Water Mist Fire Extinguishing Systems

SF Fire & Ventilation Systems provides Water Mist fire suppression systems, an advanced firefighting technology that extinguishes fire by atomizing water into extremely fine droplets under high pressure, forming a mist cloud that increases heat absorption efficiency.

This technology has been in use since the 1930s and has evolved significantly with modern engineering improvements. The core principle is to maximize the surface area of water droplets, enabling rapid heat absorption and fire suppression through cooling and oxygen displacement.

Pressure Classifications

According to American standards:

• Below 12.5 bar: Low-pressure systems
• 12.5 – 35 bar: Medium-pressure systems
• Above 35 bar: High-pressure systems

According to European standards:

• Below 16 bar: Low-pressure systems
• Above 16 bar: High-pressure systems

Operating Principle

Under high pressure, water is transformed into a fine mist composed of micro-sized droplets. This mist:

• Rapidly absorbs heat energy from the fire zone
• Reduces temperature significantly (up to ~900°C down to ~50°C)
• Expands up to 1760 times during vaporization, displacing oxygen
• Reduces oxygen concentration from ~21% to ~17%

This effectively disrupts the fire triangle and extinguishes the fire.

Key Advantages

• Low water consumption
• Small-diameter piping systems
• Reduced water storage requirements
• High extinguishing efficiency
• Environmentally friendly and non-toxic
• Clean operation with minimal residue
• Reduced water damage to equipment and assets
• Easily testable and zoned control capability
• Safe for human occupancy areas

Application Areas

• Museums and heritage buildings
• Archives and libraries
• CNC machines and production lines
• Gas turbines
• IT and server rooms
• Cable tunnels and metro systems
• Industrial kitchens
• Transformer and control rooms
• Flammable liquid storage areas
• Tunnels and transportation infrastructure
• Wind turbines and energy facilities

System Comparison

Compared to sprinkler systems, water mist systems operate with significantly lower water flow rates and greatly reduce water damage. Sprinklers suppress fire mainly by wetting surfaces, while water mist systems extinguish fire through heat absorption and vaporization.

Compared to gas suppression systems:

• Non-toxic and environmentally safe
• Provides cooling effect
• More tolerant to imperfect enclosure conditions
• Faster activation response
• Allows zoned protection strategies

SF Fire & Ventilation Systems delivers water mist solutions with precise engineering design, optimized pressure control, and full compliance with international fire safety standards.