Ground_Support_SeptemberP2019 - 15

INDUSTRY EXPERT
COLUMN:

GSE

be a hazard if not properly secured or damaged. They can create an arc or short circuit,
causing a fire.
While preventive maintenance does
reduce the risk of fire, it does not eliminate
the risk, unfortunately. When a fire event
does occur, an automatic fire suppression
system can detect and suppress the fire before
it has a chance to grow and cause catastrophic
equipment damage or injury to individuals.

What is Automatic Fire
Suppression?

An automatic fire suppression system detects
a fire event, releases a suppression agent and
shuts down the equipment to prevent a fire
from spreading. There are two primary
detection methods for automatic fire suppression systems - active and passive. Both
are effective methods to detect fire.
An active system needs a power source to
detect the fire by constantly monitoring for
signs of heat or smoke. This requires connection to the vehicle battery or power supply,
which can have a parasitic power draw on
the equipment or uses a battery that must
be monitored and replaced as needed. The
drawback with active detection is the system's
inability to detect fire with a loss of power.
Passive fire detection systems like Firetrace do not rely on electricity. The system
utilizes a pneumatic fire detection tubing in
and around the area that has the fire hazard, like an engine compartment. When the
detection tubing comes in contact with the
heat and flames from a fire, the tube bursts,
activating the pressure switch to initiate
shutdown, as well as releasing the suppression agent through the distribution network.
The distribution network consists of application-specific nozzle configurations to provide
a total flooding of suppression agent as well
as local application of the agent to the most
hazardous parts of the equipment.

Choose a Suppression
Agent

Automatic fire suppression systems have a
variety of chemical agents to choose from to
suppress the fire. Dry chemicals, clean agents
and carbon dioxide are all proven and acceptable suppression agents for use on fires in
different applications.
Multipurpose ABC dry chemical is very

capable of extinguishing fire. However,
the properties of the agent restrict its use
in certain applications. ABC dry chemical
is principally made from monoammonium-phosphate and is highly corrosive to
aluminum. When using on a fire, it melts
on contact with heated surfaces and is difficult to clean up from an airframe. Both
NFPA Standards and the International Fire
Code (IFC) do not allow ABC dry chemical
extinguishers in airports at fueling areas,
maintenance areas or on ramps due to the
corrosive nature of the agent on aluminum
aircraft components.
Wet chemicals have found some popularity due to the belief that they are safer on
equipment. These chemicals have antifreeze
compounds added to survive the environment
typical to GSE. Antifreeze compounds have
the drawback of being corrosive. Additionally, fires within GSE have hidden obstacles,
such as engines and equipment where fires
can start. That can make it difficult for the
wet agent to penetrate and suppress the fire.
Clean agents are practical for many applications because they are non-corrosive and
leave no residue. They act on the fire tetrahedron by one of two principles: reduction of
heat or inhibiting the chain reaction which
suppresses the fire. Because of un-closable
openings and air movement in GSE, it is difficult to maintain the amount of agent needed
to suppress the fire.
Purple-K, also known as PKP, is a
dry-chemical fire suppression agent and
approved for use on the ramp. Purple-K is
non-corrosive and works well in extreme
environments. When released, the agent gets
into the concealed areas where fires may be
hiding. When it comes to choosing a suppression agent, Purple-K is a wise choice
for GSE.

Installation Options

nificant damages to GSE. An automatic fire
suppression system is an effective, safe and
economical solution to mitigate fire risk.
System installation is available either at the
OEM level when purchasing a new piece of
equipment or as a retrofit onto equipment
already in service. Installation times vary
based on the system and equipment and
generally takes between four to eight hours.
The process of installing a system begins
with the design. Each piece of equipment
goes through a review for optimal placement
of the tubing, cylinder, manual release and
automatic equipment shutdown which prevents reignition. After design, the system is
professionally installed and commissioned.
The installer will certify the system and the
equipment is up and running.

In the Event of Fire

After a fire occurs in a piece of equipment,
the first step is to clean up the suppression
agent. Next is the replacement of the detection tubing and recharging of the cylinder.
Once recharged, the professional installer
will recertify the system and the equipment
is ready for use. As with installation, getting
the equipment back in working order will
only take a few hours.

Assess Risk

Automatic fire suppression systems are not
mandatory. When analyzing the cost with
turn rate and considering the cost of downtime, it can be a prudent investment. Every
type of GSE has some level of vulnerability
and risk of fire. It is important to assess each
type of equipment on the factors contributing to their risk. Installing a fire suppression system not only protects equipment but
also provides a safer working environment
for personnel and reduces the impact of fire.
Have you assessed the fire risks in your
ground support equipment?

Fires can cause injury, loss of life and sig-

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Steve Mulhall has more than 17 years of fire suppression industry experience. He
has been instrumental in providing fire suppression systems for heavy equipment and
vehicles systems in a variety of industries. He joined Firetrace International, a leader
in fire suppression systems for micro-environments, in 2018 and is the business
development manager for GSE. He cultivates strong relationships with key industry
stakeholders and consults with engineering to provide the best fire suppression solutions to address industry concerns.

SEPTEMBER 2019

AviationPros.com

http://www.AviationPros.com

Ground_Support_SeptemberP2019

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