CO2 FIXED FIRE

FIGHTING SYSTEM
CO2 FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEM

• CO2 flooding system or central bank CO2 system is one of the common fixed fire
fighting system installed on most of the ships.
• It releases carbon dioxide (CO2) in bulk quantity to a protected space (such as engine
room, cargo hold, purifier room, pump room, etc.) under fire.
• Smothering action of CO2 extinguishes the fire thereby preventing spreading of fire to
other parts of the ship.
• It consist of several CO2 cylinders located in a separate room, called CO2 room
• These bottles contain CO2 in liquid state. When the fire in a protected space goes out of
control or in a situation when the fire is not able to extinguish by local fire fighting
media, CO2 flooding system comes into picture.
• CO2 from the bottles directed via common manifold, main valve and distribution pipe
lines to nozzles through which it is released to the protected space for fire extinction.
• Due to safety reasons, the CO2 flooding system is manually released from a release
cabinet located outside the protected space.
WHY CO2 IS USED?

There are several advantages for the CO2 as a fire fighting medium. They are:

Density is 1.5 times higher than air. So CO2 settles down and displaces air.

It can be easily liquefied and bottled.

20% – 30% CO2 concentration extinguishes fire by smothering

Non-corrosive

Non- conductor of electricity

No residues left after application

• CO2 flooding system consist of main CO2 bottles, common manifold, master valve or
distribution valve and distribution pipe lines with nozzles
• Main CO2 bottles contain carbon dioxide in liquid state with a pressure of 56 bar at 20
degree Celsius. Pressure of CO2 at 25 and 30 degree Celsius are 64 bar and 71 bar
respectively.
• So it is important to keep the temperature of CO2 bottles low for limiting the pressure
inside bottles. CO2 from the main bottle is released by a ‘CO2 release cabinet’
• As soon as the release cabinet door is opened, a micro switch is activated.
• The micro switch will ensure the activation of CO2 warning alarms and ventilation shut
off.
• CO2 release cabinet or release box consist of two pilot CO2 cylinders or bottles
containing CO2 gas inside.
• The pressure of CO2 inside these pilot bottles is same as that of main CO2 bottles. Only
quantity of gas is different.
• For releasing CO2 to the protected space, one of the pilot bottle valve is opened.
• Now CO2 reaches two valves marked 1 and 2.
• First valve 1 is to be opened.
• Then CO2 passes through a non return valve and opens pneumatically operated master
valve.
• Now master valve is opened. Next, open valve 2 in the release cabinet, which supply
CO2 to main CO2 bottle head assembly through a non return valve and ‘time delay unit’.
• Head assembly consist of a pressure operated cylinder valve. This pressure operated cylinder valve
prevents CO2 from bottle coming to the common manifold. As CO2 reaches the head assembly from
pilot bottle, pneumatic actuator in the head moves and opens the pressure operated cylinder valve.
• Then CO2 from main bottle escapes to the common manifold via non return valve as shown. Each of
the main CO2 cylinder have a head assembly and non return valve. The pilot CO2 line is connected to
all these heads.
• All the CO2 from the main bottles now release to common manifold. Since the master valve is already
open before, CO2 from manifold is released to the protected space through distribution pipe lines and
nozzles.
• As you can see in the diagram, there are two CO2 release cabinets. One is local release
cabinet and is located in the CO2 room itself. One more remote release cabinet is used,
which is located in a remote place such as fire control station.
• This facilitates operation of CO2 flooding system from a remote place other than CO2
room. Both release cabinets are connected in parallel and non return valves fitted in the
lines prevent back flow of CO2.
• Also two pilot CO2 bottles are placed in the release cabinet. Only one is sufficient for the
operation of both master valve and CO2 bottle head assembly.
TIME DELAY UNIT

• CO2 from the pilot bottles in release cabinet reaches main CO2 bottle head assembly through a
time delay unit. Function of this time delay unit is to delay the supply of CO2 to the head
assembly for 60 – 90 seconds.
• In other words, when valve 2 in the release cabinet is opened, CO2 reaches only after 60 to 90
seconds to the head assembly. Reasons for providing such a s delay in CO2 flooding system are
given below.
• As soon as CO2 release cabinet opens, alarm is sounded in the protected space. A time delay of
60 to 90 seconds give sufficient time for any personnel in the protected space to escape, even
after the operation of both valves in the release cabinet.
The time delay can be achieved in different ways. Out of these, two types of time delay unit is commonly
used in CO2 flooding system on board ships. One is electrical type, which has an AC 220 V power supply, a
pressure switch, timer and a solenoid valve as shown in the figure below:
• Power source is always available for the unit. Solenoid valve is normally in closed position. When CO2
from pilot cylinder (CO2 release cabinet) reaches the time delay unit, the pressure acts on the pressure
switch. This closes the pressure switch.
• But the timer allows power supply to the solenoid only after 60-90 seconds, the timing can be adjusted as
required. As soon as the specified time is reached, solenoid becomes energize and the solenoid valve will
open. This allow passage of CO2 to the pressure operated cylinder valve of main bottle. Normally a by
pass valve is also fitted across this time delay unit which can be used in case the unit goes defective.
THANK
YOU