Tema Sistemi SpA, an italian company specialized in engineering and manufacturing of fire protection
systems, has been chosen to extinguish the last fire outbreaks of Norman Atlantic vessel.
NEEDS
-extinguishing speed;
-inaccessibility of the doors;
-use of limited amount of fire extinguishing in order to avoid further damage to the vessel.
SOLUTION
Due to the particular context, the additived water mist technology was deemed the most appropriate to deal
with this kind of fire. The extinguishing performance involved the use of a fog cannon, produced by Ecology
Srl, fitted to a fire truck by CGT. The fog cannon would be activated after practicing up to three holes
approximately two meters in diameter each, in the left wall of the Norman Atlantic, at the level of the deck no. 3.
The main extinguishing features produced by this system are:
-fast and significant heat dissipation;
-lack of oxygen due to the rapid changing states of water;
-creating a cold barrier to radiant heat towards the outside of the fire.
Those actions allow to have almost immediate fire extinction with water quantities far lower than traditional
water systems. These features are enhanced by the addition of FIREFIVE® encapsulator.
Developed and produced by a company of Tema Group, FIREFIVE® has the capability to:
-increasing the water wettability level, favoring rapid temperature reduction and the fire suppression;
-suppressing smokes and toxic products of combustion, increasing the environment visibility and
-facilitating the possible action of the fire brigade.
ATTACK THE FIRE – DECK NO.3
“The planned intervention was aimed for extinguishing the fire at deck level n. 3. There was no option to open
the main doors, therefore, the only plausible option was to practice one or more openings at the same level.
Before proceeding to the holes opening for the water mist delivery (with addition of the FIREFIVE®), it was
absolutely necessary to dab the openings in various parts of the vessel with the airtight seals, so as to not
allow the entry of air (oxygen) inside the vessel. Practiced aeration holes, the depression generated could have
created explosions. The vehicle equipped with fog cannon was positioned in front of the hole to shoot the
water mist additivated with FIREFIVE® into the vessel volume, with an alternating delivery for 5/10 minutes
– break to wait for the internal temperatures rise again – new delivery. The procedure duration was no more than
24/48 hours”.
Thus, eng. Orazio Tommasi, the technical director of Tema Sistemi, describes how the extinguishing action
has been designed. “A key element was then monitoring the internal temperatures with 6 thermocouples inserted in the vessel critical points, namely on the aeration hatches of the upper deck. The recorded temperatures, continuously provided, accurately dispense time and the relative pauses so as to minimize the amount of water and the amount of the FIREFIVE® delivered “, it continues eng. Tommasi, who coordinated the work planning with the help of Tema Sistemi and Tema Safety & Training S.r.l. staff.
