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Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

Photograph of Maritime Centre Vellamo Jussi Tiainen

HI-FOG systems for buildings

TECHNICAL INTRODUCTION

Published by
Marioff Corporation Oy
2008 all rights reserved
Virnatie 3
01300 Vantaa
Finland
Tel. +358 (0)9 8708 51
Fax +358 (0)9 8708 5373
http://www.marioff.com
Information on Marioff group companies, agents/distributors and references can be found
at www.marioff.com.
Marioff Corporation Oy reserves the right to change or modify the information given in this
document, including technical details, without notice.
HI-FOG and Marioff are registered trademarks of Marioff Corporation Oy. Marioff is part of
UTC Fire & Security, which provides fire safety and security solutions to more than one million customers around the world. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, UTC Fire & Security
is a business unit of United Technologies Corp., which provides high technology products
and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide. More information can be
found at www.utcfireandsecurity.com.
Reproduction of any part of this document without the express written permission of
Marioff Corporation Oy is prohibited.

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

Table of contents
Introduction to HI-FOG water mist

System description

2.1 Water supply

2.2 Pump units

2.3 Accumulator units

2.4 Tubes

2.5 Section valves

12

2.6 HI-FOG sprinkler heads and spray heads

12

2.7 System types

15

Principles of HI-FOG system design

17

HI-FOG applications

18

For more information

19

Appendix 1

20

How HI-FOG@ fights fire

Appendix 2
Examples of HI-FOG@ system configurations

20
25
25

Chapter 1

Introduction to HI-FOG water mist

HI-FOG is the trade name of the high-pressure water mist fire protection system
developed, manufactured and delivered by Marioff Corporation Oy, a UTC Fire &
Security company.
The HI-FOG Water Mist Fire Protection System controls, suppresses and extinguishes fires (depending on the application and performance requirements) by discharging a fine water mist at high velocity. HI-FOG water mist is composed of microdroplets. The micro-droplets are made by the system when it activates: it pushes
plain, potable water at high pressure through specially designed micro-nozzles in the
HI-FOG sprinkler heads and spray heads. The HI-FOG water mist is discharged
at high velocity by the systems high-pressure pumps or accumulators and it quickly
penetrates a fire while cooling the space. It blocks the radiant heat, preventing the
fire from spreading.
HI-FOG may replace traditional sprinkler systems, deluge systems, gas systems,
foam systems, dry chemical systems and any other fixed fire fighting system.
HI-FOG can be used to fight both solid and liquid fires, and there are very few fire
risks which cannot be protected against. Of these, water-based fire fighting systems
cannot be used to fight liquid metal fires or to protect materials which react adversely when combined with water.
HI-FOG uses three mechanisms to fight fire: cooling, radiant heat blocking and local oxygen inerting. Traditional sprinkler systems use wetting as their main mechanism and therefore use very large amounts of water. HI-FOG uses water much more
efficiently: it will use up to 90% less water than a traditional sprinkler system for the
same application with equivalent or better performance.
The fire fighting performance of any water mist system is dependent upon many
factors up to and including micro-droplet size, the velocity of the water mist, nozzle
design, micro-droplet distribution, the nature of the fire load, the height at which the
sprinkler heads are mounted, air flow and system configuration. Water mist systems
should therefore undergo full-scale fire testing as part of an approval process based
on a commonly accepted set of performance criteria.

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

Founded in 1985, Marioff Corporation Oy has grown to become the worlds leading provider of water mist
systems for fire protection at sea and on land.

Chapter 2

System description
A typical HI-FOG system comprises the following:
t

t

t

t

t

8BUFS
TVQQMZ
)JHIQSFTTVSF
QVNQT
PS
BDDVNVMBUPST
5VCJOH
OFUXPSL
4FDUJPO
BOE
PS
NBDIJOFSZ
WBMWFT
4QSJOLMFS
IFBET
BOEPS
TQSBZ
IFBET

A control system, hydrants, panels, release devices, compressors and other equipment can also be added to the system as required. A typical HI-FOG system design
is shown below:
The placement of HI-FOG
sprinkler heads and spray
heads in a building is decided according to the system
design guidelines, application-specific fire tests, local
fire regulations and the
buildings technical requirements.

Tubes
Section
valves
Water
supply

Sprinkler /
spray heads

Pump or
accumulator

2.1 Water supply

The water supply for HI-FOG accumulator systems (MAU, DAU etc.) consists of water cylinders that are pre-filled with potable water.
The water supply for HI-FOG pump units is always kept separate from the pump
units. The water supply may be a mains feed or a water tank that can be dedicated to
the water mist system or shared with other systems. When the electric SPU or diesel
SPUD pump units are used, a water inlet pressure of 2 bar is required so a feed water
pump is typically needed to give pressure to the inlet water.
The size of the water tank will depend upon the application, local requirements and
the pump unit type. The size of the tank will typically be 3 - 9 m3 for a GPU pump
unit and 20 - 40 m3 for an SPU pump unit.
Filters are used in all HI-FOG pump units to ensure the quality of the water.
The water quality specifications provided with the system should be met in order to
ensure reliable operation and long system life.

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

2.2 Pump units

The HI-FOG system for buildings will typically
be equipped with one of the following pump
units: GPU (gas-driven* pump unit), SPU (electric
pump unit), MSPU (modular electric pump unit)
or the SPUD (diesel pump unit).
The GPU pump unit does not need external power
for operation because it is driven by gas. It is
typically used for low hazard areas (European
OH1 and US Light Hazard type occupancies) and
machinery spaces, and is limited to a maximum
output of 150 litres per minute. The GPU uses
very little water to fight fires and is therefore a
very popular choice for heritage buildings, hotels,
trains and data centres.

The space requirements for GPU pump units including space needed for
maintenance activities:

Pump unit type

Minimum area
length (mm)

Minimum area
width (mm)

GPU integrated
7+7+6W

3000

2000

GPU module

1100

900

Cylinders 2+2

600

Cylinders 3+3

900

Cylinders 4+4

1200

Cylinders 5+5

1500

Cylinders 6+6

1800

Cylinders 7+7

2100

Minimum area
height (mm)

2300
1500

* GPU pump units can be either air-driven or

nitrogen-driven.

The SPU electric pump unit is suitable for almost

any application. It is delivered in a range of different sizes and configurations depending on the
application. For larger installations a number
of SPUs can be joined together. The MSPU is a
modular version of the SPU. It can be carried
through tight spaces in parts and then assembled
in the final installation space.

The space requirements for SPU pump units including space needed for
maintenance activities:
Pump unit
type

Minimum area
length (mm)

SPU2

Minimum area
width (mm)

Minimum area
height (mm)

1475

1716

SPU3

2200

SPU4
SPU5

2500

SPU6

2200

SPU7

2241
2775

SPU8

The SPUD diesel pump unit can be used for almost any application. It is delivered in different
sizes and configurations depending on the application. The SPUD380 will often be used instead of
an SPU when power is insufficient. The SPUD800
and SPUD1600 are typically used for large
HI-FOG deluge systems, in aircraft hangars or
tunnels for example.

The space requirements for SPUD pump units including space needed for
maintenance activities:
Pump unit
type

Minimum area
length (mm)

Minimum area
width (mm)

Minimum area
height (mm)

SPUD380

3150

1900

2500

SPUD800

4900

3500

2700

SPUD1200

6500

3500

3000

SPUD1600

6500

4000

3000

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

2.3 Accumulator units

The accumulator units used with HI-FOG systems are typically for total flooding
protection in machinery spaces (MAU units) or for the protection of small compuUFSUFMFDPNT
SPPNT
BOE
UIFJS
TVCGMPPST
%"6
VOJUT


5IFZ
DBSSZ
DPNQSFTTFE
BJS
PS

nitrogen which is released through water cylinders, creating a mixture of water and
gas which is then discharged through open HI-FOG spray heads.

2.4 Tubes
All of the tubes in the high-pressure parts of the HI-FOG system are made of
AISI 316L stainless steel. High-pressure fittings are also supplied by Marioff for
DPNQMFUJOH
UIF
UVCJOH
OFUXPSL
BOE
NPVOUJOH
UIF
TQSJOLMFS
IFBET

TQSBZ
IFBET

HI-FOG tubes are very small compared to traditional sprinkler system pipes. They
are bent into shape onsite, enabling discrete installation in tight spaces a particular
benefit at heritage sites. Connections for the high-pressure tubing are made using
cutting rings for tube sizes up to 38 mm in diameter; flare fittings are used for tubes
larger than 38 mm in diameter. All tubes and fittings are rated for high pressure and
burst-tested to at least 4 x maximum operating pressure. During system commissioning the high-pressure tubing is submitted to a pressure test following NFPA 750
guidelines to ensure it is installed correctly and free of leaks.
HI-FOG tube system design is somewhat different than traditional sprinkler piping system design. HI-FOG systems are usually designed around a main supply
tube from which branches are taken off and associated with their own section valve.
From the branch tube, we typically extend further branches of 12 mm tubing to feed
UIF
TQSJOLMFS
IFBET

TQSBZ
IFBET
"CPVU

PG
B
)*'0( tube network will be composed of 12 mm tubing.

Standard HI-FOG tube sizes:

Pipe diameter

Usage

Bending radius

12 mm

Branch

30 mm

16 mm

Distribution

40 mm

20 mm

Main distribution

63 mm

30 mm

Main riser

75 mm

38 mm

Main riser

95 mm

60 mm

Mega system riser

150 mm

HI-FOG stainless steel tubes: shown actual size

12 mm

16 mm

20 mm

30 mm

38 mm

60 mm

10

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

main riser tube

section valve

sidewall
sprinkler
pendent
sprinkler

Example of HI-FOG tubing design

The HI-FOG tube sizes are selected according to hydraulic calculations based on the
Darcy-Weisbach calculation method as required by the NFPA 750 Standard on Water
Mist Fire Protection Systems.
At the end of each main tubing area we normally install a closed, manually-operated
ball valve for flushing the system as needed especially if the system is a wet-pipe
system, meaning the tubes are always filled with water up to the sprinkler heads.

11

2.5 Section valves

HI-FOG section valves will normally be of the
open type for wet pipe systems and of the closed
type for other system configurations. Section
valves are supplied in different sizes to handle
different flows. They can be operated in different ways: manually, electrically, hydraulically or
combinations thereof. Section valves can also
be fitted with flow indicators so that flow can be
monitored.
Normally, open type section valves for wet pipe
systems will only be closed to stop a discharge
or to carry out maintenance. They will usually
be operated manually.

A typical section valve

Section valves are normally located outside of

the protected area, either adjacent to the exit or
in a central location.

2.6 HI-FOG sprinkler heads and spray heads

HI-FOG sprinkler heads are closed: they are equipped with heat-activated glass
bulbs. HI-FOG spray heads are open: they do not have heat-activated bulbs.
A wide range of HI-FOG sprinkler heads and spray heads are available, each designed for a different application and type of fire hazard according to parameters
TVDI
BT
BNCJFOU
UFNQFSBUVSF
DFJMJOH
IFJHIU
DFJMJOHXBMMGMPPS
NPVOUJOH
QVNQ
VOJU

type, ambient pollution level and so on.
The heat-activated HI-FOG sprinkler heads are typically selected according to
occupancy and the temperature at which activation is to occur. The temperature
ratings for the bulbs are 57C, 68C, 79C, 93C and 141C. The sprinkler bulbs have
a super-fast Response Time Index rating: RTI 22(ms).
The selection of HI-FOG sprinkler heads or spray heads is based on the application
and the fire tests and approvals for that application.

HI-FOG 1000-series sprinkler heads

These are typically used for accumulator unit systems, GPU systems and MSPU,
SPU and SPUD systems for protection outside the performance parameters of the
HI-FOG 2000-series sprinkler heads.

12

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

HI-FOG 2000-series sprinkler heads

These are typically used for OH1 and OH2 protected areas (or US LH). Can be pendent or sidewall type.

Special spray heads

There are a number of application-specific HI-FOG spray heads. These are typically
used in places where air flow cannot be restricted (e.g. ducts and chimneys), where
tamper-proof designs are needed (e.g. prisons) and where floor mounting is required
(e.g. aircraft hangars).
Type

Where used

Coverage

Surface finish

HI-FOG
2000-series pendent
sprinkler

Multi-purpose rooms,
residences, galleys,
false ceilings

25 m2

Nickel,
antique brass, gold

HI-FOG
2000-series sidewall
sprinkler

Multi-purpose rooms,
residences, galleys,
false ceilings

28 m2

Nickel,
antique brass, gold

HI-FOG
1000-series high ceiling sprinkler

Cinemas, theatres,
atriums and similar high
spaces

16 m2, up to 15
metres high

Nickel,
antique brass, gold,
RAL colours

HI-FOG
1000-series storage
space sprinkler

Archives, libraries,
store rooms, shopping
centres, car parks

9 m2

Stainless steel, antique brass, gold,

RAL colours

HI-FOG
multi-purpose spray
head

Electrical rooms, generator rooms, power stations, kitchen hoods,

industrial fryers

Up to 16 m2

Stainless steel

HI-FOG
tamper-proof spray
head

Prisons, detention
centres

12 m2

Stainless steel

HI-FOG
duct spray head

Galley and laundry

ducts

10 m2

Stainless steel

13

14

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

HI-FOG sprinkler and spray heads can be installed in very tight spaces thanks to
the small diameter of the HI-FOG system tubing. A wide range of surface-mounted
assembly bodies is available.

Flush-mounted assembly body, two different types

Surface-mounted assembly body

2.7 System types

The HI-FOG system offers great configuration flexibility: different tubes, valves and
nozzles can be selected depending on the fire risk to protect against. The HI-FOG
system can be a single configuration or a mixture of several configurations. In an office building, for example, the protecting HI-FOG system could mainly be a wet pipe
system with the exception of the part protecting the computer room, which could be
a pre-action system. The buildings back-up generator could be protected by a deluge
type system. All the parts would be fed by the same pump unit.

Wet pipe system

A wet pipe system will normally have closed, heat-activated sprinkler heads. When
the ambient temperature at the sprinkler heads exceeds the rating of the activation
bulb it will burst, allowing water mist to be sprayed from that particular sprinkler
head. Wet pipe systems are the most common type of system because they are the
most economical for medium-size and large areas that need to be protected against
normal fire hazards. They also have the benefit of only discharging water mist at the
point of detection.

15

Deluge system
A deluge system will normally have open spray heads and water flow will usually be
controlled by a closed type valve. When a section valve is opened which might be
done manually but usually by a detection system water mist is discharged from
all the spray heads in the area controlled by that valve. Deluge systems are typically
used for protecting machinery spaces because they provide full, homogeneous protection throughout the space.

Dry pipe system

A dry pipe system operates in much the same way as a wet pipe system but it will
normally use a closed type valve to keep the water on the pump side of the tubing in
normal operation. The tubes from the valve to the sprinklers are filled with compressed air, which is monitored. The monitoring switch detects the loss of air pressure and opens the section valve. Water then fills the tubes to the sprinklers and
water mist is discharged from the activated sprinklers. This system will typically be
used when the protected area is subject to freezing.

Pre-action system
A pre-action system is very similar to a dry pipe system except that it is connected
to a fire detection system. Typically, a pre-action system valve requires both a sprinkler bulb to break (and the subsequent loss of air pressure to be detected) and an independent fire detection system to detect a fire before it opens. This type of system
will usually be used to protect areas where the risk of false discharge needs to be
minimized and where leakage (unlikely in any case with a HI-FOG system) from
the system tubing is not permitted. Often used for e.g. data centres and museums.

Hydrant
A manually operated hydrant can be connected to SPU, SPUD and MSPU systems.

16

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

Chapter 3

Principles of HI-FOG system design

HI-FOG water mist systems for buildings are always designed and installed according to the NFPA 750 Standard on Water Mist Fire Protection Systems. Components such as pumps, sprinkler heads, spray heads and valves are included in our
HI-FOG system approvals by VdS and FM. HI-FOG systems for the fire protection
of buildings have system approvals for the following sprinkler classes:
v Light Hazard (FM)
v Ordinary Hazard 1 (VdS)
v Ordinary Hazard 3 (VdS)
Additionally, HI-FOG systems for the protection of the following hazards have
been approved by FM or VdS:
v
v
v
v

Car parks (OH2)

Machinery spaces
Cable tunnels
Sub-floors of small computer rooms

On top of this there are a number of application-specific fire tests that have
been supervised by different authorized laboratories such as CNPP (France),
CSTB (France), BRE (UK) and VTT (Finland) covering:
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v

High spaces up to 12 m with OH4 fire load

Archive rooms (mobile or fixed shelves)
Ducts
Deep fat fryers
Balconies
Protection of metal structures
Prisons and detention centres
Aircraft hangars

HI-FOG systems are designed wherever possible in accordance with Marioffs comprehensive range of approvals that have been obtained from reputable third-party
approval bodies, or on a project-by-project basis according to results obtained from
our fire tests as supervised and witnessed by third parties. For special projects we
can also rely on our many years of fire testing experience and custom system design. In some cases we can carry out project-specific fire tests. In most cases our
designs must be approved by local fire officials or authorities.
NB: Water mist systems are designed on a performance basis. A water mist system
should never be designed using one suppliers system and another suppliers test
results. The customer should work with a supplier offering a system that is fully
fire-tested for the customers application.

17

Chapter 4

HI-FOG applications
A HI-FOG system can be designed for almost any fire protection need,
both new builds and retrofits. Typical applications include:

Buildings
Hotels, historic buildings, churches, art galleries, theatres,
data centres, hospitals, libraries, museums, archives,
residential areas, high-rise buildings, prisons
Transportation
Road and train tunnels, trains and buses, metro train
stations, inter-urban train stations, terminals

Industry and energy

Machinery spaces, gas turbines, wind turbines, SX plants,
industrial fryers, transformers, cable tunnels

Defence applications, land

Aircraft hangars, service, maintenance and
training facilities, command centres

Marine
Cruise ships, ferries, Ro-Ro vessels, cargo ships,
workboats, yachts

Navies
Surface vessels and submarines

Offshore structures
Offshore platforms and production facilities

18

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

Chapter 5

For more information

Your HI-FOG representative will be happy to provide you with more information
on the HI-FOG Water Mist Fire Protection System including:
v
v
v
v
v
v

Application brochures and product datasheets

HI-FOG Installation Manual
NFPA 750 Standard on Water Mist Fire Protection Systems
Fire test summaries
Reference lists
Case studies

19

Appendix 1

How HI-FOG fights fire

Fire is a process which involves a chemical reaction between a combustible fuel and
oxygen. The four prerequisites of sustained burning are:
v
v
v
v

Combustible fuel: solid (Class A), liquid (Class B) or gas-phase

Oxygen
Heat for sustained burning
Uninterrupted chemical chain reactions

The size of a fire is described by its heat release rate, measured in Watts (W). A small
camp fire will have a heat release rate of around 100 kW. A flaming fire that can be
approached with a hand-held extinguisher will generally have a heat release rate of
under 1 MW. A fire is becoming serious when it reaches 5 MW. As a rule of thumb,
1 m3 of visible flame corresponds to 1 MW of fire.
At least one of the four prerequisites of sustained burning must be removed in order
to extinguish a fire. It is rarely possible to remove the combustible fuel, but the three
remaining parameters can be affected by different fire fighting agents:
v The oxygen concentration can be lowered
v Heat can be removed, e.g. by cooling the fire
v The chemical chain reactions can be interrupted by adding a chemical
that reacts with the unstable by-products of combustion
Fires can be fought manually or with the aid of fixed fire fighting systems.
A fixed sprinkler systems role will typically consist of controlling or suppressing the
fire until it is extinguished manually such that re-ignition cannot occur. The three
different fire-fighting terms used are extinguishment, suppression and control. These
words describe different things in the fire fighting context: they should be used carefully and precisely when describing the performance of fixed fire fighting systems.

Fire extinguishment

The complete elimination of any flaming or smouldering

fire such that re-ignition cannot occur

Fire suppression

A sharp reduction in the heat release rate and

prevention of re-growth of the fire

Fire control

Limitation of fire growth and prevention

of structural damage

20

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

Manual intervention is always required to complete extinguishment when fire supQSFTTJPO
BOEPS
GJSF
DPOUSPM
TZTUFNT
BSF
JO
QMBZ

A fixed fire fighting system may be a compartment protection system that protects
an entire enclosure by filling it up with a fire fighting agent. It can also be a local
application system that offers object protection.

Water mist as a fire fighting agent

Water is the oldest, the most widely used and the most widely available fire fighting agent in the world. It is non-toxic and environmentally friendly. It has superior
fire fighting capabilities over a wider range of applications when compared to other
available fire fighting agents.
Water has three major fire fighting mechanisms, related to evaporation:
v Cooling: when water turns into vapour, it absorbs more heat than any
other fire fighting agent
v Inerting: when water evaporates, its volume expands over 1,700 times,
displacing oxygen locally in the layer of air between the heart of the fire
and the surrounding air
v Blocking of radiant heat (this mechanism is unique to water mist)
The evaporation rate of water depends on the free surface area: water in a bucket
evaporates much more slowly than the same volume of water spread as a thin layer
on a floor. The free surface area can be greatly increased by turning the water into
droplets: the smaller the water droplet, the greater the surface area of the water in
the volume of space and the faster the rate of evaporation with commensurately
more efficient cooling and inerting. A dense cloud of small water droplets absorbs
and scatters heat radiation very effectively.
The size of the water droplet has a considerable effect on the surface area and on
the total number of water droplets in a volume of space. Decreasing the droplet size
by a factor of ten increases the surface area (and therefore the evaporation rate) by
a factor of ten and the number of droplets by a factor of a thousand. Therefore, a lot
less water is needed by a HI-FOG system to achieve the same cooling and inerting efficiency of traditional water sprinkler systems. The HI-FOG system will also
protect the surroundings from radiant heat.

21

Small droplets as such

do not guarantee effective fire fighting: they
also need to reach the
flames, i.e. they need to
penetrate the outward
flows of flame that are
produced by the fire.

The fire fighting effectiveness of a water mist system is defined by

1) drop size distribution
2) the number of droplets
3) penetration of the fire
The combination of these properties is entirely system-specific.

Water mist protection: compartment vs. object protection

Total flooding with water mist is possible only in enclosed spaces where an object
needs to be protected. In general, fires are always easier to extinguish in enclosed
spaces than in open spaces. In enclosed spaces, larger fires are easier to extinguish
than small fires. In enclosed spaces, less extinguishing agent (water mist) per unit of
volume is needed to extinguish fires for the following reasons:
v In enclosed spaces the extinguishing agent is contained inside the space around
the fire. It does not escape anywhere: no agent is lost to surrounding areas.

v In enclosed spaces the fire consumes oxygen itself and therefore aids the extinguishing process. The larger the fire, the more oxygen it consumes and the
lesser the need for the extinguishing agent.

v In enclosed spaces the fire heats up the enclosure. Large fires generate large
amounts of heat: the higher the ambient temperature, the greater the amount
of water vapour in the air (up to saturation point). When the temperature
reaches 60 - 70 C there is enough water vapour in the air to inert the atmosphere and extinguish the fire.
Local protection is applied in large or open spaces where it is not possible to provide
full coverage of the whole area. Enclosure effects cannot be taken into account when
designing local application fire fighting systems. In large or open spaces, smaller

22

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

fires are easier to extinguish than large fires. More extinguishing agent (water mist)
per unit of volume is needed to extinguish fire in open spaces than in enclosures,
for the following reasons:
v In open spaces the extinguishing agent is continuously lost to surrounding
areas and the losses need to be compensated for by increasing the discharge
rate of the agent.

v In open spaces there is an unlimited supply of oxygen: the fire does not affect
the oxygen concentration.

v In open spaces the fire does not affect the average ambient temperature of
the space. Temperatures are high close to the fire, and the water vapour is
continuously lost to surrounding areas. Oxygen inerting does not occur in an
open space.

v In open spaces there will often be strong, outward flows of flame from the
seat of the fire. The larger the fire, the stronger the flows: a high concentration of water mist and deep flame penetration are needed to overcome them.

HI-FOGs fire fighting capabilities

All water mist systems are unique and general statements cannot be made about
their fire fighting capabilities. Different types of water mist systems are available,
each with specific performance characteristics and system-specific installation criteria. The commentary which follows is restricted to the HI-FOG system.
Depending on the application, HI-FOG is designed to extinguish fire (typically
flammable liquid fires) or suppress and control fire (solid fuel fires). HI-FOG is a
high-pressure water mist system that is powered by constant-pressure electric or
diesel pumps (providing pressures up to 140 bar) or by pressurized gas cylinders
(pressures up to 250 bar). HI-FOG water mist micro-droplet sizes usually fall
below 200 m (see the micro-droplet size distribution graph on the next page).
HI-FOG water mists range of penetration may be up to 7 8 m horizontally under
normal conditions; even longer distances may be reached vertically. The good range
of penetration is a factor in HI-FOG water mists ability to spread throughout a
space in which a fire is burning, to some extent even past obstacles. HI-FOG
can replace not only traditional water sprinkler systems but also gas-based
extinguishing systems.

23

The HI-FOG system has a very high cooling, inerting and radiant heat blocking
efficiency. Gas temperatures around the fire drop abruptly within seconds after
discharge, and the fire is quickly enveloped by a dense cloud of HI-FOG microdroplets. The radiant heat is blocked so effectively that, at a distance of a few metres
away from the fire, the heat cannot be felt. Structures adjacent to the fire are wellprotected, even when the fire is still burning.
High-pressure water mist systems as exemplified by HI-FOG are a major step forward in water-based fire protection. The number of application areas, test standards
and performance criteria, type approvals, and market acceptance in the form of
customer references are growing at an accelerating rate.

Water mist micro-droplet size distribution

The size of water mist micro-droplets cannot be described with a single number.
A water mist always consists of a wide range of different micro-droplet sizes, which
can be described in many different ways. An example of a HI-FOG high-pressure
water mist droplet size distribution is given in the graph below.
Three different curves are shown for the same volume of water mist. The curve used
most commonly to describe water mist droplet size distribution is the NFPA 750
cumulative volume curve, characterized by three numbers representing microdroplet size: Dv90 (90 m), Dv50 (33 m) and Dv10 (8 m), i.e. the threshold microdroplet sizes defined such that 90 %, 50 % or 10 % of the volume of water consists of
micro-droplets smaller than these sizes.
The volume frequency curve shows e.g. that the largest volume of water consists of
micro-droplets of 50 m in diameter. The cumulative count curve, on the other hand,
shows that 90 % of the total number of micro-droplets are smaller than 10 m. At
this point, five different numbers are given to describe the same volume of water
mist and several others can still be used. Comparisons of water micro-droplet sizes
need to be made carefully.

24

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

Appendix 2

Examples of HI-FOG system

configurations
A HI-FOG system for buildings can be a single configuration or a mixture of
several configurations. The schematic drawings on the following pages are examples of the most common HI-FOG system configurations.

25

Typical HI-FOG sprinkler system configuration

26

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

Typical GPU-based HI-FOG system

Typical MAU-based HI-FOG system

28

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

Notes

29

30

Technical introduction to HI-FOG systems for buildings

31

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Marioff Corporation Oy

Information on Marioff group companies, agents/distributors and references can be found at www.marioff.com.

Virnatie 3

Marioff Corporation Oy reserves the right to change or modify the information given in this brochure, including
technical details, without notice.

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Tel. +358 (0)9 8708 51

HI-FOG and Marioff are registered trademarks of Marioff Corporation Oy. Marioff is part of UTC Fire & Security,
which provides fire safety and security solutions to more than one million customers around the world. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, UTC Fire & Security is a business unit of United Technologies Corp., which provides
high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide. More information can
be found at www.utcfireandsecurity.com.

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32

2400B-EN 2009 Marioff Corporation Oy

Protecting people, property and business from fire