The East Midlands Railways line north of London to Corby, Nottingham or Sheffields is operated by local operator ScotRail, which is currently equipping 33 intercity trains with a new fire protection system. The highly efficient high-pressure water mist system from AQUASYS was chosen for fire protection in the engine room. Currently, AQUASYS and its Italian partner I.S.E. INGEGNERIA DEI SISTEMI are equipping the trains with new customised fire fighting systems and modern detection technology.
The challenge during project planning was - as with many rail vehicle projects - the limited space and the demand for an independent solution in the case of a power failure. In close coordination, AQUASYS first developed a complete prototype for this customer-specific system and only after this was successfully installed did the series implementation start. AQUASYS thus successfully pursues an individual approach in close cooperation with specialists for detection and with the train manufacturer.
The functional solution for the efficient protection of the trains' motor units is built up as follows:
- Each train set consists of 5 train wagons, with the nitrogen-powered supply unit for the complete set integrated in the rear one.
- Each engine compartment is separately protected by four section valves. Furthermore, 32 nozzles and a pipe system are integrated. Prefabricated modules for the piping system facilitate installation on site.
Using nitrogen-powered systems to become energy self-sufficient:
The trains for the East Midlands Railway line are designed as an electricity-independent system. If the detection system triggers firefighting, compressed nitrogen from the gas cylinder pushes the extinguishing agent water from the cylinders into the pipe network and further into the water mist nozzles to the source of the fire. There, high-pressure water mist fights the fire efficiently. The main energy for generating a hydraulic extinguishing agent flow is provided by the stored energy of the compressed nitrogen in the gas cylinder.
For further information on the project or your individual application, please contact Mr. Fulvio Sais (f.sais@aquasys.at).
