Project MSF – High temperature bag filter with reagent dosing for fire simulation facility

Minerva Simulator Facilities - are established specialists in Hot Fire Training Equipment and Fire Training Simulators. MSF provide equipment, training, service and repair to a wide range of users both in the UK and across the world.

Minerva contacted us to provide a bespoke smoke extraction ducting and filter system to be incorporated into 3 new fire and rescue training carbonaceous units for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Services starting in 2012 at a brand new facility at Cambuslang, Glasgow.

Carbonaceous training is essential in teaching fire fighters how to recognise and deal with ‘Backdraft’ and ‘Flashover’.

What makes this ‘Groundbreaking’ facility is that the smoke emissions are captured and filtered, thereby keeping the air clean and removing the air pollution.

Great for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue and great for their neighbours and great for the environment as a whole!

The final design incorporates 3 main branches of ducting to different locations and levels providing galvanised hoods over the carbonaceous units and Belimo actuators for variable position dampers.

Each ducting branch incorporates a remote control panel to give localised control of dampers position and fan speed thus enabling full control over the rate of smoke extraction as required at that point in the training exercise.

The filter itself is an FDL designed ‘Cleanpulse’ CPB 144, designed for an air volume of 10,000Am³/hr and utilises Filtrex Z500 PPS Felt filter bags suitable for temperatures up to 190°C and a 18.5kW inverter driven fan.

A sodium bi-carbonate injection system is used to feed variable small amounts ( 2-10 kg/hr) of sodium bicarbonate to act as both a ‘cake’ on the bags to increase the effective filtration of the very small sized (90% of wood smoke is <1 micron) smoke particles and also as a natural fire suppressant, in the highly unlikely event of a spark travelling the full length of the ducting into the filter bag chamber.

The Sodium Bi-Carbonate hopper is designed for manual loading of 25kg bags and is located along with the main control/fan starter panel and the compressor in a specific additional building.

Additionally the filter hopper is fully enclosed with double doors for access.

Filter Designs is proud to be working with Minerva Simulator Facilities in providing Strathclyde fire and rescue services in this pioneering training facility.

Following the initial enquiry for the site in Clydesmill, MSF subsequently placed orders for 2 further similar carbonaceous filter units for fire brigade training at sites in Dreghorn and Oban.

http://simulatorservicing.com/

System designer: Roger Callis

Contract management: Stewart Callis