Most of us don’t consider the fire safety of our engines. However, engines are micro-environments that are highly susceptible to fire risks. They operate on flammable liquids such as petrol and diesel, which can lead to Class B fires when coupled with overheating and damaged electrical wiring. From airplanes and trains to boats and cars, our world is filled with engines. Therefore, it is crucial that we understand how to protect these enclosed environments from potential fire hazards.

Here at Fire Protection Shop, our team of experts is ready to help you with your engine fire safety. We recommend that you regularly check the coolant levels and the oil and never ignore the warning lights that engines give you for a developing fire threat. However, there is another solution available that will provide continuous, autonomous fire safety: Tube-based suppression systems. These fully automatic fire protection systems are specially designed to combat the fire safety challenges that high-risk environments present.

This blog will look at what exactly causes engine fires, what a tube-based suppression system is and which fire safety equipment we recommend you invest in to keep your engine safe from potential fire threats.

What Causes an Engine Fire?

Many factors gradually increase the risk of engine fires. These fire risks include wear and tear, leaking fuel systems, electrical malfunctions and overheating.

Engines gradually become damaged over time from wear and tear. As the quality of the engine deters, the risk of sparking cabling and fuel leaks increases. Both hazards can react with the flammable liquids inside engines and ignite, suddenly starting an engine fire.

Engines may also be at risk of producing excessive heat. As overheating occurs, it reacts with the flammable liquids in the engine and triggers a fire. It would be impossible to constantly monitor your engine, so investing in equipment that autonomously detects and suppresses fire is vital. The tube-based suppression systems safeguard your engine against these fire risks.

Understanding how to process fire risks is important as it allows you to be more selective with the fire safety equipment you invest in. Engines are enclosed spaces where fire threats can rapidly develop if the space is not monitored. That means you need to choose equipment tailored to these needs. Tube-based suppression systems are designed to combat the risks most present in engines.

Engine fires can develop rapidly. Because the engine is situated away from the passenger seat and concealed, a fire could burn unnoticed until it is too late. If a fire suddenly ignites in an engine, it may be difficult to access. Ultimately, this means that an engine fire could cause serious harm to the driver, others, and the surrounding area. The solution to addressing engine fires is to invest in fire safety equipment that mitigates fire risk in these hard-to-reach areas. Automatic fire extinguishers offer autonomous fire suppression directly at the ignition source.

Tube-based suppression systems are designed for autonomous fire detection and suppression. Instead of waiting for an engine fire to become visible (and dangerous) enough for you to try and fight with manual equipment, these automatic fire extinguishers continuously monitor the engine for developing fire threats. Once the tube-based suppression system detects the fire, it will instantly activate to extinguish the fire at the source.

What Variants of Tube-Based Suppression Systems Are Available?

The two primary types of tube-based suppression systems are direct and indirect. Both create autonomous fire detection and suppression through easy-to-install heat-sensitive tubing and residue-free extinguishing agents.

Although both types offer highly effective fire suppression, they do have a key distinction that makes indirect tube-based suppression systems the better choice for protecting engines: how the heat-sensitive tubing works to safeguard enclosed environments.

How Do Indirect Tube-Based Suppression Systems Protect Engine Fire Safety?

Indirect tube-based suppression systems detect and extinguish fire threats using three key steps: detect, trigger and suppress.

The heat-sensitive tubing of the indirect system must first be fitted into the engine. Following this, the tubing functions as a detector, monitoring the engine for any sudden spikes in temperature. If an engine fire begins to develop, raising the enclosed space temperature between 150-180 °C, the heat-sensitive tubing will respond by triggering the extinguishing agent. In contrast to direct tube-based suppression systems, where the extinguishing agent is released through the burst tubing, the contents are dispersed via a steel conduit. Once released, the extinguishing agent is sprayed across the affected area through strategically positioned nozzles, ensuring complete fire suppression.

Engines may be at risk of having multiple ignition points. That’s why automatic fire protection systems that can target larger areas are crucial for engines. The indirect system removes the risk of fire being missed by using its carefully positioned nozzles to spray the extinguishing agent evenly across the entire area. This makes indirect tube-based suppression systems the ideal choice for engine fire safety.

Recommended Fire Safety Equipment for Engine Fires

For protecting your engine’s fire safety, we recommend a Dry Powder or Foam Indirect Tube-Based Suppression System.

Enclosed environments like engines are already challenging to protect from fire. They are difficult to access, enclosed and hidden. These micro-environments might also easily become damaged if the wrong equipment is used. That’s why autonomous fire safety equipment like the foam indirect tube-based suppression system is the perfect solution. The other fire safety benefits include the following:

Versatility: Engines may be at risk from Class A, B, C and Electrical fires.

Residue-free extinguishing agents: Our indirect suppression systems use a range of extinguishing agents to combat fire threats that occur in engines.

Simple Installation: Indirect tube-based suppression systems are simple to set up in your engine.  

Self-Reliant: The pneumatic mechanical activation also allows them to remain operational without external power. Meaning the system is fully self-reliant.

The Ceasefire Quick Response System: The quicker a developing fire threat is detected, the faster you can regain control over the danger. The unique CQRS system in our indirect tube-based suppression systems creates fast-acting fire detection and suppression.

Conclusion – How To Keep Your Engine Safe From Fire

To maintain the fire safety of your engines, direct tube-based suppression systems create efficient, long-lasting fire detection and suppression.

Engine fire safety is often overlooked. But the risks posed by overheating, fuel leaks, and electrical malfunctions make it essential that you invest in reliable fire protection. Indirect tube-based suppression systems offer the most effective and autonomous fire safety for engines. By detecting and suppressing fires at the source, they provide fast-acting fire safety without requiring manual intervention. 

If you want to know more about creating lasting vehicle fire safety, the Fire Protection Shop has other fire safety blogs available to help.