New accurate mobile proportioning unit runs on water pressure
Published: 30 April, 2009
Chemguard and FireDos launched a new mobile foam trailer at the Industrial Fire Safety exhibition held last February in Houston, Texas. The new trailer is the latest addition to the Chemguard Defender Series, single, dual, and triple tote foam trailers. What sets this trailer apart from others is that it is operated entirely by the incoming water supply, and it will proportion with much greater accuracy over a wide range of system flows and operating pressures. Wayne Hepper from FireDos was at the show where he explained that the standard foam system in the US for mobile apparatus is a balanced pressure foam system incorporating a positive displacement foam pump, which usually uses a Diesel driver to supply the foam, while also featuring ratio controllers on the discharge.
“And of course another drawback to this type of system is that you have to maintain and operate a Diesel engine. The new unit is for the same application but it does not require outside power, just water. The principle behind it is simple. You just hook it to the water supply, and start pumping, the fire water turns the water motor, and the foam is injected into the discharge side of the system. Regardless whether your discharge is 50 ft away or half a mile away or if your flows are constantly changing, the proportioning rate will be accurate.”
The monitor on the unit has a capacity of 1,250 GPM, and is suitable to be connected to the industrial high-pressure hydrants typically found in petrochemical facilities. The trailers are available in solution flow rates up to 5,200 GPM. The FireDos unit has been calibrated to mix 1x3 AR-AFFF, says Hepper. Operating simplicity, greater reliability, reduced operator training requirements are all important benefits of this new flammable liquid firefighting partnership.
“We have had excellent response to the unit at this exhibition, and we along with Chemguard are currently conducting a tour around the Gulf Coast area.”
