Construction of an addressable-analog fire-fighting automation system for a high-rise building based on the ESMI FXNET system.
The constant rise in land prices, its shortage within the city limits and the high demand for housing and office space inevitably lead builders to the need to construct multi-story buildings. First in Moscow, and then in other large cities of Russia, these complex buildings and high-rise complexes that require a special approach begin to appear. An integral part of such facilities is a fire protection system.
The lack of domestic experience in this type of construction and the absence of well-founded and clearly formulated legal norms impose certain difficulties in solving the problems facing architects and designers.
Initially, this problem arose for builders in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the result was the development of regional standards MGSN 4.19-2005 «Temporary standards and rules for the design of high-rise buildings and building complexes in the city of Moscow» and TSN 31-332-2006 St. Petersburg «Residential and public high-rise buildings». However, at present, many cities are already growing their own «City Centers». In accordance with SNiP 21-01-97 (1999), technical conditions (TU) must be developed for such buildings, reflecting the specifics of their fire protection. And many companies, when developing TU, take the requirements set out in MGSN as a basis, due to the lack of other regulatory documents. The expected «Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements» has only been adopted by the State Duma in the first reading.
Let us dwell on several basic requirements for fire protection systems for high-rise buildings, set out in MGSN:
Equipping the entire building with a single addressable analogue automatic fire alarm system to ensure reliable detection of fires.
Using ring loops and ring communication lines laid along different routes to increase reliability.
The fire alarm system must have a block structure with the ability to operate the blocks in autonomous mode.
The building must be divided into fire compartments, limited in height and floor area. At the same time, the fire protection system within the compartment must be completely autonomous, i.e. the control of smoke protection systems, general ventilation, warning, fire extinguishing and a number of others must function in full.
The automated active fire protection control system must provide for stable, reliable operation and the ability to integrate with all automated control systems of a high-rise building. At the same time, full interaction of all subsystems must be ensured, including fire protection systems, security systems, engineering equipment control, communication and power supply systems, etc.The automated building management system (ABMS) should provide centralized monitoring, dispatching and control of utility equipment and be a flexible, freely programmable distributed system that meets the «intelligent building» concept. All of these requirements can only be implemented using modern, reliable equipment that provides a comprehensive solution to security issues. Many designers, due to inertia, continue to try to use different-sized equipment even for such serious facilities, connected to each other at a maximum of dry contacts, which leads to the lack of full interaction between fire protection systems, not to mention the low level of communication with other building systems. This approach no longer has the right to life, since this system, made of crumbling cubes before our eyes, is no longer viable almost immediately after the completion of commissioning. The MGSN has repeatedly emphasized an integrated approach to the formation of protection and life support for buildings. And there is equipment of this class on the market.
Network system ESMI FX NET (Finland)
The ESMI FX NET addressable analog network fire alarm system has replaced the well-proven ESMI ESA/MESA system (manufactured until 2006). Over the past decade, more than 3,000 such systems have been installed in Russia. FX NET is an addressable analog fire alarm system consisting of several separate panels that interact with each other to form a single fire protection system. Flexibility in constructing connections between panels enables the developer to obtain a system that fully meets the requirements of a specific implementation.
At the same time, FX NET is not a traditional hierarchical system with main and subordinate panels. Each panel provides a full range of functions and can operate independently even if there is a complete loss of communication with the rest of the system.
High survivability of the system is ensured by the use of a duplicate communication line. If one of the lines breaks or short-circuits, data will be transmitted via the backup line.
Any network topology is supported – bus, star, combined (bus with branches) and ring, which is required for high-rise objects (Fig. 1). Each line is an RS-485 interface. Data transfer rate is 19,200 baud, line length is up to 1000 m.
For extended or distributed objects, various modems and converters are used, communication is implemented in a standard way, for example, via fiber optics.
FX NET system composition
The FX NET system includes FX series panels:
FX/RU – up to 8 addressable analog (AA) loops
FXL/RU – up to 8 AA loops
FXM/RU – up to 4 AA loops
FXS/RU – up to 2 AA loops
FX NET system characteristics
Number of panels in one network – up to 32
Number of addressable analog loops – up to 255
Number of addresses in the system – up to 25,245 detectors + 25,245 modules
Number of fire zones – up to 8,000
Number of FX NET networks, united using
TAC Vista software, – up to 10
Features of the fire protection system based on ESMI FX NET
The fire-fighting automation system based on the FX series devices simultaneously provides (Fig. 2):
construction of an addressable-analog fire alarm system that guarantees early detection and a low probability of false alarms due to special processing algorithms;
shutdown of the facility's process equipment with control of command execution;
activation of zone notification with control of the operation of light and sound alarm circuits, issuance of commands to the voice notification system with division into zones;
control of the status and start-up of smoke protection systems (smoke removal and air pressurization);
control of automatic fire extinguishing and internal fire-fighting water supply.
The use of a ring communication line between devices and ring addressable loops ensures high system reliability.
Within each fire compartment, the fire protection system is completely autonomous and independent of the other compartments.
Due to the presence of hardware (INFOLON) and software (ORS server) interfaces, fire protection equipment based on ESMI FX NET fits organically into a single automated control system for engineering systems of a high-rise building. The ability to connect a computer to display the system status in graphical form allows for increased visibility and information content for duty personnel.
Fire protection system for one fire compartment based on ESMI FX NET.
Each building, and especially a multifunctional complex, has its own features of building a fire protection system, and it is not possible to cover all of them in a review article. Therefore, we will consider the minimum list of subsystems that are almost always present.
Fig. 2 shows a variant of the fire protection system inside one fire compartment of a high-rise building based on the ESMI FX NET system. The core of the system is logically an addressable analog fire alarm system, which, upon detecting a fire, organizes the operation of all other systems designed to ensure the timely evacuation of people and extinguishing the fire.
The FX series fire alarm control and monitoring device is installed at the local control post.
The following are connected to it:
ring addressable analog circuits with smoke, heat, manual and other detectors,
modules receiving information on the position of valves and dampers from pressure sensors and liquid flow sensors, modules issuing commands to control valves, fans, dampers, pumps, and notification.
The device, collecting information about the current state of all fire protection systems of the compartment, fully controls the situation and informs the duty personnel about any deviations from the norm.
The source of information about the fire can be either an automatic or manual fire alarm, or buttons on fire hydrants or liquid flow sensors and pressure sensors. Depending on the source of information and the fire, all fire protection systems of the compartment are launched in a certain sequence in accordance with the embedded algorithm.
Having received, for example, information about a fire from the button on the fire hydrant, not only the pumping station is started in the established sequence, but also the whole complex of measures is carried out, including lowering the elevators with control over the execution of the command, turning off the general exchange ventilation and closing the fire-retardant valves, turning on the pressurization and smoke removal fans and opening the corresponding smoke removal valve, issuing commands to the voice notification system for the corresponding zone.
The coordination of the actions of all subsystems is very important, especially at the stage of evacuation of people, because the lives and health of people depend on it.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again that the integration of the fire protection system into the general automation and dispatching system of buildings, which seemed utopian several years ago, is now practically implemented in many complex facilities and makes these buildings comfortable and safe for life, work and rest.