CO2 FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS

 CO2 Fire Suppression Systems

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colourless, odourless and non – conductive gas capable of penetrating quickly and efficiently the area to be protected. Its density is approximately 50% greater than the density of air. CO2 is stored in high-pressure cylinders as liquefied gas.

CO2 has been used effectively for many years, not only in fire protection and suppression but also in other commercial applications. Although the use of CO2 as extinguishing agent declined with the introduction of halons, it is still widely used for fire protection, specially since Montreal Protocol was introduced (where bases were established to ban the use of Halon extinguisher).

CO2 extinguishes fires by physical means according to two main mechanisms. The first one is by decreasing the oxygen level inside the enclosure from 21% to a level below 15%. Most fires are unable to maintain combustion at such low levels.

The second mechanism is by means of cooling and heat absorption. When dealing with the protection of occupied areas, consideration shall be given to the fact that if CO2 is inhaled, even in low concentrations, it may lead to asphyxia. Under required safety precautions, CO2 has been effectively applied for over 50 years to protect areas such as transformer rooms, archives, electrical hazards, record stores and computer rooms. In some countries regulations ban automatic control of CO2 systems for the protection of occupied areas.