E.1 Scope
This appendix contains information to be used in determining the
integrity of the rooms and the volumes in respect to maintaining
the concentration of the extinguishing substance for the
relevant period.
It includes details about tests and must be
used together with Part 1 of the present regulation.
E.2 Definitions
These definitions are applicable for the integrity of the
volumes and for the tests and are additional to those contained
in Part i of the NFPA regulation.
TOOLS OF
MEASUREMENT
Test for the determination of the estimated permanence time.
Treatment of protected volumes with minimum permanence times
estimated to be less than the recommended value
Retrotec
For NFPA enclosure
Integrity tests
For GLCs FM-200, Ansuls INERGEN,
3M CEA-410, DuPonts HFC-23 & 25,
NAF S III, CO & Halon
Retrotecs model 970hp was purpose-built from the ground
up for enclosure integrity testing. It gives your company a
professional imagine. Will help sell you jobs. Then you can
keep coming back to re-test your costumers facilities
every year. 90% of all testing companies use the 970hp or
one of its older predecessors. AHJs, worldwide, trust the
Retrotec system software.
The 970hp measures leaky rooms up to 10.000 sq. ft. for
Fm-200 and 5.000 sq. ft. for Inergen. (Much larger rooms can
be tested if they have greater than 10 minute retentions
times.)
This impressive system runs the software on the built-in
Heqlett Packard computer. Hand the full-size printout from
the built-in Canon bubble jet printer to your client or AHJ
right on the spot.
No additional equipment will likely ever be needed. On the
rare occasion where very leaky or enormous facilities over
40.000 sq. ft. must be tested, this modular design
facilitates adding components as required.
Where gas is discharger below a false ceiling and the room
leaks more above the ceiling than below, a ceiling
neutralization test may be the only way to pass this
enclosure. The model 970hp will test these rooms.
Test Subfloor Only systems too.
Open the case and flip up the control panel. The console
controls up to 2 blowers, measures their flow, runs the NFPA
prediction model on the Hewlett Packard compute and prints
out a full size letter quality report on the Canon bubble
jet printer. All cables and tubing store neatly in the case.
PRINCIPLE OF
OPERATION
The Retrotec systems have 2 types of panel systems than
temporarily seal off a doorway in the enclosure so that the
variable speed blower can be installed. First, the static
pressure existing across the doorway is measured, then the
blower is turned on to pressurize the enclosure to the
maximum pressure that could occur once the room is full of
agent. The airflow required to establish this pressure is
measured and the process is repeated in the other direction.
These 2 readings are used to calculate the size of the hole
in the enclosure . The computer then calculates the agent
loss rate that would occur after discharge.
PERFORMANCE
Each retrotec blower will measure up to about 9 square
feet of leaks in any size building. The system was designed
specifically to be quickly reversible so measurements can be
made in the other direction. This eliminates a host of site,
operator and equipment errors.
Accuracy is 5% of the measured flow rate. The system was
calibrated according to ASTM standard E 1258-92 and CGSB
149.10 and meets all requirements of NFPA. Flow measurement
is by a balanced annular piezometric pickup.
Room pressure gauges are specially calibrated to +/- 1
Pascal. An error of 1 Pascal in 15 will change the result by
about 3%.
For the past six years most new halon system have been
approved using a door fan and computer to predict the
retention time of the enclosure instead of using a discharge
test. Now, "clean agent" manufacturers recommend
door fan tests because:
NFPA 2001 says ": 4-7.2.2.10" A discharge test is
generally not recommended; "
NFPA 2001, requires the enclosure be tested. Appendix B
covers the door fan test.
4-7.2.3* Review Enclosure Integrity. All total flooding
systems shall have the enclosure
examined and tested to locate and then effectively seal any
signifigant air leaks that could
result in a failure of the enclosure to hold the specified
agent concentration level for the specified holding period.
The currently preferred method is using a blower door fan
unit and smoke pencil.
If quantitative results are recorded these could be useful
for comparison at future tests. For guidance refer to NFPA
12A Appendix B.
NFPA 2001, requires re-evaluation and possible retesting
every twelve months.
4-4 Enclosure Inspection. At least every 12 months, the
enclosure protected by the clean agent shall be thoroughly
inspected to determint if penetrations or other changes have
occurred than could adversely affect agent leakage or change
colume of hazard or both. Where the inspection indicates
that conditions that could result in (an) inability to
maintain the clean agent concentration (exist), they shall
be corrected. If uncertainty still exists, the enclosures
shall be re-tested for integrity in accoredance with
4.7.2.3. Exception: An enclosure inspection is not required
every twelve months if a documented administrative control
program exists that addresses barrier integrity.
This is an important service to the end user and a cost
effective one for the contractor with a door fan to provide.
Clean agent discharge testing is expensive, disruptive and
takes a lot of time. By comparison initial door fan testing
takes one to two hours by one man and costs very little.
Door fan tests show a lot more than just the ability of the
enclosure to hold the agent. The test demonstrates
containment levels on all planes and elevations allowing the
tester to point out problems that may arise regarding fire
containment, smoke control, dust control, energy control and
agent exhaust deficiencies.
Door fan tests give the client a better "picture"
of his facility you can service his needs better
differentiatig your service from your competitors you
look better.
If an agent discharge is required, the door fan test can
quickly and cheaply prevent a discharge test failure by
predicting discharge results in advance and pinpointing
problem areas.
CHOOSING THE
RIGHT SYSTEM
All three retrotec systems include all the hardware,
software, training courses, manuals and support needed to
fulfil NFPA Appendix B requirements for Enclosure Integrity
testing. The basic retrorec model 920F will test many rooms
but probably need to be upgraded or rent additional
components to test some rooms. Over 90% buy the model 970hp
because it will test virtually any room. An interesting
halfway option is the 920F which can casily be upgraded to
the 970hp. Check off the features required from the
following list to determine which system is right for your
needs or just call Colin Genge at (360) 738-9835, ext. 308,
or fax at (360) 647-7724.
Three choices
must be made
Soft or hard panels?
Soft panels are inexpensive but limited to one blower per
panel. Larger rooms require more blowing power. Hard panels,
in addition to being much faster to set up and take down,
are much more professional looking.
One or two blowers?
Check the "guidelines for choosing" below to see
how many blowers you will require for the range of rooms you
are likely to test. Rooms with T-bar false ceilings
typically have more leakage above the ceiling and require a
second blower and flex duct to separate the greater above
ceiling leaks from the below ceiling leakage. Without the
second blower, rooms will fail that should pass. Subfloor
only tests also require a second blower.
Console or gauge clips?
The 970hp console does a neat job of holding all the cords,
hoses and computer equipment. The full size letter quality
printout in very impressive to your clients and AHJ. The
920F require the use of your own laptop or add on the hp951x
option instead. You may also with to consider the 910
console as an inexpensive option.
GUIDELINES FOR CHOOSING MODELS
970hp
920hp
902hp
Inergen systems max. sq. ft. of floor area
5.000
2.500
FM-200 systems max. sq. ft. of floor area
10.000
5.000
Suspended T-bar ceiling test
yes
no
no
Subfloor only test?
yes
no
no
Field calibration check?
yes
no
no
Weight in pounds
230
115
90
Maximum door width
48
48
40
Maximum door height
130
130
95
Handheld gauge for checking pressure across
doorways
yes
no
no
Fast setup
yes
yes
yes
High-tech look
yes
yes
no
Most compact
no
no
yes
Integrated computer and printout
yes
no
no
Features of retrotec nfpa
Enclosure integrity test systems
Comparison Chart
902hp
920hp
970hp
One software license-version HA6-two years
unlimited technical support
yes
yes
yes
One calibrated door fan blower # 1
yes
yes
yes
One calibrated door fan blower # 2
no
option
yes
One molded panel system
no
yes
yes
One flex duct with 2x2 and 2x4
ceiling tile. In Corex and wood carrying case
Gielle Srl - Administrative Headsquares Via R. Ferri 32 Z.I. - 70022 Altamura (Ba) Italy
Tel +39 0803118998 - Fax + 39 0803101309
E-mail: info@gielle.it
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