypass line is closed, and the proportioner is returned to proportioning mode.
Sensor expertise put in as an extra option or inside the electrical drive allows obtaining further info and conclusions concerning the state and condition of the respective unit. It is checked, for instance, whether the ball valves are of their correct positions or adequate oil is within the crankshaft housing of the proportioning pump. In addition, the stress values on the pump inlet/outlet and the pressure on the water motor are recorded. Finally, measuring the entire system’s torque and the flow price contained in the bypass line permits checking the overall condition of the proportioner.
The knowledge could be displayed locally or through a cloud answer. Controlling the maintenance operation is also potential by way of both interfaces.
What if there is an alarm throughout a testing process?
An necessary query is: Does the proportioner work without any limitations and as usual if there’s an alarm? The answer is: Yes!
The distant testing system is designed in such a way that extinguishing water can move via the water motor and begin it up at any time, even when the electrical drive is working on the same time. In addition, a novel, absolutely computerized and purely mechanical decoupling mechanism ensures that the electrical drive does not intervene with the proportioner’s functioning and readiness to operate.
In case of an alarm, the ball valves in the bypass line and those for switching between returning and proportioning are instantly switched so that the proportioner is in proportioning mode for firefighting. Thus, the control system is put into alarm mode on this case. This alarm mode causes the disabling of all capabilities not needed at that second and all ball valves to be set to their appropriate position.
Therefore, in case of an alarm throughout testing operation, the ball valves swap to their appropriate position totally mechanically and the electric drive is switched off. Even if the electrical drive remains to be running or coming to a stop, the extinguishing water can flow by way of the water motor and drive the proportioning pump without limitations. The alarm mode of the management system prevents re-activation of the electrical drive or any unintended ball valve switching.
What advantages does a remote testing system provide?
Compared with commonplace proportioners and those geared up with a distant monitoring system, a distant testing system provides various advantages. They characteristic the next:
ν Proportione
Display view for testing operation of the FireDos distant testing system. Images supplied by Author / Contributor
cian should be on-site.
Regular proportioning price testing: Regular proportioning rate testing ensures optimum functioning of the proportioner in case of a fireplace. If the proportioning price is too low, the extinguishing success may be compromised. Overdosing causes the froth agent to be consumed sooner than supposed, resulting in the untimely ending of the froth operation.
Increasing useful and failure security as a result of increased testing intervals: An increased test interval causes the proportioner to be examined fully routinely at shorter intervals of time. This notably reduces the risk of a failure remaining undetected for a longer time period. In addition, extra frequent testing prevents the formation of deposits inside the water motor.
Early fault detection and diagnostics: Faults within the proportioner or parts of the extinguishing system, immediately affecting the proportioner’s performance, may be recognized at an early stage of time. This consists of, for example, pressure variations within the extinguishing water line or a jammed suction line.
Inclusion of all capabilities and benefits of the distant monitoring system: All functions and benefits of the distant monitoring system are also present within the remote testing system, i.e. all relevant working parameters are recorded and processed constantly and correctly as properly as documented in a log file. In addition, all information are displayed by a visualization.
Reduction of costs: Regular useful testing makes it attainable to detect faults even earlier. This means, maintenance and repairs can happen before any extra critical injury occurs. The increased performance and fault security of the proportioner ensures that the service lifetime of the proportioners is maximized and the probability of a failure is minimized. As a end result, reduced service and operating workforce on-site cut back prices considerably, notably if the proportioner is positioned in a remote place. In addition, practical testing of the proportioner allows early identification, evaluation and probably limiting a fault remotely. This makes service visits more efficient and subsequently more cost-effective.
Summary and prospect
The remote monitoring system already supplies various advantages and helps reduce costs, but it cannot cut back the workforce required on-site.
The remote testing system is an answer for reducing upkeep necessities. It is the next evolution in the midst of growing intelligent FireDos proportioners.
The distant testing system permits lowering the workforce required on-site to a minimum, along with shorter testing intervals and increased failure safety. This increases the proportioner’s service life.
If the proportioner is in a fault-free state, no additional upkeep by personnel on-site is important, other than an oil change. The oil change can be carried out by the operator’s personnel, too, simply and without any deeper knowledge of the operating precept of proportioners. If a service go to or restore ought to nonetheless turn out to be necessary, remote monitoring and early fault detection will make the planning and completion of such work extra environment friendly.
Like the distant monitoring system, the remote testing system is an optimum symbiosis of mechanical proportioners and an intelligent digital upgrade. Thus, the advantages from each expertise fields are combined without compromising the performance of mechanical FireDos proportioners.
For extra information, go to www.firedos.com
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