CV Technology Presents New Fire Prevention Breakthrough At Tissue World Americas Conference

(West Palm Beach, FL) — Tissue World Americas 2006 will be held at the Miami Convention Center, March 14-17. Bill Stevenson, VP Engineering of CV Technology of West Palm Beach, FL, a fire and explosion protection and prevention consulting company, is scheduled to present material on an exciting new technology that can significantly reduce the chance of fire, or ultimately explosion, in tissue manufacturing plants.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, tissue roll fires accounted for over $10,000,000 in direct property damage losses during a recent 5 year period. Loss data from Europe indicates that the direct property losses have been much higher there. A review of the causes for these fires indicates that over half of them start when sparks, embers, or glows fall on the tissue web as the material is being dried in the machine. These hot particles then get rolled up into the paper roll. They are difficult to detect on the tissue web because these particles are very small and the paper is moving at an extremely high rate of speed in a modern tissue machine. Once rolled up, these hot particles can go undetected for a long time as the layers of paper that are on top act as a source of fuel and as insulation to hold the heat of combustion inside the roll.

In tissue warehouses, the worst fire and loss occurs when the product is stored vertically in stacked rolls, a typical storage method used in the industry. Stevenson, an expert on the cause, protection, and prevention of fire and explosion in product manufacturing plants, explains the danger. “A vertically stacked roll of tissue paper that is on fire is particularly dangerous. The vertical position is very efficient at delivering plenty of oxygen to the fire. Additionally, during incineration, the paper layers will unravel (called exfoliation) to constantly supply fresh fuel to the fire. The stacks are quickly consumed by flame and fire spreads to nearby rolls rapidly.” Burning vertical tissue rolls become unstable as they are consumed in flame and there have been fatalities to firefighters when burning rolls have toppled over onto them. He continues to explain other limitations of using conventional fire protection methods, “Automatic sprinkler systems are preferred for tissue roll warehouses. Unfortunately, such systems respond relatively slowly compared to the rapid development of these fires. They also deliver a lot of water, and the damage from the water can equal or exceed the fire loss itself.”

In tests recently conducted in Europe, hot particles were embedded inside tissue rolls on purpose to study their behavior. Using infrared scanning equipment as well as smoke detectors demonstrated that neither approach could reliably discover the hot particles or the burning layers of paper until burn-through occurred.

Stevenson’s presentation will cover a recent technological breakthrough in fire detection and protection that addresses these problems through the use of true infrared scanning techniques. Based on similar technology used in heat seeking missiles, these scanners can react to hot spots almost at the speed of light. By sectoring the web in an X-Y coordinate fashion, this technology even locates the hot particle position on the web. Even on an ultra high-speed modern paper machine, detection to action can be accomplished before the paper has traveled more than a few inches. It is possible to find and correct a developing problem even before hot particles reach minimum ignition temperature. Another advantage is that by knowing where on the web a hot particle has landed would allow workers to quickly find and correct problems, thereby preventing disaster.

Through CV Technology’s experience in fire protection and explosion consulting, Stevenson covers best placement for maximizing this preventative device. “The scanning equipment is best located across the web adjacent to the doctor blade. It is also useful to use similar scanning up in the Yankee Hood area, where a build-up of paper dust is likely to occur and where fires are more likely to start.” A variety of action items can be incorporated into these systems including the use of fine water mist, which is kinder to equipment and dramatically reduces water consumption upon deployment.

Stevenson explains, “The incorporation of this new technology can increase productivity, minimize fire occurrence by over 50%, minimize down time due to much faster response time, and reduce consequential damage such as those due to water used for firefighting. For companies more interested in making paper than in spending undo amounts on housekeeping activities and firefighting, this technology is a real advance.”

Bill Stevenson is VP Engineering of CV Technology. The company combines a legacy of experienced fire and explosion consulting with revolutionary and completely unique fire and explosion prevention and protection technologies to specialize in the prevention, protection, and elimination of fire and dust explosion hazards in all industries which process powders and dry bulk materials.


More Information:
www.cvtechnology.com/Dust-Explosion.htm
www.cvtechnology.com/Explosion-Protection.htm
www.cvtechnology.com/Explosion-Prevention.htm
www.cvtechnology.com/Explosion-Consulting.htm

CV TECHNOLOGY, INC
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Phone: (561) 683 - 1200
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