Transformer fire protection solutions

August 2018 Fire & Safety, Industrial (Industry)

Industrial fires cause damage to the amount of approximately R430 Million per year. Transformer fires are disruptive, dangerous and may cause loss of life due to the severity of the fire and the high incidence of explosions.

In most transformer fires, the transformer and surrounding equipment are damaged extensively or can even be totally destroyed, resulting in significant downtime and costly replacement expenses. While the instances of transformer fires and the costs of damages increase every year, protecting transformers against fire is relatively easy, providing a few guidelines are followed.

Common causes of transformer fires include:

Incorrect or lack of maintenance of the transformer and/or supporting equipment

• Ageing equipment

• Transformer overloaded due to increased demand

• Weather factors (i.e. lightning)

• Sabotage (i.e. cable theft)

Transformer fire protection guidelines

Best practice suggests that fire protection measures should first of all be preventative in nature, before moving on to detection of fires, and finally suppression, should the prevention methods fail for whatever reason. Typical preventative guidelines that can be followed to prevent damage from transformer fires are the following:

Build transformers far away from critical buildings or equipment.

• Separate transformers with blast/fire walls on three sides.

• Aim the opening of the blast walls away from sensitive areas.

• Provide areas around the transformers to contain any oil spills.

• Provide gravel stones in the bunds as “passive fire protection” to absorb any possible burning oil spills.

• Provide proper security fencing around the transformers to prevent sabotage.

• Prevent uncontrolled access to the transformers as far as possible.

• Only allow properly trained and experienced personnel to perform any services on the transformers.

• Make sure the equipment is always in a good condition, fix oil leaks as quickly as possible, as these pose a fire risk.

• Provide a correctly designed fire detection and suppression system for the transformers.

Transformer fire suppression systems are typically designed in accordance with NFPA13 and 15, which deal with water spray deluge and sprinkler systems. These systems should be designed, tested and inspected according to the applicable regulations, codes or standards. The design of equipment should take into account ease of installation, maintenance, environment etc. The fire protection system should be sized to provide, as a minimum, the requirements as described in the final performance criteria.

It must be noted that the purpose of suppression on transformers is not to protect or save the transformer (transformers that burned should always be replaced), but rather to protect surrounding equipment, people and buildings, by preventing further fire spread.

Design calculations should be to the applicable design standard. These designs, calculations and commissioning should be signed off by a competent person.

Basic transformer fire protection design

A typical transformers detection medium will be a hydraulic pilot line with fast response sprinkler heads. When the sprinklers are activated by heat the pilot line will lose pressure and open the fire deluge valve suppling fire water to the pipe manifold with strategically placed open ended high velocity as per design requirements.

Care should be taken to install suppression components such as sprinklers and nozzles in such a manner that they are securely fastened in positions where they will provide the quickest possible response time, and adequately cover the most critical areas with sufficient amounts of water when activated. Alarms can also be communicated to control rooms through the correct fire rated detection panels.

The following standards may typically be applicable to transformer fire protection system design:

South African National Standards (SANS) Standards:

➢ SANS 10287 - Automatic Water Spray Installations for Fire Fighting.

➢ SANS 10139 - Fire Detection.

Applicable National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes and Standards:

➢ NFPA 13 - Installation of Sprinkler Systems

➢ NFPA 15 - Standard for Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection

➢ NFPA 16 - Installation of Foam-Water Sprinkler and Foam-Water Spray Systems

➢ NFPA 750 - Water Mist Fire Protection Systems

Cutting-edge detection and suppression technologies are applied to ensure safe working and operational conditions even in harsh environments. This is achieved by installing monitoring and controlling remote detection devices. Sperosens certifications and accreditations include: SAQCC, ASIB, FDIA, FPASA, ECSA Professional Registration, FEASA, ISO 9001, SANS 1475 and CIDB.

For more information contact Marihette Hattingh, Sperosens, +27 12 665 0317, marihette.hattingh@spero.co.za, www.spero.co.za



Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

How to prevent and survive fires
Fire & Safety Risk Management & Resilience
Since its launch in August 2023, Fidelity SecureFire, a division of the Fidelity Services Group, has been making significant strides in revolutionising fire response services in South Africa.

Read more...
Spate of Joburg fires calls for proactive fire-safety planning
Fire & Safety
The incident of fire that occurred recently in Johannesburg's Central Business District (CBD) has brought to light the criticality of performance-based fire safety systems. It is imperative to design safety systems that are efficient and effective in managing such unforeseen events.

Read more...
Beagle Watch adds fire to its portfolio
Editor's Choice Fire & Safety News & Events
Beagle Watch Armed Response and FIRE OPS SA announced the enhancement of the two companies' combined service offerings to provide professional fire safety services to Beagle Watch clients and Johannesburg residents.

Read more...
Different types of fires
Fire & Safety
Fire is a powerful force of nature; according to SafeQuip, a distributor of fire-related equipment; understanding the different types of fires and how to combat them is essential for safety and protection.

Read more...
SafeQuip introduces lithium fire extinguishers
Fire & Safety Products & Solutions
With the use of Lithium batteries increasing in many types of portable devices and battery storage solutions, SafeQuip, in partnership with AVD Lithex, is introducing a fire extinguisher aimed at suppressing and extinguishing, and also preventing re-ignition of lithium fires.

Read more...
Modern warehouses come with added fire risk
Fire & Safety Transport (Industry)
Along with increased investments in modern warehousing in Africa, there is also a need to focus on protecting warehouses from crime, however, fire can arguably be a greater danger to business continuity.

Read more...
How to prevent solar inverter short-circuits and fires
Fire & Safety
With many South Africans installing inverters as part of solar power systems to mitigate the impact of load shedding in homes and at businesses, users need to be aware of the potential fire risks.

Read more...
210 million industrial endpoints secured by 2028
News & Events Information Security Industrial (Industry)
A new study by Juniper Research has found that there will be growth of 107% over the next five years in the number of industrial endpoints featuring cybersecurity protection.

Read more...
Growing cyber threats to SA’s critical infrastructure
News & Events Information Security Industrial (Industry)
The increasing reliance on digital infrastructure makes critical sectors like utilities more susceptible to cyber threats. This concern has been highlighted by Kaspersky's recent discovery of a new SystemBC variant that has targeted a South African nation's critical infrastructure.

Read more...
Fidelity SecureFire steps into critical fire response space
News & Events Fire & Safety
With the majority of fire stations around the country being crippled by a lack of resources to offer effective responses, Fidelity Fire Solutions has launched its own ‘first responder’ model, Fidelity SecureFire.

Read more...