Questions about fire shields: their purpose, functions, and manufacturers?
Thread Content
Lately, whenever the leader comes back from meetings, he keeps talking about the fire shield. Let’s figure out where to find the information Many of the valves in our tank area are installed outdoors. According to UL1709 requirements, devices such as actuators need to have a delayed failure time in case of a fire (1093°C for hydrocarbon fires, for a duration of 30 minutes; the temperature inside the fire shield should be 75±5°C). That’s all I know; please clarify the following questions: 1. I found information online about rigid fire shields and flexible fire shields – what is the difference between them? 2. I believe that when a fire actually breaks out, the seals inside the actuators and solenoid valves burn out first, causing air leakage and resulting in the valves closing. Why bring a fire shield? 3. Since the valves and actuators are protected by fire shields, do the cables, cable trays, and air supply pipes also need to be protected? If protection is needed, how does it connect to the actuator’s fire shield? 4. Is the fire shield airtight? Our tank areas are equipped with pneumatic quick-acting ball valves; once a fire shield is installed, won’t the exhaust from the actuators and solenoid valves cause the fire shield to bulge? If it is not sealed, external heat can enter the fire shield when a fire breaks out, damaging the actuator and accessories. How is sealing achieved with a flexible fire shield? 5. What materials are suitable for withstanding 1093°C? Can it withstand this temperature? I see them as multi-layered online; what material is used inside? What is the thermal conductivity? What other parameters are there? 6. When an explosion occurs in the tank area, there is a certain shock wave (similar to that of a bomb). Can the fire shield withstand this force? 7. Are there any specific articles that explain fire shields in detail? The clearer, the better The instruction manual will work too. 8. Which manufacturers are producing them, both domestically and abroad? Does the fire shield come with a test report? What certification certificates are available? (Tendering requirements) 9. What is the domestic standard equivalent to UL1709? Or does anyone have it in Chinese? There seem to be matching fuse plugs available online as well – how do those work? 11. Will fire shields be **imposed mandatory? I saw online that CNPC and Sinopec have been issuing a large number of tenders recently. What are everyone’s opinions? This is a problem I’m currently unable to solve; my expression might not be professional enough, so I’d like to hear everyone’s answers and explanations. I am extremely grateful. Thank you
Why isn’t there any hero responding?
Rigid types have a stainless steel cover on the outer layer, while flexible types are made entirely of soft fire-resistant materials; these materials are processed and then assembled in a modular manner； Rigid ones are more difficult to operate, as the actuators, pipelines, wires, etc. on site may all be arranged differently ； Flexibility provides greater operability. Nanquan Fire Protection System seems to produce similar products! I need to know the specifics! As for the explosion shock wave, not to mention the fire shield, even the valves and actuators would be destroyed if it’s that intense ； The main concern is the damage caused by delayed fires to the valve actuators, so that you can still control the opening and closing of the valves for a certain period of time ；
I am the China representative for Kempnite in Italy; we specialize in the production of fire shields. You can contact me by phone at 13691589955
The implementation requirements of UL1709 standard: (equivalent to the Chinese standard GBT9978) is a standard used for testing fire-resistant coatings for steel structures. The specifications for UL1709 are such that the average temperature should not exceed 538 degrees Celsius, and the maximum temperature at any single point should not exceed 649 degrees Celsius; meeting these conditions constitutes compliance. UL is merely a standard for testing fire-resistant coatings for steel structures, and it is not a standard for testing fire shields； If the internal temperature of the actuator is used as a criterion in accordance with UL1709 standards, and that temperature reaches 538 degrees Celsius, then the actuator of our tank farm emergency shut-off valves would have already stopped functioning ； (The actuator is at risk of failure if its temperature exceeds 85 degrees Celsius.) ； If a company claims that its flame shield meets UL1709 standards and can thus ensure the proper operation of actuators, that is extremely irresponsible and unprofessional. In fact, flame shields that comply with UL1709 standards cannot be used to provide protection for actuators of emergency shut-off valves in tank areas ； Once in use, this exposes owners and users to significant risks of fire and explosion ； So, how can we ensure that the emergency shut-off valves in our tank area meet the fire protection standards for their actuators within 30 minutes in the event of a fire? ； 1. The maximum temperature that the actuator can withstand: Through discussions and consultations with engineers in the industry, it was concluded that the actuator can function properly as long as its temperature does not exceed 85 degrees Celsius ； 2. The peripheral temperature of 1093 degrees Celsius specified in UL1709 for ovens can be used as the test temperature, with a temperature profile designed to simulate a hydrocarbon fire scene: the temperature rises to 1093 degrees Celsius within 5 minutes. The fire conditions inside the oven involve an average temperature of 65,000 heat flux ±5,000 BTU per hour per square foot (204 ± 16 kW per square meter), as well as a temperature of 2,000 ± 200°F (1093 degrees Celsius ±) ； Under the above conditions, if both item 1 and item 2 are met, it is possible to ensure that the actuators in the tank farm, which represent major hazard sources, can achieve emergency shutdown within 30 minutes in the event of a fire ； Regarding UL1709 certification abroad: Although the certification for fire shield products overseas is granted in the form of approval by classification societies (refineries and chemical plants on land, which are not offshore drilling platforms, have no connection with classification societies; it’s merely a requirement set by foreign companies to enter the Chinese market), such certificates do not provide any meaningful information for owners and enterprises (such as details on the testing process, the materials used, the thickness of those materials, or the internal temperature). All they convey is a conclusion: compliance with UL1709 standards – which is highly irresponsible ； It’s merely to facilitate foreign products’ monopoly over the Chinese market ； The certification details for a fire shield should include information such as the material, thickness, fire resistance, surrounding temperature, time curve, internal temperature, and so on, in order to determine whether the fire shield meets the required standards ； Do you have the qualifications to manufacture fire shields? ； The certification certificate should have a number, and the issuing authority’s website as well as the email address can be used to look it up ； If the manufacturer’s certificate is merely a formality for certification, that’s a serious problem ； I really don’t dare to use it ；
Typically, pneumatic actuators can operate at 80°C, while electric actuators can operate at 70°C; therefore, very strict requirements are placed on the fire protection covers for these actuators. In addition to the available type certification documents (which must be complete documents, not partial ones, and refer to the fire protection covers for the actuator housings, rather than structural steel or steel pipes), the type certification specifies the exact scope of approval, and it is necessary to examine the details carefully. In addition to type certification, a design assessment certificate from a classification society is also required, which involves evaluating each page of the design documents for a specific project to confirm their compliance.
Fire shields are a technology that has only begun to be promoted in China in recent years; previously, it was only some foreign projects that required the use of fire shields, and it was only later that domestic standards were established to mandate this
To say that it is merely intended to enable foreign products to monopolize the Chinese market is irresponsible. Fire shield products have only been available in China for a few years; many foreign projects have already been using them. Matters related to safety require careful attention. Type certification is equivalent to a production license (within specified limits), while specific projects need design evaluation certification as well as specialized design software for calculations. Without these, simply putting on an outer packaging is deceptive.
Shanghai Jie specializes in the production of fire shields; feel free to contact us at 13818232357