Hydrogen Chloride (HCL) is emitted by thermal decomposition of PVC, one of the most common insulating materials found in wire and cable in data processing, telecommunications, and process control facilities. Studies have also shown HCL to be the leading cause of damage to sensitive electronic equipment. When mixing with water vapor in the air, HCL forms Hydrochloric Acid, which can etch the surface printed circuit cards and other delicate electronic equipment. The report on the Hinsdale Central Office Fire telecommunications facility cited smoke and HCL corrosion as the major sources of equipment damage.\
When electronic equipment or cables begin to fail under load, a rapid heat build up begins to decompose the PVC insulation surrounding the electrical conductors. Long before heat or flame is present for fire detectors to sense the presence of fire, HCL is outgassing from the decomposing insulation. The process is well under way at 250 degrees C., and by that point it may well be too late to prevent damage to sensitive electronic equipment.
One way to detect fire in such a facility is rapid early detection of the HCL emission. At Reliable Fire Equipment we believe the Fike Early Warning Corrosive Gas Detector provides the most rapid detection of HCL possible. In actual performance testing on electronic equipment, a major telecommunications research company found HCL sensors 11-58% faster than conventional smoke detectors or air sampling systems.
In an Early Warning HCL Detection system the individual sensors are connected to an addressable controller. The controller supervises the detectors, and pinpoints alarm locations with 32 character custom text messages. A 256 event history buffer makes for easy troubleshooting and problem determination. With Systems Integration you can not only locate detectors in alarm, you can transmit information via fiber optics to remote graphic or other custom displays.
Assembling all the components together into a workable system optimized for your facility is the work of trained fire protection engineers. At Reliable Fire Equipment our engineering group will design your system, prepare shop drawings,battery calculations, and provide you the hard data you need to rest assured in the confidence of a well designed Early Warning Detection system.
For additional assistance on the design of your HCL Detection system, complete our Survey Request Form and one of our professionals will contact you.
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