Fire Sprinkler Criteria for Flight Simulator?

4/23/2019

For a flight simulator inside a larger building, what sprinkler density do you feel would be appropriate for this hazard?

The simulator will be its own contained unit, so the top will likely shield water spray from sprinklers above and prevent water penetration to the inside, much like a vehicle fire would in a parking garage.

NFPA 13 does not address simulators, nor does UFC 3-600-01 or FM Data Sheets (as far as I can tell). In my opinion the closest hazard I can gather would be vehicles in a parking garage which carry an Ordinary Hazard Group 1 designation under NFPA 13 (2016) 5.3.1 and A.5.3.1.

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10 Comments

Dan Wilder

4/23/2019 10:15:03 am

Can't you use the criteria out of UFC 4-171-01N to apply to this single room (or rooms)?

WES

4/23/2019 10:39:31 am

I would think UFC 4-171-01N, but there's no specific criteria for sprinkler systems protecting simulator facilities:

2.2.9 "Requirements for sprinkler systems... are determined by MIL-HDBK-1008C." That handbook has since been superseded by UFC 3-600-01 which doesn't provide specific criteria to simulators (at least in the latest versions).

Franck

4/23/2019 10:16:59 am

As far as I can remember, this is addresses in one of the Factory Mutual Data Sheet
I am not at my desk office, but I can give you the reference by Friday if nobody else mention it in the meantime
Should be more than OH anyway

Even parking will soon not be considered as Ordinary Hazard in the future by NFPA as more and more olastic is present and some catastrophic fires occur recently (one in UK in particular)

Franck

4/23/2019 02:25:26 pm

I found it: FM data sheet 7.3

The main issue is related to the hydraulic systems (Extra Hazard). The remaining is mostly like a computer room (i.e. gas protection for electronic equipment and associated computer)

Franck

4/23/2019 02:32:44 pm

Once you have protected the hydraulic units (normally in a separate fire cut-off room) with sprinkler for EH occupancy and the computer systems and flight simulator cabin with gaz, do you really need to protect the room ?
In many case, there is no other combustible load and in many cases, this is a very large area, with excessive roof height, i.e. total floodimg gas protection is not applicable and sprinkler system might not be appropriate.
If needed, and there is no other combustible load than the flight simulator cabin, then OH might be enough... just in case, during maintenance, repairs, outages... when some additional combustible load might be present ( but in limited quantities)

PETE

4/23/2019 10:19:44 am

Ordinary Hazard may cover the simulator, but it sounds like it is expensive enough that they won't want it to get wet. CeaseFire makes a Class ABC automatic extinguishing system (dry chemical). Also, a Fike FM200 clean agent may be an appropriate system. You may be able to get away with placing a fire extinguisher in the flight simulator. That would be covered under equivalency 1.5.2 and must be approved by the AHJ. That might be my first approach.

Tom

4/23/2019 10:39:30 am

I did some commissioning for some flight simulators. The computer rooms were all protected with a fike FM200 system. The flight simulators were either hydraulic oil or electric motor. The flight simulators themselves had deluge sprinklers located on the ground pointing up at them. There was a VESDA system at the roof level of the simulator bay. I can't recall if there was a suppression system at the roof level of the simulator bays...had to be a sprinkler system though. They also used flame camera detectors to watch the hydraulic simulators.

Franck

4/23/2019 02:36:15 pm

The deluge from the ground pointing at the simulator is to protect the hydraulic oil located below the cabin... the hydraulic unit might be located in a separate cut-off room, but hydraulic piping is also present at the simulator area...

Mike

4/23/2019 11:23:42 am

I think Pete has the right idea. Those sims aren't cheap and probably would be better protected with a clean agent system.

Daniel Garcia

4/23/2019 11:43:19 am

I used to work for the corps of engineers and I remember that it was an HSSD (high sensitivity smoke detection) system that was put in these. I don't remember suppression inside but it doesn't mean there may not be a need for it. I'd also check Air Force Engineering Technical Letter (ETL 01-18). It might have some additional information that you find helpful.

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