3.1 The system may be automatically activated,
automatically activated with provisions for manual activation or manually
activated.
3.2 All systems should be divided into sections.
Each section should be capable of being isolated by one section control
valve. The section control valves should be located outside the protected
space, be readily accessible without entering the protected spaces
and their locations should be clearly and permanently indicated. It
should be possible to manually open and close the section control
valves either directly on the valve or via a control system routed
outside of the protected spaces. Means should be provided to prevent
the operation of the section control valves by an unauthorized person.
Control valve locations should be adequately ventilated to minimize
the build-up of smoke.
3.3 The piping system should be sized in accordance
with a hydraulic calculation techniquefootnote such
as the Hazen-Williams hydraulic calculation technique or the Darcy-Weisbach
hydraulic calculation technique, to ensure the availability of the
flows and pressures required for correct performance of the system.
The design of the system should ensure that full system pressure is
available at the most remote sprinkler or nozzle in each section within
60 s of activation.
3.4 The system supply equipment should be located
outside the protected spaces and all power supply components (including
cables) should be installed outside of the protected space. The electrical
components of the pressure source for the system should have a minimum
rating of IP 54.
3.5 Activation of an automatic system should give
a visual and audible alarm at a continuously manned station. The alarm
in the continuously manned station should indicate the specific section
of the system that is activated. The system alarm requirements described
within this paragraph are in addition to, and not a substitute for,
the detection and fire alarm system required by SOLAS regulation II-2/20.4.
3.6 Wet pipe systems on board vessels that can
operate in areas where temperatures below 0°C can be expected,
should be protected from freezing either by having temperature control
of the space, heating coils on pipes, antifreeze agents or other equivalent
measures.
3.7 The capacity of the system water supply should
be sufficient for the total simultaneous coverage of the minimum coverage
area of tables 4-1 to 4-3 and 5-1 and the vertically applicable area
as defined in paragraph 3.22.
3.8 The system should be provided with a redundant
means of pumping or otherwise supplying a water-based extinguishing
medium to the system. The capacity of the redundant means should be
sufficient to compensate for the loss of any single supply pump or
alternative source. Failure of any one component in the power and
control system should not result in a reduction of required pump capacity
of deluge systems. In the case of wet pipe, dry pipe and pre-action
systems, failure of any one component in the power and control system
should not result in a reduction of the automatic release capability
or reduction of required pump capacity by more than 50 per cent. However,
systems requiring an external power source need only be supplied by
the main power source. Hydraulic calculations should be conducted
to assure that sufficient flow and pressure are delivered to the hydraulically
most demanding section both in normal operation and in the event of
the failure of any one component.
3.9 The system should be fitted with a permanent
sea inlet and be capable of continuous operation during a fire using
sea water.
3.10 The system and its components should be designed
to withstand ambient temperatures, vibration, humidity, shock, impact,
clogging and corrosion normally encountered. Piping, pipe fittings
and related components except gaskets inside the protected spaces
should be designed to withstand 925°C. Distribution piping should
be constructed of galvanized steel, stainless steel, or equivalent.
Sprinklers and nozzles should comply with paragraph 3.11.
3.11 The system and its components should be designed
and installed based on international standards acceptable to the Organizationfootnote. The nozzles should be manufactured and
tested based on the relevant sections of appendix A to circular MSC/Circ.1165 (Revised Guidelines for the
approval of equivalent water-based fire-extinguishing systems for
machinery spaces and cargo pump-rooms).
3.12 A means for testing the automatic operation
of the system and, in addition, assuring the required pressure and
flow should be provided.
3.13 If the system is pre-primed with water containing
a fire suppression enhancing additive and/or an antifreeze agent,
periodic inspection and testing, as specified by the manufacturer,
should be undertaken to assure that their effectiveness is being maintained.
Fire suppression enhancing additives should be approved for fire protection
service by an independent authority. The approval should consider
possible adverse health effects to exposed personnel, including inhalation
toxicity.
3.14 Operating instructions for the system should
be displayed at each operating position.
3.15 Installation plans and operating manuals
should be supplied to the ship and be readily available on board.
A list or plan should be displayed showing spaces covered and the
location of the zone in respect of each section. Instructions for
testing and maintenance should be available on board.
3.16 Spare parts should be provided as recommended
by the manufacturer. In the case of automatic sprinkler systems, the
total number of spare sprinkler heads for each type of sprinklers
shall be six for the first 300, 12 for the first 1,000.
3.17 Where automatic systems are installed, a
warning notice should be displayed outside each entry point stating
the type of medium used (i.e. water) and the possibility of automatic
release.
3.18 All installation, operation and maintenance
instruction/plans for the system should be in the working language
of the ship. If the working language of the ship is not English, French
or Spanish, a translation into one of these languages should be included.
3.19 Any foam concentrates used as system additives
should comply with the Revised Guidelines for the performance and
testing criteria and surveys of foam concentrates for fixed fire-extinguishing
systems (MSC.1/Circ.1312).
3.20 Means for flushing of systems with fresh
water should be provided.
3.21 The presence of obstructions and the potential
for shielding of the water spray should be evaluated to ensure that
the system performance is not affected. Supplementary sprinklers or
nozzles should be installed beneath obstructions. In addition, nozzles
should be located to protect spaces above and below intermediate decks,
hoistable decks and ramps. Nozzles below hoistable decks should be
capable of protecting all applicable heights.
3.22 Vertically the applicable area of all decks,
including hoistable decks or other intermediate decks, between reasonably
gas-tight steel decks (or equivalent materials), should be included
for simultaneous coverage (example: with one hoistable deck, both
the layer above and below this deck with a dimensioning area complying
with tables 4-1 to 4-3 or 5-1 should be included in the water supply
calculations). Decks with ramps are accepted as reasonably gas-tight
decks assuming that the ramps are always in their closed position
at sea and the ramps and the decks which these ramps are part of are
reasonably gas-tight.
3.23 All release controls for deluge systems,
monitor(s) for any CCTV system, the control panel (or an indication
panel) for the fire detection system, water pressure on the discharge
side of all pump units, and the position indication of all section
valves should be available and grouped together in a continuously
manned control station or the safety centre, if provided.
3.24 The length of a deluge section (along the
lanes) should not be less than 20 m and the width of the section should
not be less than 14 m. Further, the sections need not be longer or
wider than the distance between reasonably gas-tight steel bulkheads
(or equivalent materials). The maximum size of a section on any single
deck should be 48 m multiplied by the width of cargo space (measured
as distance between tight steel divisions). Vertically one section
can cover up to three decks.