Fogtec - Fire Protection

From our newsletter in January 2024

Tiefgarage Koblenz

Underground car park in the City Tower Koblenz

The City Tower in Koblenz, the Commerzbank tower block, is being completely refurbished. As part of this, the underground car park is being protected with a FOGTEC high-pressure water mist firefighting system.


The increasing use of electric vehicles increases the risk of lithium-ion battery fires, which can prove extremely challenging in the event of a fire. In underground car parks in particular, the structural conditions pose a complex challenge both for firefighting and for evacuating people. In enclosed and underground spaces accessibility to fire sources can be severely impaired due to high temperatures and the spread of smoke gas.


Thanks to our extensive experience and the knowledge that FOGTEC has gained as part of the SUVEREN research project, especially in the area of lithium-ion fires, FOGTEC was able to offer a solution for this specific application. The aim of our concept is to effectively fight a fire and prevent it from spreading.


We planned protection for the underground car park in the City Tower using a FOGTEC high-pressure water mist system.


The high-pressure water mist technology enables us to fight fires quickly and in a targeted manner. The fine but powerful water mist can effectively contain the spread of fires, minimising damage to the surrounding area. In addition, the technology offers increased safety when evacuating people, as the visual obstruction caused by smoke and high temperatures is reduced.


New Year, New Triumph: Securing Prestigious Italian Projects!

As we kick off 2024, we're thrilled to share the fantastic news that Stadler has awarded us a significant project for the upcoming years on the Italian market, marking a pivotal moment in our journey. This accomplishment is a testament to our team's dedication, expertise, and the unwavering support from our valued community.

Key Highlights of the Project:

        Scope and Scale: Inthis project, we will deliver the newest solutions on fire detection and suppression for railway application, showcasing the trust placed in our capabilities.

        Strategic Partnership: This collaboration solidifies our position as a trusted partner of Stadler, highlighting the synergy between our organizations. Supporting new Stadler Italian platform - such as Battery Multiple Unit (BMU) and Hydrogen Multiple Unit (HMU) - is a key contribution to a decarbonized future.

         Innovation at Its Core: We're excited to bring cutting-edge solutions to the table, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in fire protection solutions, compliant to the latest UNI11565:2021 standards.

None of this would be possible without the hard work, dedication, and collaborative spirit of our team. Each member has and will played a crucial role in making this project a reality.

Looking Ahead: As we embark on this exciting venture, we remain committed to excellence, innovation, and exceeding expectations. The journey ahead is filled with possibilities, and we're excited to navigate it together. 

Thank you: A heartfelt thank you to Stadler for entrusting us with this significant project. Your confidence inspires us to aim higher and achieve greater milestones.

Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on this exciting chapter in our journey.

Cheers to new beginnings and shared success!

Italien Landschaft


From our newsletter in December 2023:

Ungarn Nationalbank

FOGTEC system protects the Hungarian National Bank

The headquarters of the Hungarian National Bank in Budapest, formerly the Austro-Hungarian Bank, was first inaugurated in 1905. A FOGTEC system was chosen to protect the building as part of extensive renovation work due to be completed in 2024. A particular challenge for the building works was the extension of the building and the conversion of the inner courtyard into an atrium. During the refurbishment, care was also taken to ensure that the building meets modern, energy-efficient and sustainable standards. FOGTEC makes its contribution to this!


Fire protection for railway vehicles under difficult conditions

Our systems are known for their robustness under all operating conditions. This is not the only reason why our customers decide in favour of a FOGTEC system from Cologne.
In a large number of projects, we have been able to prove under difficult climatic conditions that FOGTEC systems also function faultlessly at temperatures of down to -40 degrees.
Special components have been developed for fire alarm electronics and firefighting technology, in particular, and these are used in the Stadler vehicles on Pikes Peak, for example. This cog railway of the Manitou & Pikes Peak Railway Company (MPPR) leads to the summit of the 4,301m high Pikes Peak in the Rocky Mountains, and is therefore not only the highest cog railway in the world, but is also exposed to extreme weather conditions, especially in winter.
FOGTEC water mist systems are also used in ALSTOM locomotives in North America at temperatures as low as -40°C.

Pikes Peak


From our newsletter in November 2023:

TÜV Rheinland

Test centre for traction batteries

"TÜV Rheinland Automotive Component Testing GmbH" was founded in December 2020. The company specialises in the independent testing of automotive components and systems, in particular  in the field of battery testing. Various test chambers have been set up for the durability testing of lithium-ion batteries, with both destructive and non-destructive tests. The test chambers‘ set up includes climatic chambers, IP rooms, salt spray chambers, splash water chambers, shaker systems and a battery abuse centre. A FOGTEC high-pressure water mist system was installed to protect the test chambers. Thanks to FOGTEC's extensive experience and knowledge gained as part of the SUVEREN research project, particularly in the area of lithium-ion battery fires, specific solutions have been developed for various applications. The aim is to fight fires effectively and prevent them from spreading.


From our newsletter in September 2023:

Mobile FOGTEC systems with new FOGGUN

Mobile FOGTEC systems have been successfully used for decades by fire brigades and different industries worldwide. The standalone water mist / foam extinguishing units are operated with pure water or with the admixture of additives, such as foaming agents, and effectively fight solid and liquid fires with minimal use of water.

The heart of the system is the specially developed and patented FOGGUN extinguishing lance. The FOGGUN, which has been utilized and tested for decades, has been completely re-designed. The different, variable settings allow the firefighter to fight fires quickly and effectively.

Additionally, there is a special foam pipe that can be easily mounted to the FOGGUN. This unit allows the user to produce high-expansion foam of the best quality. Due to the compact design of the systems, they can easily be installed or retrofitted in firefighting trucks or pick-ups or used as stand-alone units.

 

Mobile Systeme


Brandversuch Tunnel

Experience from more than 200 full-scale tunnel fire tests

During the last 25 years, FOGTEC’s water mist systems have been tested in over 200 full scale fire tests in tunnels. High pressure water mist systems have been shown to be very effective for liquid fires (class B fire loads), solid fires (class A fire loads) and fires with New Energy Carriers (NEC), amongst other,. Fire sizes of over 200 MW HRR (Heat Release Rates) have successfully been supressed. FOGTEC’s systems have successfully undergone tests with different ventilation settings (longitudinal ventilation and transversal ventilation), high wind speeds and late system activation to test a worst-case scenario.

The full-scale fire tests were conducted as part of international recognized tunnel research projects such as  SOLIT / SOLIT2, UPTUN and FIT, as well as for specific tunnels, such as M30 Madrid, Eurotunnel and the Dartford Tunnel in London. Selected fire test results can be found in Annex 2 on the SOLIT2 webpage, while Annex 7 serves as guideline for fire testing and fire scenarios for FFFS. FOGTEC’s high pressure water mist systems have successfully been installed in several tunnels on 4 continents.


From our newsletter in August 2023:

SIL-2 fire alarm system for MEDHA 57 EMU

Medha Servo Drives Pvt. Ltd. based in Hyderabad, India has commissioned FOGTEC to equip 57 suburban trains with a SIL-2 fire alarm system. The trains are produced by MEDHA in India.

The suburban trains ensure mobility in the metropolises of the subcontinent. The suburban trains are also called EMU trains or Locals. They connect the central business districts with the suburbs and conurbations on the outskirts with the centres. Every day they carry millions of people. The share of the suburban rail network in the total rail network of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai is only 7.1 %. However, 53.2 % of all passengers in these metropolises are carried there.

A basic unit of an EMU train consists of a traction unit and two general carriages. Four such basic units are usually coupled together to form a train with 12 carriages. To cope with very high passenger numbers during rush hour, sometimes four units with a total of 15 coaches are coupled together.


High-pressure water mist secures Hempelsche Fabric

The Hempelsche factory in Plauen in eastern Germany was founded in 1830 and for many decades textile products were bleached, dyed and finished there. In 1990, this era came to an end and the buildings remained unused for a long time. Now the factory is about to be renovated.The main aim of the conversion work is to attract innovative companies from the creative industries. Cultural, educational and research institutions are to find a new home in the premises while respecting the historical architectural heritage. A modern infrastructure with the latest technologies should make it attractive for companies and institutions to settle here.

In view of the listed status of the building, the planners opted for an area-wide FOGTEC high-pressure water mist fire-fighting system. Small pipelines and low water consumption not only guarantee the fire safety of the historic building, but also emphasise the focus on modern technologies as part of the refurbishment.


Fire protection technology from Cologne for gasometer in Berlin

At the site of Berlin's former Schöneberg gasworks, historic buildings have been renovated and new ones built on the EUREF campus over the past twelve years. EUREF stands for the "European Energy Forum" and pursues the idea of a model quarter for the climate-neutral, resource-saving and intelligent city of tomorrow. The 66 m high former gas storage tank (gasometer) is visible from afar. The lower part of the structure will become the forum of the EUREF Campus. Above it, from a height of 16 metres, an office complex with around 28,000 square metres of space is being built. The predominantly glass façade will ensure a high degree of transparency in the building. On the upper floors, rooms for presentations and events will be created behind the steel and glass façade. A roof terrace will be built on the top floor of the new building, which will be open to the public. The view over Berlin from a height of 66 metres is included. When completed, the project will cost more than 200 million euros.

An environmentally friendly FOGTEC system with low water use enables resource-saving installation and provides innovative fire protection for the premises.


 

German Engineering for the World

A little more than 10 years ago, the SOLIT² research project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology in response to a resolution of the Bundestag, was brought to a successful conclusion. The consortium consisted of the University of Bochum, STUVA, BUNG Ingenieure, FOGTEC, IFAB, TÜV Süd and IDF. The main focus was on investigating the compensation potential of water-based fire fighting systems in tunnels. In numerous large-scale fire tests with truck replicas and liquid fires, water mist were successfully put through their paces.

A large part of the tests was carried out in a 1:1 test tunnel. Several ventilation scenarios were also tested. The results of the project are still shaping the protection of tunnels with water-based fire fighting systems.

The investigations have shown that compensatory measures, especially in structural fire protection and ventilation, can be implemented in a cost-optimised manner through water-based fire fighting systems. This gave planners and operators of tunnels an important tool for increasing the safety and availability of the tunnel on the one hand and for reducing investment and life cycle costs on the other. Tunnels equipped with a water-based fire fighting system can usually resume regular operation quickly after a fire. Expensive closure times can thus be minimised. There have been separate studies on this in the past, see also: https://www.tunnel-online.info/de/artikel/tunnel_Wirtschaftlichkeit_von_Brandbekaempfungsanlagen_fuer_Strassentunnel-3675501.html.

The results of the research project were summarised by the SOLIT2 consortium in a detailed guide for the planning of water-based fire fighting systems in tunnels. To this day, the results are internationally regarded as a benchmark in the field of fire protection for tunnels. Today, the SOLIT guide and its annexes serve as an authoritative basis for tenders and official approvals all over the world. The documents are available free of charge at www.SOLIT.info.

The FOGTEC team is very pleased to have made an important contribution to the safety and availability of tunnels through its ongoing research activities.

FOGTEC continues to be intensively involved in research consortia in the field of fire protection for tunnels, industrial applications, rail vehicles and new energy sources, such as in the SUVEREN project and the follow-up projects (SUVEREN2Use, etc.).


From our newsletter in July 2023:

Automatische Tiefgarage

Protection concept for automatic underground car park

A new residential quarter with 871 housing units, commercial units and a daycare center is currently being built on a former company site in the southwest of Ludwigshafen, Germany. Sustainability and mobility are the focus of this project. The district heating supply and green roofs contribute to the former, while the innovative mobility concept with more than 600 bicycle parking spaces, a cargo bike rental service and an underground parking garage with 236 spaces, half of which are reserved for electric vehicles, contributes to the latter.

In order to provide many parking spaces in a small area, 215 of the parking spaces were planned as semi-automatic parking systems with three parking spaces one above the other. The middle level can move both horizontally and vertically, while the other two levels move vertically to allow the required vehicle to be parked in or out through the gateway.

Several challenges were faced while planning the fire protection system of the underground car park, on the one hand the moving elements of the parking system, and on the other the high number of electric vehicles, which pose an increased risk in the event of a fire incident. FOGTEC developed an innovative protection concept with a high-pressure water mist fire suppression system that is both compatible with the parking system and provides effective risk protection. It is being used in this project for the first time.

The construction of the whole project began in the fall of 2022, and it should be completed by the end of 2025.


Xiong'an Supercomputing Cloud Center

This outstanding project is the first large-scale smart building in the country that integrates urban computing, supercomputing and an ultra-low energy consumption concept.

The center with a total investment of 1.099 billion yuan ($156 million) was put into operation in April this year, and is only one part of the extensive network of technology being built in Chinas “City of the Future”, the Xiong’an New Area in Hebei Province. 

The project includes an internet data center, cloud platform, and supercomputing system. The data that these collect will be used to run the city, and will be analysed to make improvements in its efficiency and environmental performance. The project, with a total construction area of approximately 39,851 square meters, is divided into three floors above ground and one floor underground.

A FOGTEC high-pressure water mist system is installed in the modular container server rooms and UPS battery room. Due to the very small amount of water used in the event of a possible release, the system is ideally suited for protecting this sensitive technology.


From our newsletter in June 2023:

Tai_Yuhan

TaiYuan: Fire protection for the Metro Line 2 Control Center

The modern control center, with a height of 96 m and a total area of 95,000 m², is the most important part of the metro line project. In the future, not only Metro Line 2 (the first in Taiyuan), but a total of 8 metro lines will be operated and monitored from there. Construction of the control center began in September 2018 and was completed in December 2020. The installed FOGTEC fire protection system, with its three high-pressure pump units protects the entire control center with water mist, including a data center on the 5th and 6th floors of the building and the emergency call center. Depending on the use of the area to be protected, open as well as automatic nozzles are used.


Extension of the tunnel maintenance contract

FOGTEC was recently awarded another extension to the contract to continue maintenance of the fire suppression system in the Dartford Tunnel. The world's first and only SIL2 certified water mist fire suppression system in a tunnel has been regularly maintained by FOGTEC specialists for years. Our team of highly qualified FOGTEC service engineers is available to our customers worldwide and around the clock to deliver fast and effective support as well as to minimize the risk of downtime and operational failures.

Service by FOGTEC - In action worldwide

Our team of highly qualified FOGTEC service technicians is available to our customers around the clock to deliver fast and effective support. We offer a comprehensive service package that includes maintenance, servicing and repairs. We are not only active in the domestic market, our service staff works for you worldwide with the following services amongst others:

  • Regular inspections and maintenance work on our firefighting equipment
  • Technical support for customers and partners
  • Training for technicians and users
  • Extensions of existing water mist systems
  • Spare parts supply and installation

Our technicians have many years of experience with our water mist fire suppression systems to perform maintenance efficiently and minimize the risk of downtime and operational problems.

Dartford-News


BLS

Success story with BLS continues

Recently, FOGTEC received an order from BLS AG to upgrade a fire alarm system for the Lötschberger stock vehicles, which operate as regional trains on several Swiss lines. FOGTEC already supplied a similar system for the NINA vehicles in 2013. With this order, the 5th BLS fleet is now being equipped with FOGTEC fire protection solutions, as a result of which a large part of FOGTEC's Rail product portfolio is now in use at BLS.


From our newsletter in May 2023:

Metro-Sao-Paulo

Fire Protection for Sao Paulo Metro Trains

Sao Paulo, with a population of over 12 million, relies heavily on its metro system for mobility, recording up to 5 million passenger journeys per day. To accommodate the growing demand, the system is undergoing expansion.

For the latest metro trains for the new Metro Line 6, Alstom, the car builder, has chosen FOGTEC to supply the on-board fire detection and suppression system to ensure the safety of passengers and staff by mitigating the risk of fire. Twenty-two 6-car trains are to be built.

FOGTEC has a proven track record in supplying fire protection systems for Sao Paulo’s metro trains. Fire detection and high-pressure water mist suppression systems from FOGTEC are already installed in metro trains from CAF, Hyundai Rotem and CRRC, as well as the in the monorail vehicles built by Bombardier.


Accademia della Crusca – Protection of the Library

In Italy and worldwide, the Accademia della Crusca is among the leading institutions in the field of research into the Italian language. The academy was founded in Florence between 1582 and 1583 on the initiative of five Florentine men of letters. The building, which houses the academy, is the Medicean Villa of Castello. Like most of the villas in the Florentine countryside, it is the result of a stratification of building interventions worked outwards from its ancient core, a defensive tower of the 12th Century. The Villa became the favourite residence of the Medici family in 1477 and other Florentine families afterwards, and was then handed over to the Accademia in 1972. The Library of the Accademia della Crusca is the only one in Italy to be specialized in Italian language and linguistics. It is composed of a comprehensive collection of classics and of a wide selection of dictionaries, grammar books and Italian journals.

In the course of a current renovation, our local partner Pierre s.r.l. installs a FOGTEC high-pressure water mist fire protection system in the library. Due to the very small amount of water required in the event of a possible release, the system is ideal for protecting the valuable books and magazines.

Accademia-della-Crusca_hp


From our newsletter in March 2023:


Galerie Pardubice Aussenansicht

National Cultural Monument: Winternitz Mills

The original building, owned by the Winternitz brothers, was designed by the famous architect Josef Gočár as automatic mills. It opened in 1909 close to the historic area of Pardubice. The mill ceased to serve its purpose in 2012 and then a new use was sought for the building, which was declared as national cultural monument in 2014. The new chapter of the building’s story started in 2016, when Pardubice city decided to rebuild it as a new, multifunctional, gallery. The first part of the building will re-open in September 2023.

FOGTEC water mist protects the entire building with automatic nozzles and a pump room in the basement. Because of the extraordinary structure of the building, water mist was selected as the optimal solution for its protection, as the system fits into the existing architecture in a particularly space-saving and discreet way.

For more insights into this project, please find here the video.


Pump stations for locations with limited or unstable power supply

Electrical pumps powered from the public power grid are often specified for water mist systems in tunnels. For a lifesaving system, this may however be disadvantageous in regards of availability and reliability. On the other hand, there are often preconceptions about alternative, easy to handle, diesel-powered pumps, especially in terms of environmental impact -  exhaust fumes and noise, and of maintenance costs.  These preconceptions in most cases do not apply, especially for tunnel systems.  

The actual run times of fire suppression systems are extremely low, as they are emergency systems for worst-case scenarios. Noise and exhaust are therefore largely negligible; maintenance costs are about the same for diesel units compared to electrically powered ones. Diesel pumps are then advantageous for systems with very high availability requirements and for tunnels with insufficient power supply.

Another option is battery energy storage systems (“ESS”) which will provide the required energy for the intended activation time. These battery storage systems can often be integrated into a wider power management scheme.

In summary, diesel-powered pumps and energy storage systems can be an alternative for the following reasons:

  • Very high availability (independent of the city's power supply)
  • Low life cycle cost (low cost for power supply)
  • Similar maintenance requirements and costs
  • Particularly suitable also for tunnels in remote areas

FOGTEC has successfully installed numerous water mist systems with alternative drives - diesel and battery driven - such as in in the Dartford Tunnel (UK), where a SIL2 system was required, and in the Virgolo Tunnel (Italy). The actual maintenance costs of the pumps compared to electric pumps proved to be very similar while maintaining the highest availability.

Virgolo Tunnel Pumpen


From our newsletter in February 2023:

Drumming for a Good Cause

At the beginning of February, a drumming event was held for the students at Grüneberg Elementary School in Cologne-Kalk. As FOGTEC is involved in many ways at the school, of course we also participated in this exciting and interactive event.


FOGTEC Water Mist protects the University of Gent

A FOGTEC system has been chosen by the University of Gent in Belgium to protect the library and associated reading areas. Part of the reading area is under a glass roof. The use of FOGTEC high-pressure water mist as a compensation measure enables the existing exposed glass and steel structure to be retained, and avoids having to install an expensive fire rated glazing and steel beam fire coating. Furthermore, the water mist system compensates the missing fire partition between two parts of the building.

This is another example of utilizing the excellent cooling abilities of the FOGTEC high-pressure water mist to solve a fire protection challenge in a heritage building.


Order for Next Monorail Line in Panama

FOGTEC has received the next order for the protection of monorail vehicles. This time heading to Panama City!

Hitachi and Hitachi Rail will provide 28 6-car vehicles for Line 3 of the Panama Metro, serving a route of approximately 25 km and 14 stations. The line runs right across Panama City crossing the Panama Canal and is scheduled to enter service in mid-2025. In addition, the signalling and telecommunications systems, amongst others, will also come from Hitachi. Mitsubishi is responsible for project coordination.

For the total 168 monorail vehicles, FOGTEC will supply a Series 1000 fire alarm system to protect the driver's cabs, the passenger area and the underfloor bogies. With this project, FOGTEC sets another milestone for fire protection in the international monorail world.


Fire Protection Guideline for Car Parks

Based on the findings of the SUVEREN research project, which was funded by the BMBF and in which FOGTEC participated as a consortium partner, the Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research (IFAB) GmbH has developed a fire protection guideline for car parks. This covers, in particular, the fire protection of electric vehicles and the corresponding charging areas.

You can download the guideline from the project homepage, amongst other places.


From our newsletter in January 2023:

Successful Activation Test for Siemens

Together with the Italian approval authority RINA and Siemens, FOGTEC successfully passed the activation test of the fire fighting system required by UNI 11565 at the beginning of January. The test was carried out in a vehicle that was available in maximum configuration and thus under real conditions. The pipeline length was just under 500m. All requirements and all targets were achieved in the first test, thus underlining the effectiveness of the FOGTEC system.


White Paper on Fire Protection for stationary Energy Storage Systems

As part of the SUVEREN_Storage project, FOGTEC conducted full-scale fire tests for stationary energy storage systems (ESS) last year. From this, FOGTEC, in collaboration with the Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research (IFAB) GmbH and the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, has derived a white paper that can now be downloaded from our website.

Get the White Paper

Additionally, FOGTEC has produced a brochure on fire protection for energy storage systems, which is also available for download and offers insights into the FOGTEC concept for protecting ESS.

Get the Brochure


From our newsletter in December 2022:

FOGTEC wins tender for retrofitting a fire fighting system for 5 locomotives

FOGTEC participated in a tender of BVG (Berlin public transportation) and won the tender for retrofitting a fire fighting system in five diesel-hydraulic locomotives of the SD12 series.

The project included the inspection of the vehicles in the BVG workshop, the planning of the fire fighting system, the collection of the locomotives as well as the installation and their return transport. The locomotives were equipped with a FOGTEC 1000 series system, which is particularly easy to retrofit and integrate. The fire detection and fire fighting system is used to monitor the vehicle with regard to a fire event and, if necessary, to prevent a fire or its spread. A particular challenge was the organization and execution of the heavy transport and the installation of the system. Furthermore, all locomotives were rebuilt within only 5 weeks and are now already back in the possession of BVG.


Successful commissioning of the high pressure water mist system in the Ismailia Tunnel

Experienced FOGTEC specialists have successfully commissioned the FOGTEC high pressure water mist system in the Ismailia Tunnel in Egypt. Together with FOGTEC's local partner Shehabco, the general contractors as well as the end client, all steps for commissioning were completed.

The 4.8 km long Ismailia Tunnel consists of two tubes, runs underneath the Suez Canal and connects the Egyptian mainland with the Sinai Peninsula. The strategically important link is part of a large-scale infrastructure project of the Egyptian government. It is intended to provide the Sinai Peninsula with a stronger connection to the Egyptian mainland and to support the economic development of the region.

The FOGTEC high-pressure water mist system, which is designed for fire loads of up to 200 MW, will protect the impressive structure from the devastating effects of large fires in the future. In particular, structural fire protection, high availability of the infrastructure and fast opening of the tunnel after a fire were the main criteria for the installation of a FOGTEC system. The design was based on full scale fire tests, the execution was implemented according to the requirements of NFPA 502 and the SOLIT² guideline.
We would like to thank all parties involved for the cooperative collaboration during the successful completion of the first water mist FFFS in a tunnel on the African continent.


Hotel Steigenberger

The extensive renovation and modernization of the renowned 5-star hotel in Baden-Baden will be resumed, with reopening planned for 2025. The listed building complex is to be developed into a resort and business hotel with around 120 rooms, several conference rooms, a beauty and spa area as well as gastronomy. Existing parts of the building will be restored and others completely rebuilt on an area of around 3,000 sqm.

FOGTEC was again chosen for the future cooperation. FOGTEC developed a high-pressure water mist system for the entire building complex and is going to install the same. A special challenge was the combination of history and modernity, such as listed ceilings in the old buildings or voids and suspended ceilings in other areas. In addition to the rooms and public areas, all catering areas, kitchens and technical rooms are also protected with the FOGTEC system.


From our newsletter in November 2022:

25 years of Smarter Fire Fighting

This year FOGTEC celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since its foundation in 1997, FOGTEC has been committed to resource-saving and efficient firefighting. This was also the case for the library in Trier, one of the company's first projects.

The library in Trier is one of the most significant libraries with historic books and documents in Rhineland Palatinate. It comes with about 750,000 books of the last 1,200 years. The building has 7 floors and was built in the fifties.

Since 2001, FOGTEC protects 15 storage areas with a high pressure pump unit, high pressure nozzles, and pre-action section valves, as well as hose reel cabinets at strategic and sensitive locations.


FOGTEC protects Hamburg's Elbe workshops

The Elbe workshops in the Hamburg area offer people with disabilities a wide range of vocational training, work with individual support and nursing assistance.

To provide the best possible protection for staff and visitors, the Elbe workshops have opted for a high-pressure water mist system from FOGTEC to fight fires. With a total of 822 nozzles, the system protects the entire area of the workshops.


FOGTEC to supply fire protection system for Stadler rolling stock in Serbia

Stadler has contracted FOGTEC to supply 18 fire detection and fire fighting systems for the Serbian state railway company Srbija Voz.

The new trains are to replace old diesel trains in regional transport in Serbia. After several successful projects in the past, this cooperation is also being intensified in Eastern Europe.

The system consists of the well-known 5000 series, which, in addition to a fully comprehensive SIL 2 verification in accordance with EN 50129, is also characterised by a particularly low weight of the fire-fighting system.


Life cycle costs: fire protection panels vs. fire suppression system

STUVA e.V. in the person of Prof. Dr. Roland Leucker, with the support of FOGTEC, has compared the life cycle costs of fire protection panels with those of a water mist fire fighting system in tunnels in a jointly published article. Prof. Dr. Leucker and the FOGTEC tunnel team carried out the overall economic analysis over a period of 100 years and calculated the total costs using a fictitious tunnel as an example. In addition to investment and maintenance costs for the systems, costs for repair work, lost toll revenues and economic costs were also determined, which are incurred in the event of a fire and must be borne by the operator or taxpayer.

Long tunnel closures, use of bypasses and post-fire rehabilitation play a crucial role in the comparison of the two technologies. Both water-mist FFFS and fire protection panels have a positive effect on the life-cycle costs of a tunnel, that much can be revealed in advance. But the difference in the comparison may come as a surprise.

The result of the detailed study can be seen here (to the article).


Award ceremony Ernst Achilles Prize

On 25 November 2022, the Ernst Achilles Prize 2022 was awarded at FOGTEC in Cologne.

The Ernst Achilles Prize recognises outstanding innovative achievements in the field of fire protection, whereby both bachelor's and master's theses as well as dissertations are considered. This year, the focus was on fire protection for new energy sources such as lithium-ion batteries. Nevertheless, other current and other relevant topics were also welcome.

Among numerous submissions, the work of Simon Josef Pfaller (1st place), Dr Ludwig Georg Stelzner (2nd place) and André Christian Klein (3rd place) were judged to be particularly excellent research achievements.


From our newsletter in October 2022:

Batteries: Starting signal for SUVEREN2use

Following the successful SUVEREN research projects, the follow-up project SUVEREN2use will now start with the kick-off meeting in October 2022. Together with the Bergische Universität Wuppertal, the Fraunhofer Institute (HHI) and the waste management company Lobbe, amongst others, FOGTEC is researching fire detection and firefighting solutions as well as emergency concepts for lithium-ion batteries throughout their entire life cycle.

In previous research projects, FOGTEC had already investigated various aspects of fire protection for lithium-ion batteries, such as the effect of all common extinguishing agents and detection methods as well as the protection of energy storage systems, production areas, climate chambers, charging stations and car parks.

The SUVEREN2use consortium is supported by various renowned associated partners and a scientific advisory board.

Within the term of 3 years, hazard scenarios along the battery value chain will be identified and large-scale fire tests will be carried out.

The knowledge gained will be incorporated into standards and regulating documents and published in a guideline.

If you are particularly interested in lithium-ion batteries, please send us an email at LiIon@FOGTEC.com.


FOGTEC consolidates its role as market leader in Switzerland for fire protection solutions in rail vehicles

When Stadler launched its new "FLIRT" product almost 20 years ago, the collaboration between Stadler and FOGTEC began with the installation of a fire detection and firefighting solution on board.

Now the success story between the two companies continues, after Stadler most recently awarded FOGTEC the contract for the fire protection solutions for SBB's new "FLIRT EVO" series. From 2023, a further 286 fully optimised fire protection systems will be delivered to Stadler over 10 years. This will enable the fleet to be expanded to 500 vehicles or systems.

Thanks to this major order, FOGTEC thus continues to secure its place as market leader on the Swiss market.


FOGTEC is growing!

25 years after its foundation, FOGTEC can look back on a large number of employees and nations.

Internationality is very important to us, which is why we are proud to have colleagues from over 20 countries amongst us. These include not only Germany's neighbouring countries, but also colleagues from Cameroon, Senegal and Burkina Faso. You can find the solution from the newsletter here.

 

In addition, our locations in China and India are growing steadily and maintain an intensive exchange with their German colleagues.


From our newsletter in September 2022:

InnoTrans 2022 - FOGTEC was there!

For the 11th time in 20 years, FOGTEC took part in InnoTrans 2022. During the three days from Tuesday to Thursday, we were pleased to have a well-filled stand with visitors from all continents! The various new developments presented by our team, such as the smoke aspirator series7000, met with great interest. Especially the developments in the field of lithium-ion batteries were in focus.

We also lived up to the unofficial slogan "No InnoTrans without FOGTEC Thursday" again this year and provided another highlight with our stand party on Thursday evening.

We would like to thank all visitors and wish the three winners of our competition lots of fun with their prizes!


FOGTEC for the Gasometer in Berlin

On the EUREF campus in Berlin Schöneberg, the Gasometer has been under reconstruction since August 2021. In the process, the round new building is being erected inside the listed steel scaffolding with a respected distance of one metre. With the help of sandblasting technology, the steel scaffolding is being repaired in a manner befitting a listed building. The project is scheduled for completion by 2024.

The new building will include conference and office space, and a roof terrace on the top floor will provide a panoramic view over Berlin. The new building will be constructed as a KfW Energy Efficiency House 55 and thus fall below the currently applicable requirements for energy demand according to the Building Energy Act (GEG). The cylindrical shape of the building, which optimises the ratio of external surface area to heated volume and minimises energy requirements, supports this.

In keeping with this, the clients opted for an environmentally friendly FOGTEC system when it came to fire protection. Small pipe diameters and low water use enable a resource-saving installation. Within the scope of the project, more than 12 kilometres of pipe will be laid within a construction period of approximately 15 months.


Fire hazards in battery production

FOGTEC has been offering fire protection for risks in connection with Lithium-Ion batteries for several years. As part of the SUVEREN research project, fire protection solutions for various applications, such as garages and charging areas for e-vehicles, test benches for batteries or energy storage systems, have already been developed and validated in fire tests based on FOGTEC high-pressure water mist technology.

FOGTEC now also offers fire protection solutions for production facilities of Lithium-Ion batteries that have been validated in full-scale fire tests, independently certified in accordance with the EN 14792 directive and assessed by the German Technical Inspection Association (TÜV).

Send us your project inquiries! We would be happy to develop a FOGTEC protection concept for you.


From our newsletter in August 2022:

Stadler goes ahead with FOGTEC on board the new narrow gauge trains for Naples

Stadler Valencia trust in FOGTEC’s expertise for the Italian market and have ordered our fire protection system for up to 40 trainsets. The FOGTEC solution is based on the latest developments with reduced weight and life cycle costs, as well as compliance with Italian Standard UNI 11565. The fire protection system covers the entire trainset, from the passenger area to the driver’s cab and the technical cabinets. For more information, visit us at the Innotrans 2022 in Berlin in hall 5.2 at stand 733.


New construction and spray tests for an engine test facility at Mercedes-Benz AG

FOGTEC has installed a new system in an engine test facility at Mercedes-Benz AG. The test facility consists of ten engine test cells, acoustic test cells as well as pivoting test rigs.

A live spray test took place on site at the beginning of August. The high-pressure water mist system was activated after two infrared detectors gave an alarm. Within three seconds, the test area was completely filled with water mist.

The spray test and the rapid flooding as well as the spreading of the water mist were evaluated as successful and very effective.


Fire tests for stationary energy storage systems

FOGTEC has carried out real-scale fire tests for stationary energy storage systems in cooperation with the Institute for Applied Fire Research (IFAB) GmbH from Berlin as part of the SUVEREN_Storage project.

The aim of the tests was to develop a suitable fire-fighting system. For this purpose a corresponding test rig was designed and built, which included the use of lithium-ion batteries with a representative energy content. Different extinguishing media were examined.

A fire test in which high-pressure water mist was used was monitored independently by TÜV Süd and was assessed as successful.


Gaël Wyssen in an interview about his participation in the GOLDEN TRAIL WORLD SERIES

Where does the course run?

The "Sierre-Zinal" race deserves its name: the course is in the Valais in Switzerland with a start in Sierre (560 m above sea level) and finish in Zinal (1,675 m above sea level). In between is the 31 km long running course, which is characterised by 2,200 m of ascent and 1,100 m of descent. Therefore, it's a very tempting route. The highest point is at about 2,500 m above sea level.

When was the run?

The run was on Saturday August 13th 2022, with a start at 6am. Partly still in the dark, so with headlamps for the first runners. My alarm clock went off at 4:30am so I could have breakfast before heading towards the start line.

What is special about this race and why did you choose it?

The Sierre-Zinal race is considered one of the most beautiful mountain races in the world. It is said that as a mountain race it has the same status as the New York Marathon among marathons. It is also the oldest mountain race among the major European mountain competitions. The race is one of the seven stages of the Golden Trail World Series.

How many runners take part?

About 6,000 runners take part. Many of them come from abroad because the race is very famous. A large number of runners compete in the "Tourist" category, which starts in six different blocks in the morning. The elite World Cup runners, who run under the "Runners" group, start later in the morning.

How did you prepare for this race?

In the past, I was not a "runner" or "trail runner". Until the beginning of the year, I had not focused on it at all and had never trained for it. For personal reasons, I set myself this challenge with the aim of taking part in this race. The only goal was to finish the race. I made the decision five months before the start and had no choice but to start training and running. Gradually, I increased the level of training to go running three times a week: on average, I ran 30 to 40 km per week. In total, I have done about 450 km of training to participate in this 31 km run. As always with the challenges I set myself, once the decision was made, it was full throttle. It was out of the question for me to miss the start or not to finish. After more than 30 km of running it's not just a physical question at the end, but mainly a mental one.

And now, what happens next?

About three weeks before the race I had a slight injury (tendonitis in my knee) and now I have to recover a bit. I don't have any concrete goals or challenges at this point, although I already have some ideas. I would like to continue to use this training regime. So who knows - maybe a next stage under the Golden Trail World Series?


From our newsletter in July 2022:

GAMA Locomotives with FOGTEC System

FOGTEC has received an order for 24 additional GAMA locomotives from the Polish manufacturer PESA. These electric locomotives are equipped with an additional Last Mile diesel engine and will be used in the Polish market. FOGTEC will also supply the fire detection and fire fighting system for these vehicles. For fire fighting in the engine room, the FOGTEC water mist technology, which is already widely used and established in the market, and nitrogen as extinguishing media are used.


Design and Engineering of the water mist FFFS in the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel

As in many past projects, FOGTEC’s team closely supported the tunnel project in New York from the very beginning. The system architecture, detailed design of the pipework, validation of the water mist FFFS, and technical support for installation and integration into the tunnel control system were provided by FOGTEC. All involved parties were highly satisfied with the performance.  

FOGTEC has performed the following services, among others, for its customers in numerous large-scale projects:

  • Hydraulic design of the entire system
  • Force calculations of the piping system and supports
  • System validation by independent experts
  • Project management
  • Prefabrication of pipework
  • Turnkey installation
  • BIM models

Due to travel restrictions imposed by Corona, all communication was carried out by telephone and video meetings, including a factory acceptance test via live broadcast. Commissioning including the training session was then carried out by FOGTEC specialists on site.

The entire 3D design of the water mist system of the over 70-year-old tunnel was carried by experienced engineers and successfully implemented by the local partner.


From our newsletter in June 2022:

Partner Meeting

At the two-day partner meeting, FOGTEC shared product and market news on FOGTEC systems. Key topics were the protection of data centres and Li-Ion battery applications.


FOGTEC at Interschutz 2022

After 7 years, the INTERSCHUTZ exhibition in Hannover took place again. INTERSCHUTZ is the world's leading trade fair for fire brigades and fire protection systems. FOGTEC showed its new products and fire protection solutions at our booth from 20th until 25th of June and welcomed customers from all over Europe and other parts of the world.


From our newsletter in May 2022:

Order for Stadler Limburg

FOGTEC was also able to win the 3rd call-off of Stadler Limburg vehicles and continues the very positive cooperation in this vehicle segment.

Often a high flexibility is very important for the end customer and in these projects the variability of the 3000+ series shows, as it was possible to react quickly to changes in the vehicle configuration.

This also explains the high number of vehicles (three and four-part vehicles) in the NSR and Limburg projects. FOGTEC has equipped over 100 vehicles with a fire alarm system in recent years.


Sustainable fire protection for data centers

In an increasingly digital society and economy, the importance of safe data centers is growing day by day. Fire tests conducted by FOGTEC demonstrate how sustainable fire protection can be ensured in data centers.

Read the article published in the Technische Sicherheit magazine here.


The longer the tunnel, the more important a fixed firefighting system?

We want to emphasize on a discussion topic we often face during conversations with costumers or consultants:

The longer the tunnel, the more necessary a fixed firefighting system gets?

This is only partly true. Imagine a 300 m tunnel, which is the only entrance to one of the biggest sights of a country. This sight is also heavily important for the tourism industry and it makes a lot of revenue (entrance fees, souvenirs, etc.).

Isn’t this tunnel more important (economically spoken) than a 5 km tunnel in the middle of nowhere? We see a shift in the tunnel industry. Availability is getting more and more important. In some countries, availability is the key!

Having your tunnel closed for weeks or even months can lead to very high life cycle costs which often are not fully calculated when planning a tunnel. This gets even more relevant if you have a tolled tunnel. But what about non-tolled tunnels? Not only the life cycle costs of the tunnel itself are important but also the economic costs, which are connected to a tunnel like the roads, which are used instead of a closed tunnel or supply chains that might be disturbed. There are some options to raise the availability of your tunnel. One of them is installing a fixed firefighting system (FFFS). If you want to have a deeper look into life cycle costs calculated for a tunnel with and without a FFFS please have a look here (the article is available in German and English).


From our newsletter in April 2022:

FOGTEC system for ESCORTS Ltd.

escorts

Escorts Limited, the flagship company of the Escorts Group, is engaged in the manufacture of agri machinery, auto products, railway products and construction equipment. The product portfolio of agri machinery division includes tractors, engines, gensets, lubricants and crop solutions. The FOGTEC system is currently being installed at the agri-machinery division for the protection of the engine teste cells with open nozzle  design concept along with FOGTEC’ s manual firefighting FOGGUN. FOGTEC was able to secure two back-to-back orders from Escorts Limited. We would like to thank the Escorts team and our partners who helped us secure these orders.


Bergmannstrost Clinic Halle - Installation of a high pressure water mist fire fighting system

The Bergmannstrost Clinic in Halle, Germany relies on high-pressure water mist from the FOGTEC brand to protect the supply cellars beneath the clinic.

The Bergmannstrost Clinic was founded in 1894, which means that the supply cellars are historic vaulted cellars.

To protect these, as well as those of the clinic, FOGTEC is currently preparing to install a high pressure water mist fire suppression system. Particular challenges are posed by installation at low ceiling heights and ongoing clinic operations.

FOGTEC has a special expertise for the protection of hospitals. In various countries and continents FOGTEC systems have already been installed very successfully in new buildings as well as existing buildings. Installations during ongoing hospital operations always pose particular challenges in terms of noise, sound insulation and scheduling. Laboratory areas of the highest safety level, e.g. for nuclear medicine or virological examinations, are particularly suitable for protection with FOGTEC systems.

Klinik_Bergmannstrost


7532 and 7535 smoke aspiration systems for the rail vehicle industry

SIL

FOGTEC Rail Systems has been supplying smoke aspiration systems for use in rail vehicles for many years. Several thousand devices are in daily use in metro, regional and long-distance trains around the globe. Based on this enormous experience, FOGTEC is continuously developing these products to meet the special requirements of rail vehicles. Unfortunately, smoke aspiration systems from building and industrial technology are often used by other suppliers, with which a standard-compliant verification for rail vehicle-specific requirements cannot be provided.

The further development of the FOGTEC smoke aspiration system SAS7535 - specially designed for the rail industry - and its smaller and more compact brother SAS 7532 - has now been completed with the receipt of the certificate for the safety verification according to DIN EN 61508-7:2011 and EN 50129:2019 for the quantitative requirements to SIL2 by the TÜV.

The performance profile of the SAS 7532 and 7535 devices now includes:

  • full compliance with the requirements of EN 45545-2 HL3 through the use of special materials
  • complete fulfillment of all test requirements of EN 50155:2017
  • Safety verification according to EN 61508-7:2011 and EN 50129:2019 for the quantitative requirements to SIL2
  • Data interfaces for Ethernet, MVB and CAN
  • Power supply 16.8 VDC - 130 VDC
  • The entire piping system including its connecting elements is available in EN 45545-2 HL3 design.

Since the first system deployment in Australia almost 15 years ago, LCC predictions have been continuously refined and updated from the available field data. Thus, in addition to theoretical assumptions, these field data allow for a significantly improved and lower risk life cycle cost forecast. While the two-channel SAS 7535 is already in use on almost all continents, the smaller and more compact SAS 7532 will be used for the first time in Europe as a product innovation in EN 45545-2 HL3 variant in the up to 1,500 new Stadler Pankow subway vehicles for Berlin.


From our newsletter in March 2022:

FOGTEC protects Stadler diagnostic trains

FOGTEC has received the order for a total of 8 diagnostic trains that are used to inspect tracks and overhead lines.

The vehicles are rolling laboratories, which are used to monitor the entire railway infrastructure.

For example, track geometry, substructure and catenary can be monitored, all with the aim of ensuring the quality, reliability and safety of the infrastructure.

In addition to our fire detection system (Series 5000 SIL), in total 3 different fire suppression systems are used in the vehicle. The workplace for the technicians and the power pack are protected with a high-pressure water mist system. Aerosol and nitrogen are used in the technical areas and in the electrical cabinets. The vehicles are intended for Spain and Italy.

Flaggen


Natural History Museum in Copenhagen – A Challenging Project

Naturh_Museum

Jointly with our partners from the Danish WICOTEC Group, Kirkjeberg and Holmskov, we are pleased to supply the FOGTEC High Pressure Water Mist System for protection of the new Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen. The new museum will have an exhibition area of approx. 30.000m2 of which approx. 15.000m2 are located in existing heritage buildings. Due to the special architecture of the museum extension, the implementation of a fire fighting system has been a challenge which could be met ideally with a FOGTEC water mist system. Completion is expected in 2023. We thank our partners for the excellent co-operation!


General renovation of the old cinema on Franklin in Mannheim

The old cinema on Franklin in Mannheim invests in a sustainable and resource-saving firefighting solution using water mist.

During a conversion of the National Theater Mannheim, the former cinema on the Franklin grounds in Mannheim becomes an alternative venue for theater. In the course of this, the old cinema will also be refurbished and renovated. After completion of these measures, there will be space for approximately 500 spectators.

FOGTEC is currently in the process of installing a high-pressure water mist fire fighting system for partial areas. Particular challenges are the assembly in the stage area, as well as a tight schedule.

For the water supply, a storage tank with approx. 30m³ and a high-pressure pump unit consisting of 8x 120l/min were provided.

Kino


10 Years New Tyne Tunnel - The New Tyne Tunnel celebrates its 10th anniversary!

Tyne Tunnel

Originally 1.64km long, the two-lane Tyne Tunnel was built by Edmund Nuttall (now BAM Nuttall) as a 9.5m diameter shield tunnel lined with cast iron segments. It opened in 1967 and was designed for a daily traffic volume of 24,000 vehicles, although in recent years 38,000 vehicles per day have regularly passed through, and this number is increasing. The New Tyne Tunnel, is a 1.5km long immersed tunnel tube made of four precast concrete sections, each 90m long, 15m wide and 8.5m high; it was opened in 2012.

FOGTEC was commissioned to design and supply a water mist fire suppression system for the New Tyne Tunnel. The FFFS was installed in both the old and new tunnel tubes and is supplied by a pump station. Full fire tests served as the basis for the design and acceptance. The FOGTEC FFFS has been in successful operation since 2012.

After conducting risk analyses, the customer decided in favour of a fire suppression system, as the investment and maintenance costs would quickly pay off over the lifespan of the tunnel, especially when considering the increased availability of the structure. The Newcastle tunnel has been named the safest tunnel in the country thanks to the fire suppression system installed. The fire suppression system was designed to secure long-term toll revenue without prolonged disruption.

Queen Elizabeth II opened the new tunnel 10 years ago as you can see in the picture below. Who opened the tunnel in 1967? Three guesses:


From our newsletter in Februar 2022:

FOGTEC system protecting Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute 

Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences has been established in 1983 and is named after Sanjay Gandhi. It was created as a centre of excellence for providing medical care, education and research of the highest order. The institute is situated in a 2,2 square kilometres campus 15 km from Lucknow and about 500 km east of New Delhi. The Institute functions as a State University and is member of the Association of Indian Universities.

FOGTEC high pressure technology is protecting more than 9.000 m2 of the library including book shelving, digital documentation areas, office areas from 1st to 5th floor of the library building.

Gandhi


Modern high-pressure water mist technology meets historic town hall in Bochum

bochum

The heritage-protected town hall building in Bochum, Germany was built between 1926 and 1931.

In the future, accessibility for the public is to be improved. At the same time, the energy balance of the building is to be significantly optimised by modernising essential components and all technical trades in order to ensure economic operation in the long term. The town hall is furnished with very high-quality materials such as shell limestone, copper, slate, Silesian marble and oak.

FOGTEC has developed and installed a high-pressure water mist system with a wide variety of nozzle types for numerous partial areas of the building.

Particular challenges were faced, among other things, due to the monument protection, the architectural implementation and the large room heights. For the water supply, a storage tank with 100m³ and a pump unit consisting of 9+1 x 150l/min were provided.


Service operations during a pandemic

Even though the pandemic brings with it some challenges, FOGTEC will of course continue to implement all necessary service and maintenance assignments.
As before, our service technicians will carry out all requested maintenance assignments. In doing so, we will of course address specific safety precautions of our customers on site. These could be, for example, separate quick tests, mandatory masks or distance rules.


Although the preparation of such assignments currently means increased effort (entry regulations, bureaucracy, time schedules), we have the claim that we support our customers in all respects. Especially in the case of safety-relevant equipment such as detection systems/fire-fighting systems, regular maintenance and inspection of the equipment is indispensable.

In the photo you can see the inspection of our sectional valves on a tunnel fire-fighting system. This valve has a remote maintenance function and can be moved to a test position by remote control without spraying water into the driving space. A tunnel closure is therefore not necessary for this and saves the operator unnecessary closure costs. Nevertheless, a visual inspection is recommended during the annual, major tunnel maintenance. As a rule, the entire system technology of the tunnel is checked and maintained here.

A big thank you to our service technicians who keep our many fire-fighting systems in perfect condition despite the current circumstances!

service


From our newsletter in January 2022:

Water mist spray tests for diesel-electric trains

FOGTEC has recently carried out new full-scale spray testing on a water mist firefighting system for a customer’s diesel-electric powerpack used in hybrid trains for UK. The FOGTEC system is based on a long established design but verification of the water mist distribution was required due to some changes in the geometry of the powerpack. FOGTEC carried out these tests in its test facility as part of the verification process.

To verify that the water mist can be released without obstruction and distribute uniformly throughout the whole fire risk area, a full-scale mock-up was built using the actual geometry of the diesel engine including turbocharger, exhaust pipes generator and fuel filters. The high-pressure water mist nozzles and piping were installed exactly as in the original. The mock-up was enclosed on top with Plexiglas so that the water mist could be observed.

On activation of the system the excellent distribution of the water mist was observed over the whole spraying time confirming the correct choice and positioning of the nozzles in the FOGTEC design for the powerpack.

sprühversuch


Data Centre Protection

rechenzentren

FOGTEC successfully completed the FM 5560 approval fire tests for data centres. Water mist fire suppression is the latest technology with many benefits over conventional firefighting systems for this application. Among these are reduced fire and water damage, thus minimum down-times, eco-friendliness and safety to personnel. Go to the video


From our newsletter in November 2021:

Award for young researchers

As sponsor and organizer of the Ernst Achilles Award, we at FOGTEC look back on a successful first edition of this award, which was established to promote international young researchers in fire protection. The prize is awarded for outstanding theses (Master & Bachelor) and dissertations that deal with innovations in the field of fire protection. The name bearer Ernst Achilles is considered a pioneer in preventive fire protection and a pioneer in medical emergency rescue by the fire brigade. As the head of the Frankfurt fire department for many years and a university lecturer, he has played a major role in shaping German fire protection to this day through new ideas and approaches to solutions, and is therefore a representative of the spirit of development of fire protection in Germany.

Our expert jury, consisting of Frank Bieber (VdS Schadenverhütung), Dr. Andreas Rogge (BAM), Corinna Trettin (TÜV Süd Rail GmbH), Prof. Dr. Roland Goertz (Uni Wuppertal), Rajko Rothe (IFAB GmbH) and Dirk Sprakel (FOGTEC), viewed all the final papers with great interest and made their assessments. The large number of theses and the spectrum of topics did not make it easy to decide on the award winners. Nevertheless, four graduates made it to the podium, the third place was awarded twice.
Due to the continuing strong increase in Coronavirus numbers, the award ceremony took place virtually. We would like to congratulate the award winners once again:

1st place:
Fabian Saretzki with his master thesis "Investigation of the toxicity of different extinguishing water contaminations on aquatic organisms" at the University of Kaiserslautern.


2nd place:
Leo Menzemer with his master's thesis "Numerical Simulations of Fire Transport in Large Outdoor Fires" at the University of Maryland.

3rd place:
Alexander Battig with his doctoral thesis "Hyperbranched Polymers: Multifunctional Flame Retardants for Epoxy Resins" at
Free University of Berlin

3rd place:
Robert Bray with his master's thesis "Burning material behaviour in hypoxic environments: An experimental study examining fire dynamics of composite materials in vitiated conditions" at Lund University, Sweden.

EAP


10 years of SOLIT² research project - Safety of Life in Tunnels

solit

10 years ago, the SOLIT² research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology in response to a resolution of the German parliament, was successfully completed. The consortium consisting of the University of Bochum, STUVA, Bung Engineers, FOGTEC, IFAB, TÜV Süd and IDF investigated in particular the compensation potential when installing a water-based FFFS in tunnels. In numerous full-scale fire tests with truck replicas and liquid fires, the water mist FFFS was successfully tested. The investigations have shown that compensatory measures, especially in structural fire protection and ventilation, can be implemented in a cost-optimized manner using FFFS.

Finally, the consortium members prepared comprehensive guidelines for the planning of FFFS in tunnels. To date, the results are considered internationally as a bench market in the field of research. Worldwide, the SOLIT guidelines together with their annexes serve as a basis for tenders and official approvals. The documents are available free of charge at www.SOLIT.info.

FOGTEC continues to be intensively active in research consortia in the field of fire protection for tunnels, industrial applications, rail vehicles and new energy sources, such as the SUVEREN project.

Further information at: SOLIT, SUVEREN, FOGTEC, RUB, IFAB, STUVA, BUNG, TÜV Süd, IDF.


From our newsletter in October 2021:

Apple Store Protected in Istanbul

Apple just opened its third store in Turkey, located in Bagdat Street, one of the most popular shopping areas of Istanbul on a beautiful tree-lined boulevard. The building is on two levels, with a floating roof and large glass facades offering a view of the adjacent garden. The fire protection concept was developed in close co-operation with the architect and engineering team Foster + Partners.

FOGTEC high pressure water mist technology is protecting approximately 2,000 m² of the store with a combination of automatic nozzles and several water mist FOGGUN wall cabinets.


Do you know these facts about FOGTEC’s tunnel water mist systems?

Tunnel_comic

  • Excellent performance for class A and class B fires
  • Most tested fire fighting system for tunnels worldwide
  • Full scale tested for New Energy Carriers (e.g. battery fires)
  • Water mist uses only ~ 25% of water compared to deluge systems
  • Easy to retrofit even during tunnel operation
  • Very small pipework – space saving technology
  • Quick re-opening after a fire incident
  • Compensation of structural fire protection deficits
  • Fire brigades confirmed superior cooling effect in fire tests
  • Lower cost than fire protection panels
  • Very low life cycle costs

From our newsletter in September 2021:

Protection of Alsun Exam Halls

The language faculty of the renowned Ain Shams University in Egypt was founded in 1950 and has been protected by a FOGTEC high pressure water mist system. The project was planned and executed by our Egyptian partner Shehabco.

After a detailed evaluation in terms of reliability and efficiency of different protection concepts, the FOGTEC system was chosen as best fire protection solution.

ägypten


From our newsletter in August 2021:

Successful IRIS re-certification of FOGTEC

For many years now, FOGTEC has been underlining its commitment to the railway industry not only through its full-time Rail Team and the continuous development of both its product portfolio and FOGTEC's internal organisational structures, but also with certification to ISO/TS 22163. At the same time, the individual needs of our RAIL customers are always at the centre of our efforts.

With the renewed successful QM certification according to the International Railway Industry Standard, IRIS Rev. 03.1 for short, FOGTEC sustainably underlines this commitment. In addition, FOGTEC not only confirmed the status of the last certification process within the framework of the current IRIS assessment, but was also able to achieve the Silver performance level. This means that FOGTEC, as the leading supplier of active fire protection systems for rail transport, is not only alone in the industry at this performance level, but it must also be stated in general that such a clear commitment to rail transport is hardly practised by any other fire protection company.

FOGTEC will remain true to this path of focus. In recent years, FOGTEC has steadily built up and expanded its development know-how in the areas of design, software development and e-engineering - and aligned this with the existing standards and regulations of the rail vehicle industry. Today, this enables FOGTEC to offer customers the most complex solutions for fire detection and suppression in rail transport and beyond. FOGTEC's expertise in offering highly available and safe fire protection systems up to SIL 2 requirements (including complete systems in accordance with EN 50129) and in supplying customised system solutions has been standard practice at FOGTEC for many years.


High-pressure water mist for Li-ion batteries in climate chambers/ climate test benches

With new innovations come new challenges. As one of the market leaders in fire protection for the automotive industry, FOGTEC has been offering solutions for the complete life cycle of mobility for over 20 years.

Probably the hottest topic at the moment is e-mobility and new energy storage systems such as Li-ion batteries.
Based on the Research Project SUVEREN, FOGTEC has developed new solutions and new products to make the increasingly strong e-mobility market safer.

Fire tests with Li-ion batteries in climate chambers, which were recently carried out with great success; confirm the "know-how" that has been accumulated over the years. The high-pressure water mist in fire tests in climate chambers of various sizes and designs showed an immense cooling effect and excellent fire control. In fact, it was even possible to extinguish the fire using high-pressure nozzles specially developed for Li-ion batteries.
 
Not only was the thermal effect on the climatic chambers and surrounding installations prevented, but also the fire was prevented from spreading to battery modules lying immediately next to each other.


Hitachi West Coast Partnership Trains - Fire protection for new fleet of Intercity trains

Rail_Hitachi

FOGTEC was selected back in 2013 by Hitachi to supply the fire protection system for their AT300 trains for the UK Intercity Express Programme (IEP) and since then Hitachi has supplied the trains to other UK train operating companies. A new fleet of 10 seven-car EMUs and 13 five-car bi-mode trains; electric or diesel electric, have been ordered and are planned to be in service in 2022 to modernise the fleet serving the west coast routes in the UK between London and Liverpool as well as London and Holyhead in Wales.

All the passenger and crew areas are protected with FOGTEC series 1000 fire detection system. The modular system allows simple adaptation for various train configurations for different operating companies. The underfloor diesel-electric powerpacks are protected with a high pressure water mist fire fighting system specially designed in close cooperation with Hitachi to be integrated in the compact engine space.


Comparison of Life Cycle Costs: Water mist system or fire protection boards in a tunnel?

Based on an analysis by Prof. Dr. Roland Leucker (STUVA e.V.), a comparison of Life Cycle Costs (LCC) of fire protection panels and a water mist system in a tunnel were carried out. In addition to investment and maintenance costs, the analysis over a period of 100 years also includes direct and indirect costs in the event of a fire in the tunnel. Costs for repair, lost toll revenues, and costs for diversion-related route and travel time extensions for a tunnel with a water mist system compared to a tunnel with fire protection panels were included.

The result of the detailed study can be read in the latest issue of the Tunnel magazine 04/2021 (to the aricle). The investigation comes to interesting conclusions and underlines the importance of a high availability of tunnels. The FOGTEC Tunnel Team is looking forward to your questions and comments (to the website).

Tunnel_magazin_3


From our newsletter in July 2021:

Installation works for water mist system in the Big Apple almost completed

Hugh Carey Tunnel Pumpen

The completion of the water mist system in New York's Hugh Carey Tunnel is within reach. Most of the pipework and section valves have been installed into the exhaust duct, largely without major tunnel closures. Work is currently underway to complete the pump station, which is located in close proximity to the tunnel portal in the middle of Manhattan at the Battery Park. Due to the very limited and precious space in the center of New York, the pump units were stacked on top of each other to minimize the required installation area. A crane lifted the equipment over the outer walls of the headquarters of the operator TBTA (Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority), as can be seen in the photos.

Due to the Corona pandemic and the travel restrictions, FOGTEC had in advance successfully conducted the factory acceptance test via video transmission. This allowed numerous project participants to get a live view of the acceptance procedure of the FOGTEC system for the 70 year old tunnel. We are keeping our fingers crossed for the final works and are looking forward to seeing the water mist system commissioned in the Big Apple in the near future.


Safe and comfortable rail travel with the best view

The “Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn” travels through the most beautiful regions in the Swiss Alps. It runs from Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn via Andermatt to Disentis. The entire route network measures 144 kilometres, and the narrow-gauge railway passes through 33 tunnels and galleries, crosses 126 bridges and climbs a total of 3300 metres in altitude. The highest point is on the Oberalp Pass at 2033m.

As part of a comprehensive modernisation of the fleet of the MGBahn, a total of 23 three-car trains of the vehicle type ORION from the manufacturer Stadler Bussnang will be delivered in two stages by 2026, with an option for 4 additional vehicles afterwards.

FOGTEC recently won the contract to equip the new fleet with state-of-the-art fire protection technology. The delivery includes both fire detection and fire fighting technology with aerosol generators and high-pressure water mist. Thanks to its special design, the SIL2-capable, already proven FOGTEC cylinder system, weighs less than 250kg per carrier unit on the roof. The entire system with all components and hardware as well as software was assessed and certified down to the smallest detail with regard to SIL2 requirements.

Matterhorn_Foto


From our newsletter in June 2021:

Mobile Fog-/ Foam-Systems

Mobile Systems

FOGTEC mobile systems have been successfully used by fire departments and in industry worldwide for decades. The stand-alone extinguishing units for generating water mist and foam, which are operated with pure water or with an admixture of biodegradable additives, fight solid and liquid fires effectively with only minimal water consumption.

The heart of the system is the standard-setting and patented FOGGUN extinguishing gun. This can be combined with a special foam pipe that is simple to attach to the FOGGUN. The result is a particularly fine extinguishing mist with high penetrating power or a high-quality foam similar to compressed air foam systems. Freely selectable different spray patterns enable the emergency services to fight fires quickly and efficiently. Due to the compact design of the systems, they can be easily installed in fire engines or on pickup trucks.


Efficient fire protection with water mist for glass facades

Fire protection requirements often limit the design possibilities of architects and planners when constructing or converting buildings. FOGTEC’s specially developed and patented water mist system, combines structural and plant fire protection, while enabling transparent, architecturally sophisticated, and, at the same time, cost-effective solutions. The FOGTEC water mist curtain, enhances escape routes along the glazing and increases the resistance of the glazing, whilst providing a shield from heat radiation through the glass generated by a fire.

The Landesklinikum Thermenregion Baden near Vienna in Austria, where the glass facades are protected with a FOGTEC system, is a good example of this.

Areas with high structural fire protection requirements, special demands on aesthetics and transparency, and buildings with large glass surfaces are predestined for the use of this technology.

Landesklinikum Baden


“Best poster award” by ISTSS for FOGTEC’s Tunnel-Team

Istss_PNG

The scientific committee of the 9th International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security (ISTSS) awarded FOGTEC’s Tunnel Team with the best poster award. The publication gives an overview on the ‘Current status of international tunnel standards and guidelines for water-based Fixed Fire Fighting Systems’, which was presented online by Tim Usner, Specialist for Tunnel Systems.

The most relevant standards and guidelines are NFPA 502, UPTUN R251 Engineering Guidance, RVS 09.02.51 (Austria), EABT 80/100 (Germany), SOLIT Engineering Guideline, PIARC practices and recommendations, as well as CD 352 (United Kingdom).


From our newsletter in May 2021:

Water mist protection for lithium-ion batteries

As one of the market leaders for fire protection systems regarding Li-ion batteries, FOGTEC offers a broad portfolio of products and solutions for the automotive industry, battery storage, warehouses, production areas and parking garages.

Thanks to years of research and development specifically focused on the field of new energy sources, including the SUVEREN research project, FOGTEC can draw on particularly extensive experience and terabytes of real data from fire tests.

In order to be able to offer the optimal concept/product for fire fighting of lithium-ion batteries’ fires, various detection and fire fighting systems as well as extinguishing media have been tested, optimized and compared with each other.

In addition, a large number of measurements of heat release rates and gas emissions in battery fires were carried out on a 1:1 scale.

FOGTEC has already developed and supplied detection and fire suppression systems in connection with Li-ion batteries for various projects at automotive manufacturers and automotive suppliers in Germany and abroad. These are used, for example, in climate chambers, climate containers for electric vehicles, warehouses and production areas.

Particular challenges are posed by the complexity of the protected risks, such as climate chambers, as well as the high energy density of lithium-ion batteries. For this purpose, special and newly developed nozzle types are used, which emerged from the SUVEREN research project.

FBS


Growing numbers of rail vehicles in North America with FOGTEC fire protection systems

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FOGTEC fire detection and high-pressure water mist systems have already been in use since 2010 in New Jersey Transit's ALP 45 dual-power locomotives and later for AMT in Montreal. Since then, the number of FOGTEC Rail fire protection systems installed has grown steadily in North America. Recent projects utilizing FOGTEC's broad portfolio of fire detection and suppression systems include regional and commuter trains for Ottawa, TEXRail's Fort Worth to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, Philadelphia, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) in California. The Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway is also receiving fire protection systems from FOGTEC with its new cog rail cars and has also received a new snow blower car that was also protected with FOGTEC. The Rocky Mountaineer's new panoramic double-decker cars are also protected with FOGTEC, and the Los Angeles Metro will soon receive the first of the new HR4000 series of subway cars, the first in the U.S. to be equipped with high-pressure water mist systems to protect the passenger compartment - from FOGTEC.

The steady increase in references and local applications in the North American market is directly related to the company's continuous local commitment, the ability to adapt the FOGTEC portfolio to local requirements, while taking advantage of the many benefits and unique selling points of FOGTEC products developed specifically for rail vehicles.


Hospital for women & children in Lanzhou city, Gansu Province, northwest China

Gansu women & children's hospital is under construction, with a building area of 380,000 square meters and 2,300 beds. It will be the largest hospital for women and children in Northwest China. This building will be a modern medical and health care complex integrating medical treatment, health care, epidemic prevention, rehabilitation, scientific research and teaching.

The entire building will be protected by a FOGTEC water mist system; this includes three huge power substation rooms and their cable inter-layers, all the X-ray rooms, CT rooms, Linear Accelerator equipment, archive rooms, server switch rooms, UPS rooms. More than 800 nozzles and 48 section valves will be installed.

Gansu Hospital2


From our newsletter in April 2021:

New Energies at ISP Salzbergen - Battery test benches / battery test chambers

ISP

As the European market leader, ISP is expanding its engine and vehicle test benches to meet the requirements in the sector of e-mobility. With an investment of up to 60 million Euros in a new test field for battery modules and battery packs, ISP is opening up a forward-looking business area. The new battery test centre will offer everything from performance and lifetime tests to environmental tests also as safety and abuse tests for hybrid and electric vehicles.

FOGTEC has developed, and is currently installing, a high-pressure water mist system for more than 30 climate chambers. In addition, four battery warehouses, separated from each other in terms of fire protection, are being protected also by a FOGTEC high-pressure water mist system.

The complexity of the climate chambers and the high energy density of the stored lithium-ion batteries pose particular challenges. For this purpose, special and newly developed nozzle types are used, which are the result of the SUVEREN research project.


Stadler subway Berlin with FOGTEC smoke aspiration system

Stadler was able to win one of the largest tenders in Europe for the delivery of up to 1,500 J/JK type cars for the Berlin transport authority. Particular attention was paid to maintainability and life cycle costs in this project and we are all the more pleased that a FOGTEC smoke aspiration system was chosen. With the RAS 7532, FOGTEC sets new standards in terms of user-friendliness and performance and provides a very good basis for 40 years of operation. The first vehicles are scheduled for completion as early as 2022.

UBahn_berlin_Stadler


From our newsletter in March 2021:

Full Scale Fire Tests for Los Angeles Metro carried out successfully

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Los Angeles Metro have ordered a new fleet of metro trains for the Red and Purple Lines. These new metro cars are being equipped with a fire detection and suppression system from FOGTEC.

To validate the effectiveness of the suppression, fire tests according to the ARGE Guidelines were successfully carried out. A full-scale sectional mock-up of a metro car was built at the fire testing facility in Germany. Eight separate tests were performed to cover different fire and suppression scenarios. One of the test fires uses a burning packed travel bag placed beneath the seating. The water mist suppression is activated after fire has been allowed to develop for at least one minute.

The tests show that the water mist successfully suppresses the fire, reducing the heat in the direct proximity of the fire, preventing it from developing and thus maintaining a tenable environment.

The LA Metro HR4000 trains are the first ever, new metro vehicles in the USA to have water mist suppression installed.


Bahá’í World Centre in Acre, Israel

The Bahá'í gardens in Haifa and Acre are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008 and are open to pilgrims and visitors from all over the world. The Bahá'í World Centre is home to a number of sacred sites of the followers of Bahaism, a religion that emerged in the 19th century based on the teachings of Bahāʾullāh.

One of these sites is the Bahá'í World Centre Building in Acre. In order to preserve and protect the historic structure of this late 19th century building, the customer decided to replace the entire electrical system and install a fire protection system.

The FOGTEC-system was designed to protect the attic, the first floor, and storage rooms at the ground level. The pump system was installed in a small room, which it fits inside perfectly, like a glove.

Bahai World Center


From our newsletter in February 2021:

Extensive renovation work on supply tunnels at Frankfurt University Hospital

Uniklinik FFM

The University Hospital Frankfurt is investing in a safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly future!

The tunnel system which is being renovated extends over a total length of approx. 180 meters. Energy efficiency will be improved through sealing and thermal insulation measures as well as the renewal of the technical building equipment, and safety for hospital staff and patients will be increased through renovations of the fire protection systems.

For this purpose, FOGTEC has designed a high-pressure water mist firefighting system for partial areas, which also contributes to the improvement of sustainability due to its very low water consumption as well as a long service life. A particular challenge is the current installation during ongoing clinic operations with goods and personnel traffic, which FOGTEC can ensure through many years of experience in similar projects, even in compliance with the current, strict hygiene regulations.


Fire detection systems for new design of Indian railway coaches

Indian Railways recently rolled out its first AC 3-tier economy class coach which is being touted by the ministry to be “synonymous with the most reasonable and best AC travel in the world”.

Many innovations like an improved design of seats and tables have been incorporated in the design of the coach. The high voltage electric switchgear presently installed on board has been shifted below the under-frame, thereby increasing the passenger capacity introducing 11 additional berths. There is also improved fire safety by ensuring compliance to the world benchmark of EN45545-2 HL3 for materials, thus meeting the high requirements of the new fire protection standard.

FOGTEC India, together with it´s local partners, has installed the fire detection system on the first trial coach as per the RDSO specification and subsequently for 248 such coaches are planned during the current and next fiscal year based on FOGTEC´s fully EN 50155 approved smoke aspiration system 7532. Implementation of a fire detection system on coaches provides life safety for passengers and operational continuity. This contract follows the successful closure of the complete approval processes for FOGTEC´s fire detection system as per the latest revision of the RDSO specification by the Indian railway authority.

Indian Railways


From our newsletter in January 2021:

FOGTEC‘s Pick Up Truck at the Berlin Fire Brigade

Berliner-Feuerwehr

Germany's largest fire brigade is testing and operating FOGTEC’s extinguishing technology for mobile use.

FOGTEC gave fire brigade officer candidates of the Berlin fire brigade an initial overview of fire fighting with high-pressure water mist in the form of a presentation, as well as a live demonstration with our pick-up.

The vehicle has a water mist and foam pump unit combined with a 500 l water tank. The water mist gun (FOGGUN), which was developed for different fire behaviours, can be used to create different types of extinguishing mist and spray patterns. Furthermore, a particularly high-quality and environmentally friendly low expansion foam can be added for particular fire types at the push of a button. Up to two FOGGUN extinguishing guns with different types of spray can be operated simultaneously.

During the first 1.5 years of basic technical training at the school, the students study, among other things, a module on systems engineering. In this context, the professional handling of high-pressure water mist systems is also included in the training.


Water mist system for award winning trains

The regional rail network in Victoria, Australia, will be equipped with 18 new VLocity trains from Bombardier. For these trains, a FOGTEC system will be used as protection in the catering areas, based on FOGTEC's well-known high-pressure water mist system. The trains are a mix of wide and standard gauge vehicles, making this the first time VLocity trains have run on standard gauge tracks through Victoria. The new design of the standard gauge vehicles includes comfortable long-distance seats, built-in USB chargers, six overhead luggage racks and overhead luggage storage, a modern catering facility and six wheelchair spaces with companion seats in close proximity.

Bombardier's VLocity platform was recognised by GOOD DESIGN® in the Automotive and Transportation categories for Best Interior Design and achieved an overall Gold award.

Rail Station Australia


Protection of the second Pudong Archive in Shanghai

Shanghai_Skyline_123rf_

After successfully operating the FOGTEC system to protect the first Pudong Archive building since 2005, FOGTEC has received an order to install a FOGTEC water mist system for further archive buildings as well. The Shanghai Pudong Archive contains modern, multifunctional spaces that comprehensively document the history of the Pudong district. It contains open exhibition spaces where selected topics on the city's history and development are presented to the public.

In addition to the archive area itself, some electrical equipment rooms and the control room are protected. The archive operator opted for FOGTEC water mist technology because it ensures optimum fire protection with the least amount of water. This not only effectively fights the fire in the event of a fire, but also minimises water damage to sensitive objects such as books, documents and letters.


From our newsletter in November 2020:

H-Bahn Shanghai - German monorail technology in China

H-Bahn Shanghai schmal

In light of the rapid development of rail-guided mass transit, various types of monorail vehicle systems based on imported technology have recently emerged in China. The great advantage of these system solutions is the very small space requirement and the possibility for a very fast integration into the infrastructure, which is an enormous advantage over other solutions for local public transport, especially in China´s major cities.

As part of a technology transfer, the German H-Bahn system has now also been taken over by Chinese companies in order to further develop and use it, among others, for the Baoshan project in Shanghai. In Germany, this system is known from applications at Düsseldorf Airport and Dortmund University. However, the H-Bahn and other monorail or suspended railroads all have the same challenge: in the event of a fire on the track, passengers can hardly escape from the suspended vehicle. The Chinese users on site also see a solution to this point as absolutely essential.

In order to control such a scenario resulting from the risk analysis, the Chinese manufacturers rely on the use of FOGTEC water mist technology, which has already been used in many projects to compensate for potential risks. As has been proven in full scale fire tests, the use of high-pressure water mist technology on board minimizes the danger to passengers, as the fire is brought under control in the shortest possible time until the train reaches the next station or the passengers can be evacuated in another way.

Accordingly, the test vehicle for the first pilot line is already being equipped with a FOGTEC fire protection system based on the Series 1000 fire detection system - and the approved FOGTEC water mist technology.


From our newsletter in October 2020:

Water Mist at Codelco Ventanas Plant in Chile

Codelco Ventanas groß

Codelco Ventanas (DVEN), being a copper smelter and refinery plant in Chile, attaches great attention to employees and environmental safety as business continuity. High risk areas, such as substations, process control rooms, electrical rooms, cable tunnels and fuel storage areas are already protected by automatic fire protection systems.

DVEN is currently developing initiatives with the objective of improving the fire safety infrastructure, which includes the implementation of fire detection and extinguishing systems in operational areas. The hydraulic and lubrication systems, utilizing mineral oils, represent fire risks with high heat release and fume generation, potentially damaging critical equipment and facilities such as the pump room and lubrication of the acid plant, the air compressor of the oxygen plant and the hydraulic systems of the casting areas.

Based on risk assessments, an action plan for improvement of fire protection foresees the installation of fixed automatic fire protection systems for the lubrication and hydraulic systems in the areas mentioned above. FOGTEC’s local partner RMC Engineering Solutions is in the process of implementing FOGTEC high pressure water mist systems to these areas. This will minimize the risk of damage to people, the equipment and to the facilities by fire.


FOGTEC fire detectors for another world record holder

We have already reported in our summer newsletters that FOGTEC has equipped the world's highest cog railway in Colorado, USA and the steepest cog railway, in Switzerland, with FOGTEC fire detection technology. Now the next world record holder will be the Wengeneralpbahn (WAB), also in Switzerland.

With its almost 19 km long track, the WAB is the longest cog railway worldwide. It is named after the village of Wengen, one of four stations on its route. The railroad provides, among other things, passenger transport as well as the supply of goods for the car-free health resort of Wengen.

During the annual FIS SKI World Cup in the Bernese Oberland, the railroad performs a great deal: athletes, organizers, coaches and spectators are brought from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen. All goods such as race material, grandstands, tents, sponsor articles etc. are also transported step by step to 1,274 meters above sea level and distributed from there. A spectacular backdrop is provided by the bridge "Wasserstation" on which the WAB runs when the skiers race under it at speeds between 80 - 100 km/h. From now on the WAB is equipped with FOGTEC smoke and heat detectors.