Regular testing and maintenance ensure a most service life and functional and failure-related security of technical appliances. The same applies to foam-based hearth extinguishing techniques and the froth 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 totally automatic and remote-controlled manner. For example, this would additionally make regular maintenance personnel journey to remotely located proportioners redundant. In addition, this is ready to make positive that requirements by the manufacturer, standards and sets of rules are observed with none practical deviations and unsuitable time intervals.
The distant testing system inside the ‘Smart Proportioner’ improvement framework has been created just for this purpose. It 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 throughout upkeep and reside firefighting operations.
In the course of remote monitoring, the proportioning price and different operating parameters are decided, recorded and forwarded to the system operator if necessary. Thus, the sleek functionality and operational readiness of the system are monitored and ensured this manner.
A remote monitoring system consists of a control system, together with an optional local show unit (HMI) if applicable, and sensor know-how. The sensor technology includes, at least, the chance to determine the water motor’s number of revolutions and to discover out the froth agent circulate price. These values are used to calculate the proportioning rate. This determine is the core attribute during the operation and testing of a foam proportioner. Further sensor know-how is on the market on an optionally available foundation.
The distant monitoring system supports the operating and service personnel on-site. It is also appropriate for distant monitoring of the foam proportioner.
However, it is a primary incontrovertible truth that personnel are at all times essential to hold out the maintenance work or the proportioning fee testing on-site as the system performs a monitoring function only. It does not actively work together with the functioning of the proportioner.
In the course of remote monitoring, the proportioning price and other working parameters are determined, displayed and forwarded. Images supplied by Author / Contributor
Evolution – from remote monitoring to distant testing
The query is tips on how to additional reduce the maintenance effort on foam proportioners.
The solution lies within the remote testing system, the next step of the intelligent FireDos proportioners. The distant testing system permits monitoring of the proportioner and particular person maintenance, together with proportioning rate testing.
The condition of the proportioner can be checked with out having to start out up the fire extinguishing system. No personnel are required on-site. Proportioners in a remote place or which would possibly be solely not often inspected by personnel on-site may be checked without maintenance workers and related bills, similar to journey expenditure. In particular, rising the testing interval is feasible without additional efforts. The instruction manual for FireDos proportioners requires common starting-up, utilizing the service crank manually as a minimum. This is meant to forestall deposits inside the equipment, impairing its ease of motion and thus conserving the proportioner’s performance. The distant testing system can undertake these common movements and test the proportioning price, increasing the service life and functional security of the proportioner.
What is the design of a distant testing system?
The distant testing system is generally primarily based upon the remote monitoring system. It is, nonetheless, notably extended by means of actuators. This is as a outcome of they enable the fully independent operation of the remote testing system; i.e., the proportioning rate of the proportioner is tested without activating the water pumps of the fire extinguishing system.
The core parts include a central control system, with an optional HMI, sensor expertise, electrical ball valve drives, an electrical drive for the proportioner and a bypass line past 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 performance in the case of a fire. This way, 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 with out activating the water pumps?
If in ready-to-operate mode, the proportioner is at all times in the proportioning position. Upon initiation of an computerized testing course of, regardless of if after a defined time interval, upon request by way of a cloud solution or from the hearth extinguishing system/a local operator, the proportioner is put into testing operation. Specifically, the control system puts the proportioner into testing operation using an electrically actuated ball valve drive while the foam agent just isn’t blended into the extinguishing water but returned to the foam agent tank. At the identical time, it opens the electrically actuated ball valve in the bypass line previous 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 flow price is the bottom operating level of a proportioner to achieve its nominal proportioning rate.
Due to the exterior electrical drive, the water motor works like a pump and generates a water circulate via the bypass from the water motor’s outlet to the water motor’s inlet. The operation causes no change of pressure in the extinguishing water line. The hearth extinguishing system is due to this fact not influenced when the proportioner is tested.
As the extinguishing water circulate fee simulated by the external drive can be known due to the identified ratio of the water motor’s variety of revolutions and the water move fee, just the froth agent flow rate must be determined to permit the next calculation of the proportioning price. This is finished by a volumetric flow meter between the proportioning pump’s outlet and the ball valve, which switches between returning and proportioning mode. This allows determination of the froth agent flow fee, both in testing mode and while proportioning in case of an alarm.
The proportioning fee is decided in accordance with the formula as required in the standards and laws EN 13565-1, NFPA 11, FM 4-12, and the Nordtest NT Fire 042 methodology.
Foam agent circulate fee [l/min]
(Extinguishing water circulate rate x a hundred = proportioning price %+ foam agent move rate) [l/min]
After completion of the testing process, the electric drive of the proportioner stops, the bypass line is closed, and the proportioner is returned to proportioning mode.
Sensor know-how put in as a further choice or inside the electrical drive allows acquiring additional information and conclusions concerning the state and situation of the respective unit. It is checked, for example, whether or not the ball valves are of their appropriate positions or adequate oil is within the crankshaft housing of the proportioning pump. In addition, the strain values on the pump inlet/outlet and the stress at the water motor are recorded. Finally, measuring the whole system’s torque and the flow fee contained in the bypass line permits checking the general condition of the proportioner.
The information can be displayed domestically or through a cloud resolution. Controlling the maintenance operation can additionally be attainable via both interfaces.
What if there is an alarm during a testing process?
An necessary question is: Does the proportioner work with none limitations and as traditional if there could be an alarm? The reply is: Yes!
The remote testing system is designed in such a way that extinguishing water can move through the water motor and start it up at any time, even when the electrical drive is working at the similar time. In addition, a singular, fully automated 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 people for switching between returning and proportioning are instantly switched in order that the proportioner is in proportioning mode for firefighting. Thus, the management system is put into alarm mode on this case. This alarm mode causes the disabling of all capabilities not necessary at that second and all ball valves to be set to their correct place.
Therefore, in case of an alarm throughout testing operation, the ball valves switch to their appropriate place totally automatically and the electric drive is switched off. Even if the electrical drive is still working or coming to a stop, the extinguishing water can circulate by way of the water motor and drive the proportioning pump without limitations. The alarm mode of the control system prevents re-activation of the electric drive or any unintended ball valve switching.
What benefits does a distant testing system provide?
Compared with standard proportioners and people equipped with a remote monitoring system, a distant testing system provides numerous advantages. They characteristic the following:
ν Proportione
Display view for testing operation of the FireDos remote testing system. Images equipped by Author / Contributor
cian should be on-site.
Regular proportioning rate testing: Regular proportioning price testing ensures optimum functioning of the proportioner in case of a hearth. If the proportioning price is just too low, the extinguishing success can be compromised. จำหน่ายเกจวัดแรงดัน causes the froth agent to be consumed quicker than supposed, resulting in the untimely ending of the foam operation.
Increasing useful and failure safety because of elevated testing intervals: An increased check interval causes the proportioner to be tested fully mechanically at shorter intervals of time. This notably reduces the chance of a failure remaining undetected for an extended period of time. 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, instantly affecting the proportioner’s functionality, could be identified at an early stage of time. This contains, for instance, strain variations in the extinguishing water line or a jammed suction line.
Inclusion of all features and advantages of the distant monitoring system: All features and advantages of the distant monitoring system are additionally current within the remote testing system, i.e. all related working parameters are recorded and processed repeatedly and correctly in addition to documented in a log file. In addition, all data are displayed by a visualization.
Reduction of prices: Regular useful testing makes it attainable to detect faults even earlier. This method, maintenance and repairs can happen earlier than any more critical injury happens. The elevated performance and fault safety of the proportioner ensures that the service lifetime of the proportioners is maximized and the chance of a failure is minimized. As a result, lowered service and working workforce on-site scale back costs significantly, particularly if the proportioner is located in a distant place. In addition, practical testing of the proportioner permits early identification, evaluation and probably limiting a fault remotely. This makes service visits extra efficient and subsequently cheaper.
Summary and prospect
The distant monitoring system already supplies various benefits and helps scale back costs, nevertheless it can’t scale back the workforce required on-site.
The distant testing system is an answer for lowering upkeep necessities. It is the subsequent evolution in the center of growing clever FireDos proportioners.
The remote testing system allows lowering the workforce required on-site to a minimum, along with shorter testing intervals and elevated failure safety. This will increase the proportioner’s service life.
If the proportioner is in a fault-free state, no further upkeep by personnel on-site is necessary, apart from an oil change. The oil change could be carried out by the operator’s personnel, too, simply and without any deeper data of the operating principle of proportioners. If a service visit or restore ought to still become 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 distant testing system is an optimum symbiosis of mechanical proportioners and an intelligent digital improve. Thus, the benefits from each know-how fields are combined without compromising the functionality of mechanical FireDos proportioners.
For extra data, go to www.firedos.com
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