SPA Technique demonstrates the performance of its new FireSense+ system in an SFI test.
SPA Technique debuted a line of fire suppression systems, FireSense+, at SEMA360. The systems feature a new fire extinguishing agent offered by SPA Technique, 4Fire Universal. It offers the benefits of a liquid agent combined with the performance of a gas agent.
“The 4Fire agent is more like FireAde or Cold Fire in that it is a liquid product,” said Dan List, SPA Technique Operations Manager. “DuPont FE-36 and 3M Novec 1230 are considered gases. Although [FE-36 and Novec 1230] may come out as a liquid, they quickly change to a gas. We got fire-out times [for 4Fire in SFI testing] close to the same as our Novec systems, which is not normally the case with a liquid product. [The 4Fire product] prevents reignition like FireAde, an AFFF [aqueous film-forming foam].”
Lithium batteries continue to grow in popularity in auto racing applications. The 4Fire agent offers benefits in fighting fires involving that type of battery.
“It is not super common that [lithium batteries] go thermal [i.e. on fire], but when they do there is no stopping it,” List said. “Most [firefighters] wait for the battery to burn itself out. The UK [where the parent company of SPA Technique is located] is planning more testing on this front as they have more racing switching to hybrid or completely electric [in Europe]. We hope to have a solution [to lithium battery fires] with this product on top of being able to put out fires normally seen in racing.”
The 4Fire agent offers another benefit when fighting electrical fires — it’s non-conductive, up to 1,000 volts.
SPA Technique plans to offer the 4Fire Universal agent as part of the FireSense+ systems they sell toward short-track racers, including those who need to comply to the SFI 17.1 spec. SPA Technique has not finalized the price of its FireSense+ systems. They hope to sell it for somewhere in between the prices of their FireAde- ($750) and Novec-based systems ($1,138). SPA Technique expects to have the FireSense+ systems available by the end of November.
Source
SPA Technique
Indianapolis, Indiana
317-271-7941
spatechnique.com
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
