Regular testing and upkeep ensure a maximum service life and functional and failure-related security of technical appliances. The similar applies to foam-based fire extinguishing methods and the froth proportioners installed in them.
Up to now, such testing and maintenance have required the presence of personnel on-site. However, it might be simpler and more cost-efficient for extinguishing system operators if this was possible in a totally computerized and remote-controlled method. For example, this is ready to additionally make regular upkeep personnel travel to remotely located proportioners redundant. In addition, this may make certain that requirements by the manufacturer, standards and sets of regulations are observed with none useful deviations and unsuitable time intervals.
The distant testing system inside the ‘Smart Proportioner’ development framework has been created just for this objective. It is an development of the remote monitoring system.
Brief overview of the remote monitoring system
The remote monitoring system is used for proportioner monitoring in testing mode throughout maintenance and stay firefighting operations.
In the course of distant monitoring, the proportioning rate and different operating parameters are decided, recorded and forwarded to the system operator if needed. Thus, the sleek functionality and operational readiness of the system are monitored and ensured this fashion.
A distant monitoring system consists of a management system, including an optionally available native display unit (HMI) if applicable, and sensor know-how. The sensor know-how consists of, at the least, the likelihood to find out the water motor’s variety of revolutions and to discover out the foam 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 optional basis.
The remote monitoring system supports the operating and repair personnel on-site. It can be suitable for distant monitoring of the foam proportioner.
However, it’s a basic proven fact that personnel are always essential to carry out the upkeep work or the proportioning rate testing on-site as the system plays a monitoring position solely. It doesn’t actively work together with the functioning of the proportioner.
In the course of distant monitoring, the proportioning price and different working parameters are decided, displayed and forwarded. Images supplied by Author / Contributor
Evolution – from remote monitoring to distant testing
The query is how to additional reduce the maintenance effort on foam proportioners.
The answer lies within the remote testing system, the subsequent step of the clever FireDos proportioners. The remote testing system allows monitoring of the proportioner and particular person upkeep, together with proportioning fee testing.
The condition of the proportioner could be checked without having to begin up the fire extinguishing system. No personnel are required on-site. Proportioners in a remote place or which might be solely not often inspected by personnel on-site could be checked with out maintenance workers and associated bills, such as travel expenditure. In specific, growing the testing interval is feasible with out additional efforts. ตัววัดแรงดันน้ำมัน for FireDos proportioners requires common starting-up, utilizing the service crank manually at the least. This is intended to stop deposits inside the equipment, impairing its ease of movement and thus conserving the proportioner’s performance. The distant testing system can adopt these common movements and test the proportioning fee, increasing the service life and useful safety of the proportioner.
What is the design of a distant testing system?
The remote testing system is usually based upon the remote monitoring system. It is, nevertheless, notably prolonged by the use of actuators. This is because they allow the utterly unbiased operation of the remote testing system; i.e., the proportioning price of the proportioner is tested with out activating the water pumps of the fireplace extinguishing system.
The core parts include a central management system, with an optionally available HMI, sensor expertise, 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 in order that the electrical drive could have no interference with the proportioner’s performance within the case of a fireplace. This method, the benefits of the mechanical proportioning precept 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 within the proportioning position. Upon initiation of an computerized testing course of, regardless of if after a defined time interval, upon request through a cloud solution or from the fire extinguishing system/a native operator, the proportioner is put into testing operation. Specifically, the control system places the proportioner into testing operation utilizing an electrically actuated ball valve drive whereas the foam agent is not mixed into the extinguishing water however 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 move fee. The start-up flow rate is the lowest operating point of a proportioner to achieve its nominal proportioning price.
Due to the exterior electrical drive, the water motor works like a pump and generates a water flow through the bypass from the water motor’s outlet to the water motor’s inlet. The operation causes no change of stress in the extinguishing water line. The fireplace extinguishing system is therefore not influenced when the proportioner is tested.
As the extinguishing water flow rate simulated by the exterior drive is also identified as a result of identified ratio of the water motor’s variety of revolutions and the water move fee, simply the foam agent move price have to be determined to permit the following calculation of the proportioning rate. This is finished by a volumetric move 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 move rate, both in testing mode and while proportioning in case of an alarm.
The proportioning price is determined in accordance with the method as required within the requirements and regulations EN 13565-1, NFPA eleven, FM 4-12, and the Nordtest NT Fire 042 method.
Foam agent flow rate [l/min]
(Extinguishing water circulate 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 technology put in as an extra possibility or inside the electrical drive permits acquiring further info and conclusions about the state and situation of the respective unit. It is checked, for example, whether or not the ball valves are of their correct 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 pressure at the water motor are recorded. Finally, measuring the whole system’s torque and the circulate rate contained in the bypass line allows checking the general condition of the proportioner.
The knowledge can be displayed locally or by way of a cloud answer. Controlling the maintenance operation can be possible via both interfaces.
What if there may be an alarm during a testing process?
An essential query is: Does the proportioner work with none limitations and as usual if there is an alarm? The answer is: Yes!
The distant testing system is designed in such a way that extinguishing water can flow via the water motor and begin it up at any time, even if the electrical drive is working at the identical time. In addition, a singular, absolutely computerized and purely mechanical decoupling mechanism ensures that the electrical drive does not intrude 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 immediately 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 functions not needed at that second and all ball valves to be set to their right position.
Therefore, in case of an alarm throughout testing operation, the ball valves change to their appropriate place fully mechanically and the electrical drive is switched off. Even if the electric drive is still running 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 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 normal proportioners and people geared up with a remote monitoring system, a distant testing system offers various benefits. They characteristic the next:
ν Proportione
Display view for testing operation of the FireDos remote testing system. Images equipped by Author / Contributor
cian have to 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 rate is simply too low, the extinguishing success could be compromised. Overdosing causes the foam agent to be consumed sooner than meant, leading to the untimely ending of the froth operation.
Increasing practical and failure safety due to increased testing intervals: An increased check interval causes the proportioner to be examined totally routinely at shorter intervals of time. This notably reduces the danger of a failure remaining undetected for an extended time frame. In addition, more frequent testing prevents the formation of deposits inside the water motor.
Early fault detection and diagnostics: Faults within the proportioner or components of the extinguishing system, immediately affecting the proportioner’s performance, could be identified at an early stage of time. This contains, for example, pressure variations in the extinguishing water line or a jammed suction line.
Inclusion of all capabilities and benefits of the remote monitoring system: All capabilities and benefits of the distant monitoring system are additionally current in the distant testing system, i.e. all related operating parameters are recorded and processed constantly and correctly in addition to documented in a log file. In addition, all data are displayed by a visualization.
Reduction of costs: Regular functional testing makes it attainable to detect faults even earlier. This means, maintenance and repairs can happen earlier than any more severe harm occurs. The elevated performance and fault security of the proportioner ensures that the service lifetime of the proportioners is maximized and the likelihood of a failure is minimized. As a end result, reduced service and operating workforce on-site reduce prices significantly, significantly if the proportioner is positioned in a remote place. In addition, practical testing of the proportioner allows early identification, analysis and probably limiting a fault remotely. This makes service visits more environment friendly and therefore cheaper.
Summary and prospect
The remote monitoring system already provides various benefits and helps cut back prices, but it can’t cut back the workforce required on-site.
The distant testing system is an answer for lowering upkeep necessities. It is the following evolution in the midst of developing clever FireDos proportioners.
The distant testing system allows decreasing the workforce required on-site to a minimum, along with shorter testing intervals and increased failure security. This will increase the proportioner’s service life.
If the proportioner is in a fault-free state, no additional maintenance by personnel on-site is necessary, other than an oil change. The oil change may be carried out by the operator’s personnel, too, easily and with none deeper knowledge of the operating principle of proportioners. If a service go to or repair should still become essential, distant monitoring and early fault detection will make the planning and completion of such work extra efficient.
Like the remote monitoring system, the remote testing system is an optimum symbiosis of mechanical proportioners and an intelligent digital upgrade. Thus, the advantages from each technology fields are mixed with out compromising the performance of mechanical FireDos proportioners.
For more information, go to www.firedos.com
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