Floating Roof Tanks store very large quantity of Hydrocarbon. A rim seal fire detection system is used to quickly put out fires that start at the rim region of floating roof storage tanks before becoming more severe fire occurrences. International studies have shown that the lack of a suitable detection system to activate a fixed suppression solution might be one of the reasons for a major fire incident on a floating roof storage tank. RAFP systems are used to detect a baby fire within 5-6 seconds as a primary firefighting system to safeguard open-top floating roof systems. The system is entirely pneumatic-mechanical in operation, requiring no external power to operate for extinguishing.
Working of rimseal fire protection system
A particular balancing valve triggers the extinguishing system. The triggering happens once certified pneumatic tubing is held under pressure breaks at a predefined temperature as part of the detecting system. The Detection system can also be a 2- wire. The extinguishing system comprises a pressure vessel with premixed foam solution. A rimseal fire protection system is maintained under nitrogen or compressed air pressure by a particular balancing valve situated on the system's top section.
This unique valve uses the stand-by pressure of the pneumatic detecting system to maintain the system's readiness. The extinguishing chemical is discharged from the fixed stainless steel pipe and nozzles placed at the rim region when the pneumatic detecting system detects a fire. The pressure decrease affects the balance of the system valve as a result.
Impact of rimseal fire protection system on floating roof tanks
Due to the nature of that structure, the rim seal system floating roof tanks has an increased fire risk. The stored product's vapour mixes with the surrounding air to form a highly combustible combination. If a fire isn't found and put out early enough, it might spread across the whole seal area from any external ignition source in this region.
Identifying the fire is the most crucial step in fire protection. The tank wall conceals the rim seal region, making it challenging to use traditional detection devices to detect fire in its early stages. In order to function various valves and other devices, typical extinguishing systems are activated by several detectors.