Aisle containment and clean agent
concentration
Many server rooms use clean agent fire suppression systems in place of
(or in addition to) sprinklers. While single and double-interlock preaction
systems require multiple conditions to be met before discharge occurs,
water still causes costly damage. For this reason, many companies opt
for clean agent suppression systems.
The gases emitted by these set-ups achieve a target concentration in a
room for a period to extinguish a fire. But the constant and rapid air
circulation in aisle containment systems can impede clean agent systems’
ability to achieve a necessary concentration.
The 2013 edition of NFPA 75 (section 5.6.10) says that modifications are
required if an aisle containment system prevents a gaseous suppression
system from delivering the necessary amount of gas to the entire
protected area.
You should not try to evaluate your system on your own. Consult with a
professional to determine if your clean agent suppression system works
or will work with retrofitted aisle containment. But in all cases, ventilation
systems should be automatically shut down before gas discharge in all
clean agent systems, not just where aisle containment is in use. Stopping
the ventilation before agent discharge eliminates the problems
associated with aisle containment.
This video from BBC Fire and Security shows fire protection systems
integrated properly with aisle containment. Aspirating smoke detectors
effectively detect smoke in the high-airflow environment and ventilation
is shut off before clean agent gas is released:
Hot aisle temperatures—can your
server room fire protection equipment
stand the heat?
Aisle containment (particularly hot-aisle and HACA systems) concentrates
hot air by design. The temperature in a hot aisle can get as high as 117
°F—an extreme environment. NFPA 75 says:
5.5.6 Detection and suppression components within aisle containment systems
shall be rated for the intended temperature of hot aisles when installed in those
locations.
Take care that heat-activated sprinkler heads are sensitive to the right
temperature, that smoke detectors work properly in high temperatures,
and that clean agent systems can achieve the required gas
concentrations at high temperatures.
Heat-sensitive sprinklers in the hot aisle
Table [Link] in NFPA 13 (2019 edition) classifies the heat-sensitive bulbs
or metal links in sprinkler heads based on their activation and maximum
ceiling temperatures. An “ordinary” sprinkler head has a maximum ceiling
temperature of 100 °F and activates between 135 and 170 °F. Ordinary
sprinklers are not rated for the extreme temperatures of hot aisles.
Section [Link] requires that sprinklers rated for higher heat be used
when ceiling temperature exceeds 100 °F.
“Intermediate” sprinklers may do the job. They are rated for maximum
ceiling temperatures of 150 °F and activate between 175 and 225 °F—
well outside normal temperature ranges in hot aisles.
NFPA 13 rates sprinklers according to activation temperature and
maximum ceiling temperature. For the high temperatures in a hot-aisle
environment, intermediate sprinklers are probably appropriate. Table
source: NFPA 13
Smoke detectors and high temperatures
Extreme temperatures can impact the effectiveness of smoke detectors.
Where temperatures are expected to be colder than 32 °F or hotter than
100 °F, NFPA 72 requires smoke detectors to be specifically rated for the
conditions. Because hot aisles routinely have temperatures above this
range, rated detectors are needed.
Clean agent gas concentration in high heat
As mentioned, clean agent gases need to achieve specific concentrations
and pressures in the hazard area to suppress a fire. The specific volume
(volume produced from a given weight) of a gas increases as
temperature increases. NFPA 2001 (2018 edition) lists the required
amount (in pounds per cubic feet in the hazard area) of different clean
agents for different temperatures and specific volumes. The good news is
that amount of clean agent needed decreases as temperature increases.
A clean agent suppression system in an after-market hot aisle probably
won’t have insufficient gas.
The bad news is that the pressure could become dangerously high in
the hazard zone if too much clean agent is discharged relative to the
temperature. Rooms protected by clean agent systems are
often equipped with pressure relief vents to protect the building’s
structural integrity from the sudden increase in inside air pressure.
Consult a professional to ensure that your aisle containment system’s
high temperatures don’t create a hazard when the clean agent system
activates.
