Electronic Sprinkler Systems For Warehouse Facilities

Electronic sprinkler systems provide enhanced fire protection to support business needs and future proof a facility for the needs of tomorrow.

By Gaurav Malik
From the April 2018 Issue

The growth of e-commerce has drastically changed the face of warehousing and logistics in recent years. As shoppers increasingly turn to the Internet, modern warehousing and logistics have been pressured to keep pace with the rapidly evolving expectations of consumers. With two-day, overnight, or even same-day delivery becoming the new norm, companies have been forced to adapt quickly. At the same time, a shift toward different packaging materials can create increased challenges that may not be recognized immediately.

Electronic sprinkler systems
Electronic sprinkler systems feature heat sensors that detect the
rate of temperature rise inside a facility, allowing for faster detection
of the fire source. (Photo: Johnson Controls)

The plastic content in products we consume today continues to grow along with increased plastic content in the packaging materials used to transport and store these products. This presents a challenge in that existing warehouses may not have been designed with these commodities in mind. Plastic products have a high heat release rate and at the same time, they do not readily absorb water. This can present major challenges in the event of a fire incident.

Keeping a fire protection system up to code can often be an afterthought as companies evolve their existing facilities or make plans to build new ones. This oversight can result in unexpected costs or, in the event of a fire, the potential for extensive property loss and a more significant interruption to business operations. When fire sprinkler systems are upgraded proactively, it can come at a high cost, as many times both the sprinklers and system piping require replacement. Furthermore, expensive fire pumps and tanks may be needed to supply more water to protect the increased fire risk posed by plastic commodities.

When upgrading a facility, an electronic sprinkler system could prove to be more cost-effective than a traditional sprinkler system, as well as more efficient in fighting a fire which could help to minimize potential damage and property loss. In a traditional sprinkler system, sprinklers are heat-activated so that each sprinkler head operates independently at a fixed temperature. When water discharges from the first activated sprinkler, it can cool the surrounding area and potentially affect the temperature sensing of adjacent sprinklers (called sprinkler skipping). This means that sprinklers near the fire may take longer to activate or may not activate at all, which can ultimately result in less water being applied to the fire during its early stages of development.

Electronic sprinkler systems are designed to avoid the sprinkler skipping phenomenon. Heat sensors detect the rate of temperature rise, allowing for faster detection of the fire source. Once a fire is validated by multiple sensors, the system activates an array of sprinklers simultaneously to “surround and drown” the fire. Effective fire suppression is achieved by maximizing the amount of water applied onto burning materials and pre-wetting adjacent unburned fuels to prevent lateral fire spread. As it exists today, a fire protection system utilizing electronic sprinkler technology is ideally suited for retrofit applications, as well as in scenarios where water is constrained but protection is needed for storing the more complex exposed expanded Group A Plastics (which require more water per square foot than other commodity classes it is replacing).

As facilities are upgraded and new ones are built to store products that present higher fire risk, current sprinkler solutions will require a greater amount of water to suppress a fire which, in turn, require expensive fire pumps and tanks to support this demand. In retrofit scenarios, a piping infrastructure upgrade may be required to support the system’s higher water demand. There are also restrictive constraints that existing solutions necessitate, such as vertical barriers which limit flow of goods within a facility. Electronic sprinkler systems are designed for easier upgrades as the sprinklers use the same thread size compatible with piping infrastructure found in older warehouses.

From a total cost of ownership standpoint, existing solutions may not only be higher in cost but may also limit operational flexibility. Electronic sprinkler systems provide enhanced fire protection to support business needs and future proof a facility for the needs of tomorrow.

Electronic sprinkler systemsMalik is the product manager for storage sprinklers and enterprise software for the fire suppression products business within Johnson Controls. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering and has an MBA from Rutgers Business School. He brings operational acumen to his current role, having worked in multiple capacities on the supply chain part of the business.

Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below or send an e-mail to the Editor at acosgrove@groupc.com.

Facilities Management, Featured, FM Issue, In-Depth Articles, Magazine, Security & Safety, Technology

electronic sprinklers, Emergency Preparedness, FE-April-2018, fire protection systems, fire sprinkler systems, Johnson Controls, Security, Technology, warehouses

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