Improvements in fire fighting system
Improvements in fire fighting system
COMBINE fires can be a nightmare; not only is the operator and machine put at risk, the crop being harvested can also be destroyed.
Fire Monitoring Systems, (FMS) based at Beattock, Scotland, has further developed its extinguisher system the company introduced in 1993. This comprised a pressurised plastic tube which melts when a fire is detected and squirts suppressant at the heat source.
FMS says that in the strong turbulence created in an engine compartment, the suppressant can be blown away from the source of the fire.
The new CTX system retains the pressurised tube, but instead of relying entirely on the same tube to deliver and direct suppressant towards the fire, it is used to trigger a separately plumbed array of nozzles positioned at critical positions around the engine.
Cost of a CTX system depends on the type of machine being protected. FMS says that protection for a new £170,000 would cost £900 including installation. *