Frequent and/or prolonged power outages will bring a business’s mission critical operations to a stop, ultimately resulting in a loss of productivity and consequently profitability.
As countermeasure, businesses install natural gas or diesel fuelled generators for emergency situations. These generators present a fire hazard, since a spark, or the surfaces of the engine, can exceed the temperatures needed to ignite any fumes or fuel spills.
Fire Hazard Causes for Diesel Generators
Fuel Leakage
Fuel leakage is a prevalent cause of diesel generator fires and can result from damaged or defective fuel lines, fittings, or tanks. When fuel leaks occur, they can create an ignition source that can quickly ignite and spread to other parts of the generator, leading to a dangerous and destructive fire.
Aging Of Components
Aging of components is another significant cause of diesel generator fires, as the degradation and weakening of materials over time can create conditions that are conducive to fire. Over time, aging components can become brittle, cracked, or corroded, leading to failures that can create sparks or generate heat, which can then ignite fuel or other flammable materials.
Short Circuits
Short circuits can be a dangerous cause of diesel generator fires, as they can lead to the sudden and rapid release of electrical energy that can generate significant heat and sparks. Short circuits can occur due to a range of factors, including faulty wiring, loose connections, or damaged components, and they can quickly escalate into a serious fire hazard if not addressed promptly.
Inadequate Maintenance
Short circuits can be a dangerous cause of diesel generator fires, as they can lead to the sudden and rapid release of electrical energy that can generate significant heat and sparks. Short circuits can occur due to a range of factors, including faulty wiring, loose connections, or damaged components, and they can quickly escalate into a serious fire hazard if not addressed promptly.
Fire Suppression Challenges
Ventilation
Ventilation openings help towards minimising the risk of overheating and smoke build-up. These openings present a problem for fire suppression technologies that require a completely sealed enclosure to be effective.
Fuel leaks
When a generator is in operation, the temperature of the engine and exhaust system can be so high that it can cause any fluids spilled during refueling or from a damaged fuel line to ignite, without any external spark or flame.
Classes of fire
Diesel generators can be subject to a combination of Class A combustible materials (wires and insulating material), Class B flammable liquids and gases (generator fuel), and Class C electrical equipment. Fire suppression systems must therefore be suitably certified for these classes of fire.
Why FirePro
Choose FirePro for unparalleled fire protection solutions that are tailored to your unique needs. With cutting-edge technology and a commitment to safety, our team of experts will help safeguard your assets and personnel against the dangers of fire
Enclosure integrity
FirePro technology is capable of accommodating for small openings in the enclosure that may lead to agent leakage.
Fire Classes
Our fire suppression condensed aerosol technology is suitable for Fire Classes A, B, C & F (according to EN2 Classification) and A, B & C (according to NFPA10 Classification).
Compact and easy to install in new or retrofit projects
FirePro generators are an all-in-one container and are the equivalent of the agent storage tank, piping and nozzles of a pressurized gas system. They are installed directly within the enclosure at risk, without the need for additional space to accommodate for the system.
