ENFP 255 - Fire Alarm & Special Hazards Design (3 credits)

Photo courtesy of Andrew Neviackas ('06) & Danielle Leikach ('06)

Prerequisite:

• None.

Textbooks:

• Gagnon, R. M., Design of Special Hazard and Fire Alarm Systems, Delmar Publishers, Albany, NY, 1998.
• National Fire Alarm Code, NFPA, Quincy, MA., 2002.

Course Description:

• Study of gaseous and particulate fire suppression systems. Examination and evaluation of code criteria, performance specifications and research. Application of fluid theory to the design process and the calculations procedures for gaseous particulate fire suppression systems. An integrated fire protection systems design project. Functional analysis and design of detection systems.

Course Objectives:

• Identify fundamental principles, design criteria and installation requirements for fire suppression, detection, and alarm systems.
• Identify characteristics of extinguishing systems, including clean agents, halocarbon and inert gas agents, halon, carbon dioxide, dry chemical and foam fire suppression agents for total flooding, direct application, and explosion suppression.
• Understand current design procedures and criteria for the above systems, in accordance with NFPA standards and manufacturer's guidelines.
• Application of computer-aided drafting, spreadsheets, and computer-aided design software.

Topics Covered:

• Engineering ethics; Gagnon Ch. 15
• Mechanisms of fire extinguishment, evaluation of the fire extinguishing agents, extinguishing agent system applications.
• Agent analysis/Types of systems and applications, design methodology, design criteria, calculations, design problems:
  • Low Expansion Foam Systems
  • High Expansion Foam Systems
  • Halon Systems
  • Clean Agent Systems
  • Water Mist Systems
  • Carbon Dioxide Systems
  • Dry/Wet Chemical Systems
• Explosion Suppression Systems: deflagrations and detonations, suppression agents, system function and applications.
• Fire Detection and Alarm Systems: fire signatures, detection concepts and principles, alarm initiating devices and components, alarm system classifications, components, layout criteria, fire detection and alarm system evaluation.
• Semester project that involves designing a special hazard suppression and fire alarm system for an actual building.

[ Explore More Fire Protection Engineering Courses ]