AQUASYS watermist systems for tunnels
Published: 01 October, 2005
In July 2002 AQUASYS from Linz, Austria, developed Europe’s first Tunnel Fire Suppression System based on watermist technology. A relatively new, efficient firefighting technology involving minimal water use, water mist increases the surface area of water more than 1000 times, giving an enormous cooling effect and producing a highly-efficient oxygen depletion effect.
Furthermore, a water mist system uses less water than traditional sprinkler and spray heads and is therefore well suited for use in tunnels, says the company.
The Channel Tunnel
On 18th November, 1996, a lorry caught fire on a freight shuttle train in the Channel Tunnel. The fire lasted for seven hours and destroyed half of the freight shuttle, 10 lorries and severely damaged the tunnel and fixed equipment. As a result of inherent safety features in the tunnel design, there were no injuries, but the fire damage repairs took six months and the resultant loss of income was in the region of 300 million Euro.
Following this fire in the 50km long Channel Tunnel between France and Great Britain, Eurotunnel undertook an extensive research programme to improve asset protection in the event of a fire in the tunnel. This included wind tunnel tests in France, and tests with real fires inside a purpose-built wind tunnel in Northern England. As a result of a European tendering process Eurotunnel placed an order with AQUASYS to supply and install a water mist fire-suppression system aboard its fleet of freight shuttles.
AQUASYS has been involved with Eurotunnel in research and development work since 1998. Using wind tunnel and later fire tests results, it was determined that water mist was an effective fire suppression system, even with the wind speed and wind-flow generated in the tunnel. The Channel Tunnel was one of the first European tunnels to be equipped with an automatic fire suppression system.
