Life-Saving Protection for Vehicles

August 13, 2024

Life-saving protection for vehicles and machines from Fogmaker combats your fire suppression challenges. Discover the Fogmaker System now

A fire is any driver’s nightmare and an urgent threat to lives and equipment. Whether it’s a bus filled with passengers, a combine in a dry field, or a pushback tractor connected to an airplane, a fire must be detected quickly and dealt with before it can spread and cause a disaster.

In vehicles with traditional combustion engines, most fires start in the engine compartment – an area typically containing large quantities of diesel fuel and hydraulic oil, often under pressure. A fire in this area can lead to a rapid and disastrous series of events almost impossible to manage with a handheld fire extinguisher. Vehicles with other energy sources, such as battery electric, still contain other fire initiators like heaters, A/C compressors, and hydraulics.

When choosing a fire suppression system, it is important to consider the risks for that machine and its use. For instance, airports usually have their own on-site fire response and it takes around 90 seconds to respond to an airside blaze. That means the system should be able to keep suppressing a fire and cooling the area for at least that long, so help can arrive. In other situations, potential downtime may be the most important and things like the time to clean-up an engine room and reset the system must be considered. Some vehicles and machines require a system that will work even if it’s tipped over on its side while others need a system that’s independent of electricity.

Fogmaker has decades of experience in detecting and suppressing fires in engine rooms and other enclosed spaces. There are more than 300,000 Fogmaker systems installed in over 60 countries. The system is standardized, yet tailored to each vehicle or machine type, make, model, and energy source since they all have different risk areas. It will provide the best possible fire protection performance in an emergency.

The Fogmaker system does not rely on electronics or electricity – it deploys when the protected compartment reaches a certain temperature. At this point, a fine water-based mist fills the compartment, displaces oxygen, and chokes the fire. Fogmaker’s pressurized cylinders ensure the system will work regardless of position – even if the vehicle has toppled upside down – and patented nozzles divide each drop of water into micro-droplets that choke the fire and cool the area to prevent a flare-up. The suppressant also contains tensides that behave a bit like a fire blanket – if there for instance is a pool of diesel or oil and a fire where burning materials can melt and drip onto the pool, the suppressant prevents the fire from igniting the flammable liquid.

Many fire suppression products on the market contain PFAS-chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals.” Fogmaker has spent several years developing a new and PFAS-free liquid, Eco 1, with excellent fire suppression abilities. The new systems with Eco 1 have passed fire suppression tests with the same amounts of liquid as Fogmaker Original.

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