Industries that move dust, chips or fine particles through ductwork, such as woodworking, food processing, textiles and recycling, face a serious hidden risk: a single spark carried into a filter or silo can start a fire or trigger a dust explosion. Spark detection and extinguishing systems find sparks while they are still travelling in the ductwork and put them out in a fraction of a second, before they can reach somewhere dangerous. MEP designs, supplies and installs spark extinguishing systems for industrial process environments across the UK.
Infrared detectors mounted on the ductwork continuously watch for the light signature of a spark or ember passing by. The moment one is detected, the system triggers a high-speed water spray downstream that quenches the spark as it passes through, all within milliseconds and without stopping the process. Because the spark is dealt with in the duct, it never reaches the filter, silo or store where it could ignite accumulated material. The system resets automatically once the spray has done its job.
The great advantage of spark extinguishing is that it removes the ignition source without shutting down production, so the process keeps running while the risk is dealt with automatically. Where a threat is more serious, the system can also raise an alarm or divert and isolate the affected line. These systems play an important part in managing dust fire and explosion risk under DSEAR. We assess the ductwork and process, then position detectors and extinguishing zones to cover the critical points.
Get in touch with our team of fire suppression experts to discuss your requirements and receive a tailored solution.
A system that detects sparks or embers travelling in industrial ductwork and extinguishes them with a rapid water spray before they can reach a filter or silo and cause a fire.
Within milliseconds. The spark is detected and extinguished as it passes through the duct, faster than it could travel to somewhere it might ignite material.
No. In normal operation it quenches the spark without shutting the process down, so production continues while the risk is dealt with automatically.
Any process that conveys dust or particles, such as woodworking, food processing, textiles and recycling, where sparks can be drawn into filters or silos.
Removing sparks in the ductwork helps prevent the dust fires and explosions that DSEAR requires employers to manage, protecting both plant and people.
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