Below is a transcript of our interview with one of Tyco Fire Protection Products’ top engineers and its director of marketing EMEA.IFSEC Global: Please tell us a bit about the DDS Duct Deluge System?
Arjan ten Broeke, technical services engineer: We have enhanced our portfolio of water-based fire solutions with the introduction of the new DDS Duct Deluge System, a specially designed set of components used in ventilation ductwork suitable for extremely corrosive environments.
The components resists damage from corrosive gases to provide effective fire protection in highly acidic ventilation and ductwork systems in diameters from 0.3-4.9m (1 to 16 ft) and at temperatures up to 150ºC (302ºF).
It provides interior fire protection for ducts that handle corrosive gases.
The system is feeding water to the open nozzles mounted within the ductwork through a deluge system. The deluge valve will be activated and release water upon detection of the linear heat detection, which is also mounted within the ducts near the open nozzles.
IG: And which particular sectors or customers should be interested in this product, and why?
ATB: You would normally use it in – highly extreme – corrosives environments. So they can be found in steel manufacturing, coal power generation, the chemical industry, pulp and paper plants and gas cleaning and acid plants.
IG: In what ways would you say this product is genuinely innovative?
ATB: The system is unique in the market: it’s FM approved and up to now we are the only producers of this kind of solution.
It was back in 2010 that FM reached out to several fire protection suppliers and asked them to come up with an innovative product with good restraints for extreme corrosives environments.
So we developed a nozzle with a special coating – as far as we know the only one in this market – and it successfully passed the test.
After this test, FM also updated its data sheet – the 7-78, a dedicated data sheet for the protection of exhaust ducts.
Wouter Bossink, director of marketing EMEA, Water Fire Protection Products: The biggest challenge are the highly acidic and aggressive environments. Before this solution fixed it the nozzles would get really corroded, really quick – sometimes even in a few weeks they would be completely destroyed by the environment in those ducts.
And that’s probably our biggest innovation here: we found a way of protecting the nozzles with a coating called Halar.
FM required annual inspection of both nozzles and linear heat detection and there will be a time where the nozzles have to be replaced, but there’s a much longer lifetime now. That’s the biggest game-changer.
It’s also a fully integrated system with four key components: the DN-5 duct nozzle, cabinet with fully assembled and wired deluge system with electric activation, Protectowire linear heat detection and FlexHead duct mounting hardware.
So altogether this delivers a complete system and the first one approved by FM [FM Global, loss-prevention-focused insurers] in this area.
ATB: And what makes this system unique and interesting is that previously FM demanded FM-approved ductworks, which were expensive. But now customers can choose non-approved ductwork without the required FM approval, as long as you install the DDS sstem.
IG: Do you have any other products in the pipeline?
ATB: We keep our eyes and ears open, listening to the market. We are working on a lot of things but in the fire industry products need to be pass extensive tests before you can release them.
WB: Yes, it’s quite difficult to get exposure for all the new stuff we’re working on.
But I can tell you a bit more about some systems we are launching. One of them is our water mist offering under the AquaMist brand. It’s quite a broad portfolio of solutions.
We have three AquaMist technologies: Aqua Mist Ultra Low Flow, which is a low pressure system; AquaMist Fog, which is a high pressure system; and the AquaMist Sonic, a twin fluid system.
And these solve a lot of different challenges in different industrial environment, for example generator rooms or big power stations. It is really important for us to work with clients to choose the right system in our portfolio for their environment.
ATB: Another relative new product is our nozzle model TN-25 for the protection of tunnels.
And it also will be set by a deluge system and applied to the protection of long, traffic tunnels.
WB: The system is called TN-25. We’e used the word system a lot in this conversation but I think that’s one of our strongest points as Tyco: offering them a complete solution, tailored for their particular challenge.
IG: Is there anything in the industry that’s challenging or frustrating?
ATB: We’re a global company and working globally you deal with a lot of different countries. And the language is one thing, but many countries have their own regulations and approvals.
So to adopt something like FM is sometimes a challenge. But luckily FM, like NFPAs, is a global recognised standard.
It’s getting better but sometimes it’s still a challenge.
WB: And in line with that, we have a lot of local teams who speak the local language. The second challenge is more a challenge for us because in many cases we already have some technologies out there.
We develop them but they are not accepted by the regulations, which can take a long, long time. Sometimes I feel there is an additional barrier to uptake because you have a technology which you think is right but is not recognised by the local regulations.
So it can take more time than you would wish to get products out in the market. Everything in the fire and safety market is built on regulations, codes and standards.
ATB: We’re dealing with local approvals as well. We have an FM approval on our components and systems for the DDS, but in some countries they might ask for local approval.
IG: Anything else to add?
WB: We approached the market with the DDS as a system, so it included all the components – so cabinet with deluge valve, but also it’s prewired with its own releasing panel. So this is what we call the plug and play principle.
The nozzle is part of the linear heat detection. The flexible hose and the required mounting ducts – this is the system.
I think it is important to point out that we also offer a package – technical support, the required design – so we’ll be there from beginning to end.
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