The recently constructed run-of-river power plant on the Inn River in the Swiss-Austrian border region for sustainable energy generation was equipped with an AQUASYS high-pressure water mist fire fighting system. The two transformers placed in the power house are protected. The main fire load is primarily the amount of oil in the transformers, each with 15.1 tons.
In comparison to sprinkler systems, the AQUASYS high-pressure water mist system sprays the water extremely finely. Due to the very small droplets, a high cooling effect can be generated even with a small amount of water, which withdraws the energy from the fire. Any flue gases that occur are not only cooled but also suppressed very well. This protects the environment and is another positive effect of the AQUASYS fire fighting system.
AQUASYS uses real fire tests for the safety concept of transformer systems, in which the mode of action has already been confirmed several times in the presence of test institutes.
If a fire is detected, the associated section valve opens, the pumps are started and the water mist is released immediately. Due to the cage-forming nozzle arrangement, the transformer is completely surrounded by water mist. This means that the fire can be fought with full efficiency immediately after detection. The compact system with only 5 m³ water supply is designed for a 30-minute operation according to the fire protection concept. This not only counteracts the danger of fire flashover to surrounding power plants, but also the risk of shutdowns.
After commissioning and a four-week trial run, the plant was successfully handed over to our customer Tiroler Wasserkraft AG.
For further information, please contact Michael Bindreiter (m.Bindreiter@aquasys.at).
