Applications

Fully functional deluge systems are of the utmost importance on offshore gas platforms / gas rigs. Mandatory annual testing is usually performed with sea water. This causes many problems with corrosion and marine growth within the system. Furthermore, in arctic conditions, it can lead to frozen water pockets, where entire sections may be left unprotected.

SIRON Dry Deluge Testing has proven to be the best possible solution on many gas and oil producing offshore platforms.

On an offshore substation, generally a transformer set and high voltage equipment must be protected by a firefighting system. Here applying water, let alone seawater, for testing can be very dangerous. Common practise is not to test the deluge or open foam systems at these facilities.

SIRON Dry Deluge Testing avoids all risks and hazards involved when testing deluge systems utilizing the traditional wet testing method. Recent first tests have proven their worth at a North Sea substation. Several blocked nozzles were identified, providing verifiable proof that in a so called no testing policy would have been a potential danger.

Nuclear Power Plants – Testing a deluge system in the traditional (wet) way in nuclear power plant is a challenge since water and electricity do not ‘mix’.

Therefore, SIRON Dry Deluge Testing turned out to be a more viable and efficient means method of testing. Dry Deluge Testing in nuclear power plant is a growing business, originating from the UK, where our first tests were performed.

In the chemical plants industry, deluge testing with water poses additional problems. Apart from the known disadvantages of wet testing, another obstacle is the required discontinuation of production process while testing.

SIRON Dry Deluge Testing can be carried out in a segmented way, such that processing can remain live and in service throughout the entire testing process. Because water ingress is negated in the processing equipment, production can continue while testing. Shutdowns are known all too well for the expenses involved and the problems incurred during restarts. These issues can now be eliminated.

High level and hard to reach deluge systems, such as systems in atria of offices and deluge systems in crowded areas have proven to be difficult to be tested with water. No office or public area is designed to be sprayed with a large volume of water. In order to test in a traditional way, furniture and office equipment need to be stowed away before a test can be performed. Inside building cleaning up and potential damage to furniture is a reason why tests are simply not performed.

SIRON Dry Deluge Testing in these cases has proven to be the most efficient and most safe testing method.

On a moving or stationary vessel like an FPSO or FLNG deluge testing always brings disruption to normal work routines. Above that, cleaning up test water is very demanding and time consuming due to the minimal space on the vessel.

SIRON Dry Deluge Testing is an environmentally friendly alternative to water testing, which takes into account that the waste water sump tanks on a ship are very limited in capacity. Since no water is applied during a Dry Deluge Test, no water needs to be collected and processed afterwards.

Drenching Fire Protection Systems on Ro-Ro

Under the SOLAS regulations, all passenger vessels require to have drenching systems by 2010. The drencher room is where the valves for isolating zones are located. The drencher pump is generally in another position – usually not in the engine room. The pump is started either locally, from the drencher room, or in some cases from the bridge. However, the valves are generally manually operated.

SIRON have carried out Dry Deluge Testing to numerous drencher systems on Ro-Ro vessels across the world. In cases of badly corroded or blocked pipe SIRON can offer a descaling and corrosion inhibition treatment that works out far more commercially viable than traditional pipe replacement options, due to it being less time consuming and labour intensive, as it uses the existing pipework and can be carried out with the pipe in position.

Across the maritime sector naval vessels, cargo ships, tankers, and cruise ships engine rooms, machinery spaces, pump rooms, and paint stores are typically protected by fixed gas-based extinguishing systems. CO2 total-flooding installations remain the most common, supplemented by clean-agent systems such as FM-200 and NOVEC 1230, alongside the legacy Halon systems still in service on older tonnage. Verifying that these systems will actually deliver the agent to the correct space when called upon is an essential part of in-service maintenance.

Discharging a CO2 or clean-agent system simply to confirm pipework integrity is rarely practical. Recharging is costly, the operation disrupts vessel availability, and a CO2 discharge carries serious safety risks for personnel. For Halon, venting the agent to atmosphere is no longer permitted under the Montreal Protocol. As a consequence, gas-system pipework is often left untested between major surveys, while debris, dirt, or corrosion in long discharge lines can go undetected.

SIRON addresses this with a dry verification method developed specifically for CO2 and clean-agent systems. Dry, colored compressed air is fed through the discharge piping downstream of the master valves, and the flow path is then traced from each nozzle outlet. This provides immediate visual confirmation that the pipework and nozzles are clear, and that the agent will reach every protected zone in the correct distribution pattern without releasing a single kilogram of extinguishing agent. The procedure is aligned with the requirements of SOLAS, the IMO, and the major classification societies (DNV, Lloyd’s Register, ABS, Bureau Veritas), making it suitable for scheduled in-service surveys, dry-dockings, and port calls.

In mining continuous, effective dewatering is needed for many underground and opencast mines to enable continued operation. The water, which seeps into the shafts and galleries in greater or lesser quantities depends on the properties of the bedrock and the height of the groundwater table, could otherwise lead to flooding if not removed.

Annual Wet Deluge testing which is stipulated is therefore not always carried out; so it is not known if the piping and nozzles of the deluge systems are clear to be able to control a fire and are in a fit for purpose condition.

Safety and reliability are a crucial requirement for being able to extract mineral resources safely and smoothly, especially underground. The demands made on each of the solutions involved are correspondingly high.

Siron Dry Deluge Testing uses a non-toxic, environmentally friendly vapor which is pumped through the system downstream of the deluge valve. This eliminates the requirement to utilize water as a testing medium for routine testing. By implementing a Dry Deluge Testing protocol entire fire protection systems can be tested from the deluge valves to the most remote nozzle.

Dry Deluge Testing can detect blocked or partially blocked nozzles, blocked or partially blocked pipe work and also damaged deluge nozzles. Dry Deluge Testing meets NFPA, NORSOK, UK HSE testing criteria and has been 3rd party independently attested for use by Bureau Veritas.

There are many car tunnels around the world that are protected by Fixed Fire Fighting Systems (FFFS). Over the years there have been many accidents involving road vehicles so more and more countries are choosing to protect their car tunnels with FFFS. As with any other fire protection systems these require regular testing and maintenance.

Carrying out regular wet deluge testing in car tunnels is time consuming and can involve multiple personnel and the closure of the tunnel for a number of days. By carrying out SIRON Dry Deluge Testing the tunnel closure times can be reduced substantially and still verify that the systems and zones are in a fit for purpose condition.