A Durban firm has played a key role in the success of a trailer-based foam fire-suppression system making inroads into the local petrochemicals sector.
According to DoseTech MD Mike Feldon, the fire protection equipment supplier has for three consecutive years supplied portable systems to the sector, working with Germany-based dosing technology company FireDos and – on two of the projects – with Durban-based consulting engineers Kantey and Templer
The first unique, custom-built trailer system was required as a standalone water driven system to dose 3% foam concentrate and feed the water and foam pre-mix into a 22 000 ℓ/min monitors in order to be able to extinguish large surface fires in a crude oil storage facilities.
“Kantey and Templer Durban were the design engineers and FireDos GmbH were able to meet the design requirements and manufactured the complete system, including their new generation monitor technology.”
According to Feldon, the system was able to achieve “not only reduced friction loss equal to greater throw distance, but the ability to adjust the flow on the monitor whilst in operation from 5 000ℓ/min to a maximum of 22 000 ℓ/min”.
DoseTech supplied the local technical support, document control and training. The foam dosing trailer will be used to suck foam concentrate from bulk portable foam tankers.
The second trailer system was required as a stand-alone water-driven system to dose 3% foam concentrate into a premix solution that will be used to feed existing onsite firefighting equipment, such as tank top pourers, rim seal protection, bund pourers and existing portable monitors.
The foam dosing trailer will, again, be used to suck foam concentrate from bulk portable foam tankers
“With the design Engineers Kantey and Templer Durban and FireDos again were able to fulfil the stringent design and fabrication requirements, with DoseTech supplying the local technical support, document control and training.”
The third and most recent unit, supplied in June to Sasol, was a customised foam-dosing trailer designed by the Sasol, Sasolburg fire protection team. It has the capability to dose 1%, 3% or 6% foam concentrates, with a flow range from 1 000ℓ/min to 22 000ℓ/min of premix foam and water solution.
The trailer will be used to precisely blend the water and foam concentrate in the system, which is then fed to a variety of end-of-line firefighting equipment options, which include the existing 22 000 ℓ/min monitors, various smaller flow monitors, fire truck monitors, as well as bund, rim and tank top pourers.
The Gauteng-based fire protection team and DoseTech engineered the trailer foam dosing system to meet its facilities’ requirements and challenges. “The design also includes a view towards being prepared for the technical leapfrog that has started with regard to modern firefighting chemicals that contain lower or no fluorine to allow for simple operation changeover,” Feldon said.