Ansul Piranha

Restaurant Fire Suppression System

Ansul Piranha

The Ansul PIRANHATM Restaurant Fire Suppression System is an automatic, pre- engineered, fire suppression system designed to protect the following areas associated with cooking equipment; ventilating equipment including hoods, ducts, plenums, and filters; fryers; griddles and range tops; upright, natural charcoal, or chain-type broilers; electric, lava rock, mesquite or gas-radiant char-broilers and woks.

FEATURES

  • UL Listed - Meets Requirements of UL 300
  • Overlapping Appliance Protection
  • Two Nozzle Styles Cover All Hazards
  • Dual Agent
  • Rapid Flame Knockdown
  • New Proprietary Agent With Increased Performance
  • Fifteen Times Faster Than Existing Agents in Reducing the Temperature of the Grease Below the Re-flash Point
  • Reliable Cartridge Operated
  • Aesthetically Appealing

Application

The PIRANHATM Restaurant Fire Suppression System is an automatic, pre-engineered, fixed, fire suppression system designed to protect the following areas associated with cooking equipment; ventilating equipment including hoods, ducts, plenums, and filters; fryers; griddles and range tops; upright, natural charcoal, or chain-type broilers; Electric, lava rock, mesquite or gas-radiant char-broilers and woks.

The system is ideally suitable for use in restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, schools, airports, and other similar facilities.

Use of the PIRANHA Restaurant system is limited to interior applications only. The regulated release and tank assemblies must be mounted in an area where the air temperature will not fall below 32 °F (0 °C) or exceed 130 °F (54 °C). The system must be designed and installed within the guidelines of the UL Listed Design, Installation, Recharge, and Maintenance Manual.

System Description

The PIRANHA Restaurant Wet Agent Fire Suppression system is a dual-agent, pre-engineered, fixed, automatic fire extinguishing system developed specifically for improved fire protection of commercial restaurant cooking appliances, exhaust hoods and ducts.

The PIRANHA system is available in 3 sizes:

  • PIRANHA-7 (1.5 gallon, 7 nozzle capacity)
  • PIRANHA-10 (2.25 gallon, 10 nozzle capacity)
  • PIRANHA-13 (3.0 gallon, 13 nozzle capacity)

When actuated, the system discharges a fixed amount of proprietary wet chemical agent followed by water through the same nozzles. Water is provided by a connection to the potable water supply. Advantages of the dual system over single wet agent systems include: (1) more robust suppression of hostile fires in protected restaurant hazards; (2) greater hazard area protection with less wet agent; (3) faster flame extinguishment and securement of hot fuels such as cooking shortening; (4) overlapping protection of cooking appliances from fixed nozzle spacing, allowing appliances to be interchanged freely without changing nozzles; (5) more rapid cooling of hot fuels and appliances to prevent re-ignition; (6) simplicity of design and installation.

The addition of the water discharge significantly aids in increasing and prolonging the foam blanket generated by the wet chemical agent. The longer retention of the foam blanket allows the hot grease to cool well below the auto-ignition temperature.

Patents are pending for both the new proprietary wet chemical agent and the dual agent system.

The water spray portion of the system is provided by a connection to the potable water supply.

The system design for appliance protection under the hood allows the nozzles to be positioned uniformly from one end of the appliance line to the other. Most appliances under the hood can be protected in this overlapping manner; therefore, it is not necessary to protect each appliance individually. Appliances are free to be shifted around under the hood. The only exceptions to this overlapping type coverage are upright broilers, salamanders, and chain broilers.

These type appliances require dedicated nozzle protection.

The system is capable of automatic detection and actuation and/or remote manual actuation. Additional equipment is available for mechanical or electrical gas line shut-off applications.

The detection portion of the fire suppression system allows for automatic detection by means of specific alloy rated fusible link detectors, which, when the temperature exceeds the rating of the link, the link separates, allowing the regulated release to actuate.

A system owner's guide is available containing basic information pertaining to system operation and maintenance. A detailed technical manual is also available including system description, design, installation, recharge, and maintenance procedures, plus additional equipment installation and resetting instructions.

The system is installed and serviced by authorized distributors that are trained by the manufacturer.

The basic system consists of an ANSUL AUTOMAN regulated release assembly that includes a regulated release mechanism and a wet chemical storage tank housed within a single enclosure. The tank valve is designed to allow the wet chemical agent to discharge onto the hazard area first.

Then, immediately following the agent discharge, the valve will automatically allow the water to flow through the piping and out the system nozzles. Nozzle blow-off caps, detectors, cartridges, agent, fusible links, and pulley elbows are supplied in separate packages in the quantities needed for the fire suppression system arrangement.

Additional equipment includes remote manual pull station, mechanical and electrical gas valves, pressure switches, and electrical switches for automatic equipment and gas line shut-off. Accessories can be added such as warning lights, etc., to installation where required.

The water supply piping includes a lockable valve.

Each tank is limited to a listed maximum number of nozzles.

Component Description

Wet Chemical Agent: The PRX® extinguishing agent is a specially-formulated, aqueous solution of inorganic salts designed for rapid flame knockdown and foam securement of grease related fires. It is available in 4.5 gallon (17 L) plastic containers with instructions for wet chemical handling and usage.

Agent Tank: The agent tank is installed in a stainless steel enclosure. The tank is deep drawn carbon steel finished in red enamel.

Tanks are available in three (3) sizes:

  • PIRANHA-7: 1.5 gallon (5.7 L) capacity
  • PIRANHA-10: 2.25 gallon (8.5 L) capacity
  • PIRANHA-13: 3.0 gallon (11.4 L) capacity

The tanks have a working pressure of 150 psi (10.3 bar), a test pressure of 450 psi (31.0 bar), and a minimum burst pressure of 900 psi (62.1 bar).

The tank includes an adaptor/tube assembly. The adaptor is chrome-plated steel with 1/4 in. NPT female low pressure gas inlet port and a 3/8 in. NPT female agent outlet port. The adaptor also contains a bursting disc seal that prevents the siphoning of agent up the pipe during extreme temperature variations.

Connected to the adaptor/tube assembly is the water flow valve. This valve is designed to allow the wet chemical agent to flow first and then the valve will automatically switch internally to allow the water to start flowing, thus increasing the foam blanket and providing additional cooling.

Regulated Release Mechanism: The regulated release mechanism is a spring-loaded, mechanical/pneumatic type capable of providing the expellant gas supply to the agent tank. It contains a factory installed regulator deadset at 150 psi (10.3 bar) with an internal relief of approximately 190 psi (13.1 bar). It has automatic actuation capabilities by a fusible link detection system and remote manual actuation by a mechanical pull station.

The regulated release mechanism contains a release assembly, regulator, and expellant gas hose in a stainless steel enclosure with cover. The enclosure contains knockouts for 1/2 in. conduit. The cover contains an opening for a visual status indicator.

The regulated release assembly also contains an anti-siphon valve that is designed to prevent back-siphonage of possible contaminated water into a potable water supply.

It is compatible with mechanical gas shut-off devices; or, when equipped with a field or factory installed switch, it is compatible with electric gas line or appliance shut-off devices.

Discharge Nozzles: Two types of discharge nozzles are tested and listed with the PIRANHA system for all applications. One type is used for all appliance and plenum protection and is stamped "AP," and the other type is used for all duct protection and is stamped "DL." Each nozzle must have a metal or rubber blow-off cap to keep the nozzle tip orifice free of cooking grease build-up.

Codes and Standards

The PIRANHA Fire Suppression system will meet the following codes, standards, and recommended practices:

  • NFPA 96, Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, 1994 Edition.
  • NFPA 17A, Wet Chemical Extinguishing Systems, 1994 Edition.
  • UL Standard 300, Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Restaurant Cooking Areas, Second Edition (March 29, 1996).
  • UL Standard 2092, Pre-Engineered Wet Chemical Extinguishing System Units, First Edition, (draft Sept. 1997)
  • AWWA (American Water Works Association) M14, Recommended Practice for Back Flow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control, Second Edition.
  • MANUAL OF CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL, Second Edition, Published by the University of Southern California (USC) Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.
  • Interim Guide Criteria for Restaurant Fire Suppression Systems IGC 113-97, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO).