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Passive Fire Protection

All the advantages of passive fire protections

A fire broke out in a chemical industry: the fire exploded burning thousands of litres of solvents, there was an explosion and in a short time the plant burned down.

Unfortunately, this is not the scene of a film, but it is what happened last year in a company, that deals with the recovery of solvents and disposal of hazardous waste.

Clearly the consequences of this have been devastating and the damage is incalculable.

We report this story to reflect on how dangerous some sites are and how serious the consequences of such events can be, from both health and environmental point of view.

Unfortunately, despite the regulations, there are still many companies that do not take seriously the risk of fire; too often we think “it cannot happen”.

However, there are other companies which are aware of the legislation and  respect it, but do not know that there are systems that can help to reduce the risk of spreading a fire inside a plant.

We are talking about PFP (Passive Fire Protections), passive protection systems that can play a key role in slowing the spread of the fire and limiting its impact on a stream line, protecting it from flames.

When we talk about passive protection we mean all measures (whether they are devices or special materials), that can reduce the consequences of a fire, slowing the spread of flames.

Therefore, PFPs DO NOT prevent the outbreak of a fire, but limit its effects, protecting the “crucial” parts of a plant, which can thus continue to work properly until the situation returns under control.

This avoids or reduces possible interruptions.

To work properly, PFPs must:

  • have precise technical characteristics that guarantee resistance to flame and high temperatures for a certain period of protection;
  • be easily “adaptable” to the specific needs of each production site.

When we talk about these systems, someone is puzzled since he has in mind a product difficult to install, because not customizable according to individual needs. Or he thinks that the system can hinder any maintenance activities.

But there are systems easy to install and remove, without any downtime.

New Componit has been studying PFP systems since 2005 and after years of research and development has designed a flexible system called Pyroproof®, the insulation jacket  that can be custom-made according to customer needs.

Pyroproof® is composed of several layers:  an external cover, a series of reinforcement layers and insulating materials .

New Componit is able to guarantee the performance of this product in different fire scenarios, thanks to the numerous tests carried out over the years:

  • Pool Fire -Type Approval for actuators up to 120 minutes -tested in France at Efectis;
  • Pool Fire – Type Approval for valves up to 120 minutes – tested in France at Efectis;
  • Jet Fire – Type Approval for cylindrical sections and metal structures up to 120 minutes – tested in the UK at Advantica;
  • Blast Test – Type Approval for cylindrical sections and metal structures up to 1.85 bar pressure – tested in the UK at Advantica.

The main characteristics of Pyroproof® jackets are:

  • Easy installation/removal (without stopping the plant);
  • Easy handling;
  • Water, weather, UV, cold, chemical resistance;
  • Custom-made and in any shape.

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PFP New Componit

What is a PFP jacket and when is it used?

Passive fire protection systems, better known as PFP, are systems of protection and control, which in the event of fire, have the scope of safeguarding the insulated equipment and ensuring a safe shutdown of the plant.

They have a double purpose:  they preserve the integrity of the instrumentation by acting as insulation during the life cycle and on the other hand, in case of fire, they limit the damage.

As passive protection devices, they are able to counteract both the propagation of fire in space and time, by leaving to people a determined period of time to intervene (equivalent to the protection time required). 

PFP: Where can it be used?

In accordance with art. 4 of Regulation no. 175/1988 fires are classified on a scale A-B-C, according to a high, medium and low risk level.

A PFP is particularly suitable for those fields or company areas where the level of fire risk is always high, due to the presence of flammable substances and/or to the particular conditions of premises, such as: petrochemical plants, refineries, offshore platforms or ships.

In these cases, PFP that can contain the fire and reduce the damage is very effective.

Furthermore, a workplace may have different levels of fire risk, depending on the specific production sites.

These locations include:

  • Areas where work processes require the use of highly flammable substances (such as paints), the use of open flames or the production of a significant source of heat in the presence of combustible substances;
  •  Areas where chemicals are stored or handled;
  •  Areas where explosive substances are stored or handled;
  •  Areas where a considerable amount of combustible material is present;

In these specific cases, installing a PFP device means guaranteeing that the protected equipment will work for a period of time which allow the system to return safe and operative again.

PFP products can be installed directly on valves, actuators, external control units, electrical ducts or any type of equipment that must be protected for safety reasons

PFP: What temperature?

As PFP jackets are used to ensure the proper operation of covered parts, they have to be able to pass special tests and withstand very high temperatures.

As a matter of facts, PFP specifications generally state: “equipment protected against a certain type of fire for a certain period of time, identified in  x minutes.”

In practice, the temperature of an equipment protected by PFP jackets must remain below the critical operating threshold for a given time.

In order to be sure to have operating products, tests must be carried out in accordance with current standards.

To be functioning, the samples tested should faithfully represent the shape of the protection, which will be then replicated in reality.

Generally people are content to test only protections for tubular sections or flat plates, without considering that,  in a real situation , they may not work as expected.

Obviously, the performance required to the PFP and the reference field  will determine the product choice.

In general, the main fire protection devices include:

  • Flexible, i.e. insulating jackets (our Pyroproof ® )
  • Rigid, stainless steel box;
  • in paint, to be applied directly to the equipment.

New Componit’s flexible jackets

To be sure that your equipment is properly protected, you need to rely on expert partners, like New Componit, which has been studying PFP systems since 2005.

New Componit was the first Italian company to certify its PFP flexible jackets against fire. We have invested time, skills and resources to improve and enhance our product. Now our company is one of the world leaders in PFP field.

Thanks to the experience achieved New Componit has developed Pyroproof®, a range of innovative and high-tech PFP jackets.

Pyroproof® jackets are custom-made and designed according to customer’s needs. In addition, they are lightweight, high-performance and resistant to both atmospheric and chemical agents.

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When a certified PFP jacket can save a life

In the last years we heard many times about fatal accidents and environmental disasters due to explosions in refineries, in oil tankers or offshore installations.

It is essential that these high-risk structures become 100% safe places for the well-being of workers and environment.

It is possible to limit accidents at work.

The safety of industrial plants is, in fact, a delicate issue that must involve the whole connected supply chain.

A study carried out by Marsh (Marsh Risk Consulting, 2003), related to the period 1972-2001, took into consideration the 100 accidents globally that caused the greatest damages (in monetary terms).

The study showed that during the considered period, there has been a steady increase of accidents every year. According to the study, this increase is due to ageing of the plants, with a significant number of accident caused by: damages or leaks from piping that caused fires and/or explosions; anomalies during plant start up or shutdowns; natural events.

How can we eliminate this type of accidents?

Passive fire protection is surely one of the most effective methods to reduce the risk of fire in a system’s device.

It is an effective method that allows to minimaze the danger and damage caused by fire inside a refinery, on oil platforms, in petrochemical plants and in the naval and defense sectors.

The significant advantage of a soft and flexible protection is given by the ease of transport, handling, assembly and disassembly.

What are PFPs?

The scope of passive fire protections, known with the abbreviation PFP, is to protect the instruments and the other process parts (installed on a given flow line) from possible damage in case of fire and to ensure controlled shutdown and system safety.These devices are designed to guarantee all safety operations in case of accident; they are able to operate for a specific period of time, equivalent to the required protection period.

Fire protection jackets can be installed directly on valves, actuators or on any type of device that must be protected for safety reasons.

We know that in some environments where the risk of accidents is higher and is often impossible to eliminate; for this reason, it is necessary to act in advance to prevent possible catastrophes.

PFP protections are used in ships, petrochemical plants, refineries, offshore platforms.

Features and benefits

PFP jackets are inherently very flexible and resistant. They are composed by several layers of different material and insulation parts that guarantee excellent performance, definitely superior to that of metallic PFP.

The main characteristics of this product are:

  • Shape: it can be realized in the geometry that best suits the body to be coated.
  • Intuitiveness and easy to install (or remove if necessary).
  • Resistance to bad weather, UV rays, and saline environment.
  • Maneuverability: it is certainly lighter and easier to maneuver than a traditional metallic PFP jacket.
  • It performs thermal insulation.
  • It provides acoustic insulation.
  • It can be equipped with an heating system for cold environments.
  • It allows the maintenance without downtime.

Flexible jackets against fire

New Componit offers an innovative range of preformed jackets as passive fire protections against fire.

Since jackets must be able to guarantee the operation of covered parts, for a certain period of time in presence of hydrocarbon fire, Pyroproof products have been tested and designed to be perfectly adaptable to valves, actuators, pipes, tanks and other equipments.

Do you need further guarantees?

Hereunder are the tests passed by our Pyroproof jackets:

  • Pool Fire 120 Minutes – tested and certified in Chicago (USA) at Underwrite Laboratories.
  • Type Approval certified pool fire 30 Minutes – tested in France at Efectis.
  • Jet Fire 120 Minutes – tested and certified at Spadeadam Center (UK).
  • Blast Test up to 1,85 Bar pressure – tested and certified at Spadeadam Center (UK).

New Componit takes so much care of plant safety, that we have set ourselves the goal of “zero accidents”. We guarantee an immediate assistance service, ready to intervene in any part of the world. Our technical staff carries out 3D designs on request and creates efficiency tests to guarantee certified products.

Want to improve comfort and performance in your plant with a tailored solution?

Request Your Free TIPCHECK Audit Now

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