Intelligent Pump Technology in Fire Practice at mobile Fire-Fighting systems

10/06/2007

Application: Municipal Services

To be successful in fire-fighting, many factors are requested. Doubtless, one of the most important factors is the knowledge and abilities of the women and men at the fire-brigades. Fire practices under realistic conditions enforce the knowledge and abilities of the brigades and are mandatory to a successful firefighting in case of emergency.
Within two weeks of fire practice, the fire-brigade of the city of Fulda/Germany and the district fire-brigade association Fulda carried out a specific education on fighting against smoke gas at the mobile fire-practice system “Fire Dragon III”. At this system a fire with high gas development is simulated.
Besides a perfect personal protective kit – consisting
of helmet, noninflammable cover, protective clothing, gloves, boots, breathing apparatus and so on -, the corresponding branch pipe and correct fire-water dosing as well as the ideal fire-water-drop size of 0.3 mm and of course the supply of fire-water in corresponding quantity
and pressure is requested for successful fire fighting.
Normally, the fuel-running fire-fighting pumps 8/8
or 16/8 with constant flow supply water and pressure of water. Anyhow, for these fire practices with the “Fire Dragon III” whose success is mainly caused by intermittent operation during fire-fighting, these fire-fighting pumps are
inappropriate, since they can only manually be regulated.
The constant pumps operation leads to water hammers and a high force to pipes and armatures. Therefore, the responsible trainers looked for a better solution to supply fire water.
Together with the pump manufacturer LOWARA decision was made to a booster set GT10 HV SV 1603 F30T with the intelligent HYDROVAR® control system.
This system ensures a permanent pressure at the branch pipe and turns-off the pump at “0” flow.
Officer-in-charge Greve was visibly satisfied with the system operation and mentioned “also thanking to this intelligent pump controller, the intermittent operation during fire fighting could be executed successfully without any damages at pipes and armatures. The requested pressure at the branch pipe was always given”.

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ITT-Lowara (www.lowara.com), headquarters of "Residential and Commercial Water - EMEA" part of the ITT Corporation and located in Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza - Italy, is a leading manufacturer of hydraulic pumps and water handling and control systems. It has 1.819 employees in Europe, 675 operating in Italy. In 2009 its consolidated sales totalled about 286 million €, or over 396 million $.
ITT Corporation (www.itt.com) is a high-technology engineering and manufacturing company operating on all seven continents in three vital markets: water and fluids management, global defense and security, and motion and flow control. With a heritage of innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver extraordinary solutions that create more livable environments, provide protection and safety and connect our world. Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., the company generated 2009 revenue of $10.9 billion.