NEW WATER MIST NOZZLE AND CAP - FIRE SUPPRESSION INNOVATIONS FROM ULTRA

Ultra Fire Group is once again ahead of the field in fire protection by launching the first Sidewall water mist nozzle to be tested by the BRE under the new BS9252 residential fire protection standard. Also successfully tested was Ultra’s new 8mm diameter self-releasing thermally activated Concealed Cap with integrated heat element, designed to operate with both Sidewall and pendant water mist nozzles. 

These new products represent the leading edge in fire protection technology; exceptionally effective at suppressing flame and heat, minimising water damage and offering a solution that is virtually invisible to the observer.

The Ultra Sidewall Residential Nozzle is a low pressure water mist appliance developed as the result of an EU sponsored European partnership. Offering up to 16 square metres of area protection, it is ideal for fire suppression in care homes, hotels, historic houses (Ultra Fire Group is currently working on a heritage project of national importance), prisons and a range of residential applications. 

Water mist is an incredibly impressive at fire suppression and reduces temperature at an extraordinary rate. This was shown in an 8m x 4m room set at the BRE testing facility, with three nozzles installed at locations along the length of one wall. After only 30 seconds from activating the water mist system, the temperature at head height (1.6m) had dropped by 400oC to below 50oC and in less than two minutes was down to under 20oC. 

Sidewall nozzles are easy to install and minimise on pipework. Relatively simple configurations can be achieved by running pipes along a wall with the nozzles spaced at the recommended 4m intervals, potentially serving a number of rooms in sequence. This avoids bringing pipes through the ceiling space and installation issues related to concrete ceilings. 

Further features of the Ultra Sidewall Nozzle include:

• Water pressure 8 bar

• Water flow 35 lpm

• K factor (flow rate x √ pressure) 12.4.

• Nozzle brass with thin nickel coating, length 30mm

The Ultra Concealed Cap is thermally activated when the temperature bulb set in its casing breaks. The standard temperature to trigger release is pre-set to 57oC, but the temperature can be set to any desired level. Being screwed on to a Sidewall or pendant nozzle by hand, installation is easy and the Cap can be the last item to be installed after a room is painted, so there is no risk of painting over the nozzles. The Cap can be pained to match the colour scheme of the room.

Peter Kemp, Managing Director of Ultra Fire Group, comments: “Ultra recently launched its new Ultramist fast response low pressure LPR water mist nozzle, which was the first product to be tested at the BRE under the new draft British Standard DD8458-1:2010 for water mist appliances. Our new Sidewall nozzle and cap are exciting innovations in this continually developing technology that is so effective for fire suppression, at protecting people from injury and trauma and in minimising damage to assets.” 

Until British Standards introduced its new testing approach, water mist technology had been hampered under the technical standards regime because its difference to conventional water sprinklers. In fact, its low water usage benefit worked against it when assessed according to the sprinkler standard, which stipulates a minimum 5mm depth of water should be left on the floor surface after the appliance has been used in a fire suppression incident. 

Now this barrier is being removed, water mist is able to demonstrate its value on equal terms with other fire protection systems.

Royal opening for Stirling Palace

The spectacular £12m refurbished royal palace at Stirling Castle was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen on the 6th of July 2011.

First Minister Alex Salmond joined Her Majesty and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh to meet some of the many craftspeople who created the intricate carvings, tapestries and paintings that bring the royal apartments to life as Scotland’s most recently opened heritage attraction.

First Minister Alex Salmond said:

“The re-creation of the Royal Palace at Stirling as it would have looked during the reign of the Stewart Dynasty is testament to the magnificent craftsmanship and dedication of a superb conservation team from both Scotland and France.
The three-year refurbishment by Historic Scotland will bring real benefits to the tourist economy both for Stirling and Scotland as a whole and begins a new chapter in the history of one of our country’s best-loved attractions.”

Stirling Castle

The Ultra Fire Group, working as part of a pan European team, have installed a state-of-the-art fire suppression system utilizing the existing fabric of the building to run pipes through ancient culverts and defensive architectural structures.

The fire suppression system protects the gallery housing the 34 surviving Stirling Heads, the 16th century carved wooden roundels that would have adorned the ceiling of the King’s Inner Hall.

Not only has there been no intrusion into the fabric of the historic building, but in the event of a fire, the low-pressure water mist system would use less than 1/3 of the normal amount of water used by traditional sprinklers.

The huge benefit of this to Heritage Scotland and any other heritage location is that not only is any fire-risk well covered, but in the event of activation, the structure, fabric and the artifacts within the castle would be susceptible to a greatly reduced risk of water and smoke damage.

Nick Ketteridge, the Technical Director of Ultra Fire Group, said “The installation here at Stirling has certainly been a challenge, but by working closely with both the architects and heritage Scotland, the results have been outstanding, and admired by many. We are proud to have been involved in a project of such historical significance ”

For further details of this unique installation and advice on how Ultra Fire Group sympathetically brings technology and heritage together, visit the Ultra Fire Group website.

ONE STOP FOR ALL IN FIRE PROTECTION

When Ultra recently acquired Surefire Systems and Surefire Services we brought together an exceptional range of technical skills and services to offer customers. The two parts of the new organisation complement each other very well, each operating as separate brands and each contributing their strong reputation in fire protection and their high level of technical engineering experience to the partnership.

The newest development is the launch of Surefire’s Sprinkler Department, which is an exciting addition to our portfolio of maintenance services. It means that we can provide customers with servicing for all their fire protection equipment in just one visit. This makes for more competitive, straightforward quotations while saving time and hassle for their businesses.

Fire maintenance packages can include:
• Fire Alarm Systems – conventional, addressable, wireless etc.
• Emergency Lighting
• Fire Suppression Systems – FM200, Pro-inert, Ansul etc
• Water Mist Systems
• Specialist Detection – air sampling, water detection etc
• Sprinkler Systems
• Fire Extinguishers and Hose Reels
• Dry Risers

We have 30 years of accumulated knowledge across every area of fire protection and can provide competitive quotes on installations and upgrades. A call to us on 0845 601 4110 could be a very good move.

Ultra Gear up for FIREX 2011

As FIREX 2011 rapidly approaches, the Ultra Fire Group are putting the finishing touches to their presence at the exhibition.

A display showcasing the UltraGuard mobile and automatic water mist suppression unit and a number of experts will be available to talk to on stand J40 for the duration of the exhibition, and Nick Ketteridge, the UFG Technical Director, will be giving a talk on the advantages of this fire suppression technology on the BRE stand on the 18th of May at 2pm.

Ultra have a presence on the European Standard CEN/TC191 working group with Nick Ketteridge advising on specific protocols for application scenarios. This level of in-depth expertise is typical of the Ultra Fire Group, who have been built on the premise that being at the leading edge of technology and having a back ground of engineering excellence is the best way to offer ground-breaking suppression solutions to industry.

Come along to stand J40 and see what we have to offer in terms of expertise, equipment, application and installation advice and a whole host of other information.

Good News for Housing Association Fire Protection

A joint venture between Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue, Stevenage Borough Council and the Ultra Fire Group will be demonstrating and explaining the benefits of Watermist to an audience of Housing Associations.


Nick Ketteridge, the Technical Director of the Ultra Fire Group, will be explaining the concept of water mist and how it works in combating fires at source. There will be a live demonstration of Ultra's 'FireGuard' portable water mist system - designed to protect vulnerable people and areas. The UltraGuard is portable, quickly installed and can be programmed to send warning messages to management, residents and the Fire & Rescue Services via SMS, telephone or local area networks.


The demonstration will cover all aspects of UltraGuard, including the integral control panel and the fail-safe power supply system that consists of a mains trickle charge and a 7 day back-up battery in the event of power failure. 


Water mist uses 20% of the water required by a conventional sprinkler system and as such lends itself to be used in flexible, portable units for specific fire risk control. Tested at BRE Watford in front of many Fire Brigades recently, the unit is a unique answer to a problem faced by many Housing Associations and multiple-occupation residences, as well as being a solution to other venues in search of temporary fire suppression systems.


UltraGuard can be ready for use in short time and requires nothing but a power supply. For further details on this and a wide range of other products, visit the Ultra Fire Group website at www.ultrafiregroup.co.uk or call 0845 6008330 for expert advice.

Ultra Fire Group on European Standards Working Group

Nick Ketteridge, Technical Director of the Ultra Fire Group, has joined the European Standard CEN/TC191 working group as a UK expert in design, installation and testing of fire suppression systems (water mist).

This is a highly significant appointment for Nick and for the Ultra Fire Group - underlining our position at the top table of fire suppression technology and leadership. We congratulate Nick on his achievement and look forward to assisting the Working Group on their work into formulating new standards in fire suppression design and installation.

The working group are currently working on the development of workable protocols for a number of specific applications including office scenarios, transformer protection and car park safety. Water mist systems designed by Ultra Fire Group are robustly tested and can be installed in a huge variety of applications across domestic, industrial and business premises to offer the highest standards in fire protection.

Our website has numerous videos of water mist systems in action under test conditions as well as a wealth of technical and application information and contact details to speak to the industry leaders at the forefront of water mist fire suppression system design.

Surefire Services Grow in Data & Banking

Surefire Systems and Services, recently taken over by the Ultra Fire Group, have continued to grow in the Data and Banking sectors, offering fire protection and suppression systems for data halls and computer rooms across these two crucial sectors.

The upward growth curve of Surefire has increased since the Ultra Fire Group added its leading edge technological knowledge to the experience of Surefire and with the addition of Andy Guilder to the Technical Sales role the future of Surefire is in excellent hands.

Andy Guilder is vastly experienced in both gas suppression and fire detection systems within the banking and Data Centre sectors. His role with Surefire incorporates the Prestigious Projects arm of Surefire Systems and Services but he is also available for advice on all technical issues to do with fire control management.

BRITISH STANDARD FOR WATERMIST

BRITISH STANDARD FOR WATERMIST

A new draft British standard (DD 8458) for watermist fire protection systems has just been published, nearing completion, covering industrial/commercial and domestic/residential applications.

The new document for fire protection in domestic and residential premises has now been completed by the technical committee with very few issues needing to be addressed and only one of these being of a technical nature.  It has now has been submitted to the committee chairman for the final sign-off before publication.

The document has been written as a complement to the current BS9251 standard covering the use of sprinklers. The main factor that prevented misting systems from being compliant with BS9251 has been the standard’s restrictions on nozzle spacing and minimum flow rates of water.

These regulations are currently based on long-standing tried and tested historical data, which cannot be applied to water mist systems for two reasons:

• Similar historical data does not exist for misting systems
• All manufacturers of water mist systems have flow rates and pressures that are unique to them

Based on this it was felt that to produce a robust document, test protocols should be included to prove the effectiveness of a system before it could claim compliance. These criteria have now been added as an annex to the main document.

Ultra SS Fire Group Ltd aims to be the first company in the UK to carry out full scale testing to comply with these protocols.

Watch this space.......

Stirling Castle installation

Stirling Castle is well worth a visit. Dating back to the 12th Century, it stands high on a volcanic rock close to the site of the Battle of Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce defeated the English army in 1314. Within the compound is James V’s Royal Palace, acknowledged as the finest Renaissance building in Scotland.

Historic Scotland is today’s guardian of the building and its many priceless historic treasures and today’s enemy is not armoured English knights but fire. However, fire protection in historic buildings can be a challenge, because water sprinklers can cause major water damage problems, especially with artefacts such as tapestries and paintings.

Fortunately, the gentler action of water mist fire protection is providing a solution, because the fire is smothered by wetting surfaces rather than soaking them. The minute droplets of water mist also bind with smoke particles, washing them down to floor level to drastically reduce smoke damage, one of the great secondary hazards of fire.

Historic Scotland saw this new technology as the solution for Stirling and selected Ultra SS, which has installed water mist systems in a number of historic buildings, including Blenheim Palace, to design and install the water mist system. We rose to the challenge and, in fact, the fire protection system we created for Stirling is unique, being a Low Pressure water mist system that displays High Pressure characteristics. This was what the project demanded and, Low Pressure systems being less expensive, kept us well within budget.

The opportunity to create this highly effective hybrid system came about because of the particular demands of the Stirling Project. The water for the fire suppression had to travel up a riser pipe to the top of the building to avoid damage to the fabric of the building by penetrating the walls.  This in turn created the opportunity for a remarkable configuration exclusive to Stirling.

The water coming out of the riser pipe is split so as to travel through loops of smaller pipes between 15mm and 20mm in diameter. So while this is basically a low pressure system, it offers high pressure characteristics.

For a historic building like Stirling the system is ideal. To cover a room 15m by 9m, a conventional water sprinkler would require 12 nozzles, whereas a water mist system can spray up to 25 square metres via a single discreet nozzle. Sprinklers will use 5 litres of water per square metre per minute, while water mist can provide the same level of fire suppression with just 1.6 litres per minute.

At no point has the installation compromised the aesthetic and historic character of the Castle, which made the project challenging and absorbing for us and our partners in Historic Scotland’s Stirling Project:

• Morris & Spottiswood (main contractors)
• Arthur MacKay (electrical contractors)
• Stewart Kidd, consultant (Loss Prevention Consultancy).

Incidentally, Stewart is currently producing a fascinating case history about the Project for future publication.