¦ FIRE & EXPLOSION
ARMING THE
INDUSTRY
Experts from FLAMEX, Fagus GreCon and CV Technology share some new and improved technologies for fire and explosion prevention and mitigation. BY KATIE SCHROEDER
F
ire and explosion protection are key in any industry with dust, and the biomass industry is no exception. The wide variety of fire prevention and mitigation tools available to producers are constantly evolving. Eric Peterson, CEO of Fagus GreCon Inc. in the U.S. and Canada, explains that there are three components needed to start a fire. First, there must be oxygen present; second, there must be a fuel source— generally this tends to be the product needing protection—and finally, an ignition source. “What our equipment is designed to do is detect that ignition source and extinguish it,” Peterson says.
Fagus GreCon
Fagus GreCon has two recently developed technologies that are utilizing advanced intelligence to improve accuracy. The first of these technologies is the DLD 1/9 Spark Detector, which was released last year. Peterson explains 10 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | ISSUE 3, 2022
that while past spark detectors operated solely in fully lit or completely dark environments, this new spark detector has the ability to adjust to ambient light. While old detectors set up in air ducts might go off due to a hole in the duct letting in light, this detector is able to recognize a new environment and avoid potential false alarms. “Not only do we want to detect, [but also] we don’t want to detect things that may not actually be sparks,” Peterson says. GreCon’s additional new technology, the Intelligent Extinguishment Module, is set to release in Q4 2022. Peterson explains that the module is integrated into the extinguishment system and communicates with the command console, letting it know when the extinguishment system needs maintenance. The module can also be installed with a heating device in colder climates to allow for a “built-in temperature, cross-monitoring system” to help the extinguish-
ment system avoid freezing in the winter. “This will tell them that they have some wear on their nozzles or valves that’ll need to be replaced, so it’ll communicate that to the console, providing operators with notices like ‘Hey, you’re not getting the right water pressure,’ or ‘Your nozzle needs to be replaced, it’s a little worn and not spraying appropriately,’” Peterson says.
