discharge. CO2 is one-and-a-half times heavier
than air, so it tends to collect at low level and in
under-floor voids and ducts.
Where CO2 systems do come into their own is
when seeking to provide total flooding protection
for unoccupied spaces. These include unmanned
control equipment rooms, engine compartments,
plant rooms and printing presses. It is also a popu-
lar choice of suppressant for local discharge using
portable extinguishers for Class A fires that involve
organic solids such as paper, wood; Class B fires
involving flammable liquids; and Class C fires that
involve flammable gases.
So, CO2 is an effective, versatile and cost-
effective fire suppressant. While build quality of
the systems and the application of health
safeguards are essential, properly designed and
correctly maintained, CO2 is an excellent fire
suppression agent that can play a major role in
protecting vital business assets.
Clean agent performance
When discharged, CO2 leaves nothing behind to
damage sensitive equipment, and with no agent
clean-up required, business critical installations can
be up and running again in the shortest possible
time. This is an important consideration because,
as well as avoiding any clean-up costs and the
possible need to replace damaged equipment, the
cost of a business being out of operation for any
length of time can be crippling. Indeed, research
published in the Alinenan ROI Report in 2004
suggests that the downtime in some businesses
can cost as much as US$1 million an hour.
Total Flooding applications
The latest CO2 systems incorporate a new cylinder
valve and nozzle design enhancements, and are
easily integrated with the latest generation of
sophisticated fire detection and alarm systems.
A typical engineered system today uses
individual steel storage cylinders with 16kg, 23kg,
34kg and 45kg capacity that can be manifold-
linked together to enable rapid and simultaneous
discharge of the CO2 gas. This gas is stored under
pressure and is piped to the protected room or
enclosure, where it is discharged in an emergency
via a network of piping and strategically located
nozzles, the position and type of which have been
determined by the system design. The cylinder
80 INTERNATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION
CO2 SUPPRESSION

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