Cawangan Kejuruteraan Mekanikal – Edition 1

SECTION 3.8 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION FOR CLEAN AGENT FIRE EXTINGUISHING

SYSTEM FOR UNOCCUPIED SPACE

1 GENERAL

The designated area shall be protected by an automatic fire detection and

suppression system incorporating the clean agent fire extinguishing system. The
system shall be designed for normally unoccupied space.

2 DESIGN STANDARDS AND VERIFICATIONS

The agent shall be recognized for normally unoccupied area and listed by Jabatan
Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia.

Comply with the following Codes and Authorities:

1. The agent shall satisfy the following requirements :

i) Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level (LOAEL) shall be greater than 9.5%.

ii) No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) shall be greater than 7.5%.

2. BS EN 15004-1:2008

3. Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia

The designed system components and the installed system shall be according to pre-
tested limitations as approved or listed by a recognised testing laboratory.

Submittals:

1. Detailed and dimensioned design drawings.

2. Data of equipment and manufacturer's catalogues.

3. Calculation data sheet.

4. Permits and Approval by relevant authorities.

3 APPOINTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER / SUPPLIER

The contractor shall appoint a professional mechanical engineer registered with the
Board of Engineers Malaysia and experienced in the specific area and be
responsible for the design, supervision and testing of the system.

The contractor shall appoint a supplier approved by Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat
Malaysia to supply the specific agent and experienced in the specific area as
required by the government.

The contractor shall take full and unequivocal responsibility for the suitability,
functionality, maintainability and safety of the design and for the adequacy, stability
and safety of all site operations and methods of construction.

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4 SYSTEM DESIGN

The contractor at design stage shall consider and address possible fire hazards
within the protected area. The proposed clean agent system shall provide the highest
degree of fire protection for designated areas.

The installation shall be designed and installed for extinguishing of fire in accordance
with approved standards.

The quantity of extinguishing agent shall be sufficient to ensure rapid extinction of

any fire in the protected areas and with adequate spare capacity.

The agent shall be discharged within a nominal discharge time of not exceeding 60
seconds upon activation of the container valve.

All devices shall be designed for the service encountered and shall not be readily
rendered inoperative or susceptible to accidental operation. They shall be located,
installed or suitably protected against mechanical, chemical or other damage, which
may render them inoperative.

All devices for shutting down supplementary equipment shall be considered integral
parts of the system and shall function with system operation.

Each system shall have its own pipe and nozzle. If hazard require more than one
container, all systems protecting the same hazard area are actuated simultaneously.
All clean agent containers should be located as close to the protected hazard area as
possible. The containers shall be located in an environment protected from the
weather.

The cylinders shall be mounted in rows and installed in a suitable location as shown
in the drawings.

The suppression agent shall be filled in to the storage cylinders according to the
manufacturer's filling instruction.

If the protected volume has a floor or ceiling void the spaces shall be included in the
protected volume, employing a minimum design concentration not below that of the
main room compartment.

The protected volume shall be of adequate tightness to retain the design

concentration according to the requirements of the relevant authority.

5 ENCLOSURE

The enclosure shall be of adequate integrity to retain the design concentration for a
required minimum holding time. The area of unclosable openings shall be kept to a
minimum.

To prevent loss of agent through openings to adjacent hazards or work areas,

opening shall be permanently sealed or equipped with automatic closures. The false
ceiling space, room and floor void (conceal space exceeding 800 mm) shall be
protected with the clean agent fire suppression system.

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6 SYSTEM OPERATION

The system shall be able to perform independently via the interlocking automatic
detection system as well as manual actuation under emergency situation.

The automatic detection system shall comprise cross-zone detection to activate

before activation of the clean agent fire suppression system. The Contractor shall
provide all control panel and necessary relay for alarm connection to Main Fire Alarm
Panel (MFAP).

Upon activation of the clean agent fire suppression system, it shall cut off the
operation of the air-conditioning system. The Contractor shall provide and connect all
the necessary controls, relay, cable, conduit, etc to effect this interlocking operation.

7 SYSTEM EQUIPMENTS

7.1 Clean Agent Containers

Agent shall be stored in containers designed to hold that specific agent at ambient
temperature. The design pressure shall be suitable for the maximum pressure
developed at 55 °C or at the maximum controlled temperature limit.

The containers used in the system shall be designed, fabricated, inspected, certified
and stamped in accordance with section VIII of the ASME Boiler and Pressure
Vessel Code.

Storage containers and accessories shall be located and arranged so that inspection,
testing, recharging and other maintenance activities are facilitated and interruption of
protection is held to a minimum.

Each container shall have a permanent name plate specifying the number, filling
weight and the pressurization level.

7.2 Discharge Nozzle

Discharge nozzles shall be listed for the intended use. Listing criteria shall include
flow characteristics, area coverage, height limits and minimum pressures. Discharge
orifices and discharge orifice plates and inserts shall be of a material that is corrosion
resistant to the agent used and the atmosphere in the intended application.

Special corrosion-resistant materials or coatings shall be required in severely

corrosive atmospheres. Discharge nozzles shall be permanently marked to identify
the manufacturer as well as the type and size of the orifice.

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7.3 Pipework And Fittings

Material of pipework and fittings to be as specified below:-

Item Pipe Size (mm) Material

Pipe above 20mm Carbon steel to BS 3602-
2:1991 Grade 410 Schedule 80
or API Schedule 80

20mm and below Carbon steel to BS 3602-

2:1991 Grade 410 Schedule 40
or API Schedule 40
Fitting All sizes Forged Steel to BS 3799:1974

All valve shall be listed or approved for the intended use.

All gaskets, o-rings, sealants and other valve components shall be constructed of
material that are compatible with the agent. Valves shall be protected against
mechanical, chemical or other damage.

7.3.1 Piping Installation

Cutting of pipes to be carried out with pipe cutters and thread tapings to be
done with proper dies.

All bends before connection to any equipment to be suitably anchored and

the supports, guides, brackets, etc. to be adequately fastened to the structure
by means of concrete inserts or expansion type devices.

7.4 Automatic Detectors

Provide heat and smoke detectors in duel circuit in the hazard area as shown in the
Drawings.

7.4.1 Heat Detectors

The type and class of heat detectors shall be as indicated in the Schedule of
Design Requirements twin circuited type.

Fixed Temperature Heat Detectors shall comply to BS EN 54-5:2001 (Grade

1 response) and shall be the Thermistor Operated Type with automatic reset
upon cooling of the fixed temperature element.

The heat detectors shall be operated either by the bimetallic or fusible alloy
ejection type and shall be U.L. or F.M. listed.

The heat detector shall be suitable for ceiling mounted and its casing shall be
corrosion resistant.

The detector head shall be installed in closed or open circuit system with
continuous supervision.

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7.4.2 Smoke Detector

The smoke detector shall operate on the photo electric principal from a
constant power supply and calibrated for detection of 1% - 2% smoke density
per U.L and F.M standard. It shall be fully transistors with solid switching and
shall fully conform with requirements of BS EN 54-7:2001.

The smoke detector shall be suitable for ceiling mounted and its casing shall
be corrosion resistant.

All offers of detector shall be supported by copies of the current test certificates from
SIRIM or recognised laboratory.

7.5 Remote Manual Control

The remote manual control shall be of a manual pull box and of the ‘Break glass’
type. The break glass element shall consist of a square tempered glass.

7.6 Audible Alarms

The audible alarms shall be of the electrically operated dome-type alarm bells,
installed on the locations as shown in the Tender Drawings. The bells shall be of
robust construction and weather proof. The gong and striker shall be of hardened
steel.

Each bell shall have an adequate audible power rating. The gong size shall be a
minimum of 150mm.

The bell shall have an operational requirement complying to MS 1745: Part 3 : 2004
or BS EN 54-3 : 2001. The bell shall be minimum 150mm (6”) in diameter with
pressed steel gong finished in red. The bell shall be the solenoid operated type rated
at 24V DC. The sound level produced shall be at least as indicated in the Schedule
of Design Requirements.

7.7 Warning Signs

All visual and audible warnings and instruction signs at entrances to and inside
protected areas to be provided and fixed at prominent positions.

An approved notice with the words "JANGAN MASUK KE BILIK INI TANPA ALAT
PERNAFASAN BILA GAS DI LEPASKAN" to be provided on the door of the room
protected by Clean Agent System.

7.8 Fire Curtain

Gravity shutters shall be of glass fiber curtain approved by the Jabatan Bomba dan
Penyelamat Malaysia, able to withstand temperatures up to 600°C, and shall be
installed as indicated in tender drawing. The curtains shall be rolled up, weighed and
held by mild steel mounting brackets and cable guides c/w tripping device and 24V
D.C. actuator for each piece of curtain. On actuation and immediately before the
discharge of gas (after confirmed detection or second zone), each curtain shall be
released and dropped with the help of gravity such that the full opening of any

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ventilation louvres, louvred doors, etc. shall be covered to prevent escape of the
discharge agent.

7.9 Clean Agent Fire Suppression Control Panel

The Contractor shall supply and install the clean agent panel as detailed in the
drawings. This panel shall incorporate the alarms, indications and controls for the
system.

The panel shall be constructed from 18 s.w.g. mild steel sheets, adequately braced
and complete with removable panels. The compartments for the storage of batteries
shall have adequate vents and corrosion resistant treatment. The panel shall be
properly cleaned and phosphate sealed, followed by two coats of baked enamel of
standard white colour or other if request by the S.O.

Each alarm circuit shall include distinctive audio (buzzer) and visual signals
(indicating lights) for alarm indication and fault indication. Rotary four (4) position
"ALARM TEST - NORMAL - ISOLATE - FAULT TEST" switches shall also be
incorporated. These control switches and indicating lights shall be mounted on black
perspex with white on red engraved lettering to designate each function of the
equipment in each zone.

*Each visual indication shall consist of dual lamps or dual filament lamps.

The control functions and indication on the panel shall be in accordance to the MS
1745 : Part 2 : 2004 or BS EN 54-2 : 1998 and of type approved by Jabatan Bomba
Dan Penyelamat Malaysia.

1. The charger to be able to provide booster and trickle charging. It shall

be complete with voltmeter, ammeter, DC fuse and relays. The
charger to be capable of charging the fully discharged battery within
24 hours by its normal charging method to a fully charged condition.

2. In areas where the panel are exposed to weather, the panel to be

suitably weather-proofed.

3. A device shall be incorporated into the system to shutdown any

exhaust fans and activate solenoid operated curtains across louvers
before discharge

The panel shall be provided with interfacing unit to indicate on the MFAP any event
of fire.

8 SYSTEM OPERATION

The system shall operate from an output voltage of 240V AC, 50Hz supplied to the
power charger module within the control panel. This voltage is transformed and
rectified within the panel to 24V DC. A 24V DC nickel-cadmium standby battery need
to be provided in case of mains voltage failure. This battery will automatically and
instantaneously be switched into use as soon as the mains supply fails. Such a
failure shall be indicated both visually and audibly at the panel. The battery shall be
trickle charged during normal operating conditions.

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The system shall consist of two or more combination heat and smoke detectors.
In order to discharge the extinguishing agent automatically, both smoke and heat
detectors must be activated (double knock). This mode of operation obviates the
possibility of false discharge due to one detector operating to conditions which are
regarded as normal.

A disconnection to the detector circuit wiring would be indicated as a fault at the

control panel both visually and audibly by a fault lamp and buzzer. Remote indication
of alarm and fault conditions shall be provided at the master alarm and indicator
panel.

Each system shall have a permanent name plate specifying the agent, number, gross
weight/filling weight/nominal agent volume and the pressurization level of the
containers.

All containers supplying the same manifold outlet for distribution of agent shall be
interchangeable and of one selected size and charge where applicable.

9 CLEAN AGENT’S CONTENT VERIFICATION

To provide verification of Clean Agent net weight/volume in the system cylinder by

using approved weighing apparatus/pressure gauge at the site. Where applicable,
the weighting apparatus shall be supplied and sent to the site for Clean Agent
content verification prior to certification of practical completion of systems’
installation.

10 TESTING AND COMMISSIONING

The complete installation shall be tested to the satisfaction of the S.O.

The contractor shall include the cost of one (1) live discharge test at any of the
selected enclosure by S.O or his representative where Clean Agent Fire
Extinguishing system has been installed where applicable.

The contractor shall take all necessary precautions and safety measure to ensure all
equipment and personnel are duly warned and protected. Any damage caused by the
discharged shall be made good by the contractor.

11 CERTIFICATION

The Contractor shall provide certificate of approval from organization that is

acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with evaluation of
products or services:

1. Containers
2. Manifolds
3. Actuator
4. Valve assembly
5. Pipe and fittings
6. Discharge nozzles

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