Kidde Fire Systems Surge Protector P/N 81-CO2MAN-001 Manuale Utente

September 2013

1-2

P/N 81-CO2MAN-001

Carbon dioxide offers many advantages as a fire suppressant. It is a clean agent, does not 

leave a residue, and does not wet material or machinery upon which it is discharged, helping 

keep costly cleanup or downtime to a minimum. Carbon dioxide may be stored from 0

°

F (-

18

°

C) to 130

°

F (54

°

C). Carbon dioxide does not deteriorate and is non-corrosive. It is readily 

available throughout the world and is inexpensive. Carbon dioxide is effective for the rapid 

suppression of Class A (surface or deep seated), B, and C fires and offers a wide range of 

hazard protection.

Carbon dioxide is stored in steel cylinders as a liquid under its own vapor pressure which is 

approximately 850 psi at 70°F. This pressure is used to propel the agent out of the container 

and through the valve, piping, and nozzles during the discharge. When released, carbon 

dioxide will change from a liquid to a gas and expand. The ratio of this expansion is high; 

approximately 9 to 1. This allows a large volume of carbon dioxide to be stored in a small 

container, minimizing space taken up by the system equipment.

Kidde Fire Systems engineered carbon dioxide suppression systems may be manually operated 

or integrated with detection and control devices for automatic operation. A single carbon 

dioxide fire suppression system can protect single or multiple hazards by total flooding, local 

application, or a combination of both.

There are two types of fixed carbon dioxide systems: total flooding and local application.

In a total flooding system, a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide is discharged through 

fixed piping and nozzles into an enclosed space or enclosure around the hazard. Total flooding 

is applicable when the hazard is totally enclosed and when all openings surrounding the hazard 

can be closed automatically prior to or at the start of system discharge. If all the openings 

cannot be closed, additional carbon dioxide must be provided to compensate for agent loss 

through these openings during the discharge and appropriate concentration retention periods. 

The carbon dioxide concentration must be maintained for a sufficient period of time to allow 

the fuel and any other surfaces or equipment in contact with the fuel to cool below the ignition 

temperature of the combustibles.

Local application systems differ from total flooding in that the nozzles are arranged to 

discharge directly onto the fire. Local application is practical in those situations where the 

protected equipment can be isolated from other combustibles so that fire will not spread 

beyond the area protected, and where the entire hazard can be protected. One of the principal 

uses of local-application systems is to protect open tanks containing flammable liquids, but this 

technique can be generalized to protect three-dimensional hazards such as paint spray booths 

and printing presses. Suppression by local application is transitory, and will not be effective 

unless suppression occurs quickly and all potential re-ignition sources are eliminated.