BioEnergy Fire protection in the Bioenergy Industry

By 2020, 20 percent of the energy consumption of each EU country should be derived from renewable energy sources, according to EU directives. This places heavy demands on the energy sector and has resulted in increased conversion from fossil fuels to biofuels. This trend can also be seen in other parts of the world.

As the bioenergy industry grows, so do its fire problems. There are several high-risk zones in which fires or dust explosions may arise, both in pellet production and in power plants.

Firefly has many Spark Detection and Quick Suppression solutions for pellet production and power plants. By tailoring a fire protection system using fast IR-radiation and flame detection in combination with effective water spray extinguishing and water mist suppression, Firefly aims to avoid costly fires and dust explosions in the bioenergy industry.

Pellet Production
Power Plants

Pellet Production

Fire protection solutions for the pellet industry

Headlines about fires in pellet plants are unfortunately common. It is however no coincidence that the wood pellet industry is particularly exposed to fires. In a pellet manufacturing process there are several high-risk zones where fires or dust explosions can occur. Furthermore, the pellet process environment is very demanding.

This is why Firefly offers customer-adapted solutions using IR-radiation detection in combination with water spray extinguishing to achieve an efficient protection for the pellet manufacturing process.

Firefly also offers machine protection around high risk machinery through its Quick Suppression solutions. To protect the area around the mill or the pellet press, Firefly combines Quick flame detection with water mist suppression.

Power Plants

Fire protection solutions for power plants

A power plant has several high-risk areas where a fire or an explosion can occur. Common problems are hot particles and foreign objects (stones, metal pieces etc) in incoming material which can cause ignition in the process. Another common problem is friction due to for example material build-up, which can occur at several places in the process.

Firefly offers fire protection solutions for the whole process; from the dump station and the screener to the silo and the boiler.

Firefly ShredderGuard™

Frequent fires in shredders often result in production downtime and loss of revenue. A fire in a shredder can spread very quickly. Therefore, Firefly has developed Firefly ShredderGuard, a Quick Suppression System that can withstand the tough conditions in and around a shredder. The main focus of the Firefly ShredderGuard™ solution is to detect and extinguish a fire in a shredder as quickly as possible. This is why a Firefly safety system always consists of three main integrated functionalities: detection, extinguishing and control. By integrating different techniques (flame detection, True IR-detection, full-cone water spray extinguishing and water mist suppression) into one solution, Firefly provides optimal safety for the protection of shredders.

Drawings

Note: All Firefly systems are tailor-made according to the design of the plant. The examples above are a general explanation on how Firefly can minimize the risk of a fire or a dust explosion in this process. For further information, please contact Firefly.