|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From the Editor's Desk
|
Welcome to the December issue of The Halon Herald!
In this issue, emerging fire protection challenges are discussed. We also have some exciting Wesco news, an outline of the speakers of the upcoming NAFED conferences and much more!
We wish everyone Happy Holidays! I hope that you get to enjoy this cherished time with family and friends.
As always, please feel free to direct to me any questions, comments or suggestions as they are always welcome!
- Kari
|
|
|
|
Wesco's Esopenko Appointed VP Sales and Marketing | |
 | | Shannon Esopenko |
Wesco HMB, Inc., is pleased to announce that Shannon Esopenko has been promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Shannon has worked for Wesco for almost six years and has taken on an increasingly important role in the company's sales and marketing function.
During Shannon's tenure, Wesco's position in the U.S. fire equipment distributor market has grown steadily. In her former position, she was responsible for the organization and building of Wesco's sales territories and staff, in addition to directly covering the Western and Midwest states. Shannon was also responsible for the decision to open a new warehouse in West Harrison, Indiana (outside of Cincinnati) which has increased Wesco's ability to service accounts in the Midwest.
In her new position, Shannon will have overall management responsibility for Wesco's domestic sales and marketing while continuing to assist with key accounts, setting the department's goals and objectives, guide and direct the sales staff, and direct the company's marketing efforts.
Prior to joining Wesco in February of 2006, Shannon was a regional sales representative for FETN, responsible for selling satellite training for Fire Departments and EMS personnel in the Northeast. Before that, she worked for Chemguard, who was recently sold to Tyco. At Chemguard, Shannon originally held the position of Regional Sales for the Northeast but, due to her strong and successful run in creating new business for Chemguard, was promoted to Business Development for all 50 states.
|
|
FSSA Expands on Hot Aisle Cold Aisle Challenge
|
 | | Steve Carter |
By Steve Carter
The data center environment is changing rapidly and has become a challenge to the performance of the fire protection systems commonly installed in these facilities. An increasing number of data centers are evolving to support significantly higher rack power densities. Higher density designs address the need to save on facility space, supports blade server technology and also contributes to reducing energy costs. According to a recent survey of data center operators, in the next two years as many as 25% of all data centers will have an average rack density greater than 12kW.
Data center managers are deploying new and proven cooling technologies capable of supporting these higher densities while at the same time improving upon cooling efficiencies. A prominent approach to reducing the overall energy cost of these facilities involves the use of Hot Aisle and Cold Aisle (HACA) containment systems. Traditional cooling systems allow hot and cold air to mix requiring the continual use of additional energy to cool a larger volume of air. HACA containment systems contain the air - separating the cool supply air and the warm exhaust air - optimizing the energy efficiency of the data center.
These air containment systems impact fire detection and suppression systems in several ways. And data center owners who have not made the appropriate adjustments to the fire protection systems likely have a problem on their hands that is bigger than they think. Some of the challenges that have emerged in today's modern data centers include:
- Obstructions
- Inadequate automatic obstruction removal products
- Multiple areas of containment / separate volumes of protection
- High temperatures
- High airflow velocities
In October, the FSSA presented an educational session on this important topic to those attending the 2011 SFPE Annual Meeting and Engineering Technology Conference. The technical committee members include Steve Carter, Jeffery Kidd, John Spalding and Paul Rivers.
Additional information and details about FSSA's continuing awareness on this issue will be presented at FSSA's upcoming 30th annual meeting in Rancho Mirage, California on February 25 - 28, 2012.
For more information visit www.fssa.net. Click here to view a copy of the SFPE slide deck presentation.
|
The Air Up There: Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause | 
By: John Demeter
December 2011
In the spirit of the season, we bring you, without commercial interruption, a letter written by eight year old Virginia O'Hanlon to the New York Sun and the response to that letter printed in an editorial on September 21, 1897. The work of newsmen Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial. We hope you find in it, as we did, a bit of comfort and inspiration.
"Dear Editor:
I am eight years old.
Some of my friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, "if you see it in The Sun it's so.
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon, 115 West Ninety-Fifth Street"
VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
|
Novec 1230 Fizzles in Airbus Cold-Soaked Fire Test |
The International Aircraft System Fire Protection Working Group was established as the International Halon Replacement Working Group in October 1993. This working group meets twice per year. One meeting is held in the Atlantic City, New Jersey area and one meeting is held at a host organization at another location. This group originally developed minimum performance standards and test methodologies for non halon aircraft fire suppression agents/systems in cargo compartments, engine nacelles, hand held extinguishers, and lavatory trash receptacles. The group's focus has been expanded to include all system fire protection R&D for aircraft.
At their November 16-17, 2011 meeting in Atlantic City, NJ, two presentations were given describing the results of a "cold-soaked" Novec 1230 test. These tests are designed to simulate cold conditions that can be encountered at high altitudes or in cold climates/locales. In such a case, the suppression agent, the surfaces in the protected area, and the air circulating through the protected area can all be cold.
Doug Ingerson, et. al., of the FAA reported the results of "Cold"-Soaked Novec 1230 testing in engine nacelle fires, involving cold agent, cold surface temperatures and cold airflows (as occur at high elevations or in cold locales). Novec 1230 failed to extinguish any of the test spray fires and extinguished only one of two pool fires; however, after an initial extinguishment, the fire reignited (in the absence of any known reignition sources).
Stephane Pugliese of Airbus gave a short presentation referencing the FAA "cold"-soaked Novec 1230 tests, and indicated Airbus' decision to drop their plans to use Novec 1230 in the A350. Hence the A350 will enter into service with Halon 1301. It was indicated that Airbus and Meggitt would continue to investigate Novec 1230 in engine nacelle applications. To view the presentation, click here.
|
|
UNEP Report on HFCs
|
Bali (Indonesia)/Nairobi, 21 November 2011 - Keeping a global, 21st century temperature rise under 2 degrees Celsius will require urgent action on a group of chemicals increasingly being used in products such as air conditioners, refrigerators, firefighting equipment and insulation foams, according to a UN group.
The chemicals, collectively known as Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are becoming popular as replacements for those phased-out or being phased-out to protect the ozone layer-the Earth's high flying shield that filters out dangerous levels of the sun's ultra violet rays.
But a report launched today by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) projects that by 2050 HFCs could be responsible for emissions equivalent to 3.5 to 8.8 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide (Gt CO2eq) - comparable to total current annual emissions from transport, estimated at around 6-7 Gt annually.
To read the full article on this report, click here.
|
EASA Reports on Euro Contaminated Halon 1211 | |
In 2009, the CAA UK informed EASA that a supplier of Halon 1211 and Halon 1301 had been deliberately falsifying sample test reports, in order to sell contaminated Halon.
Halon 1211 (BCF) is used in handheld fire extinguishers, usually fitted or stowed in aircraft cabins and some built in engine/auxiliary power units (APU) systems, while Halon 1301 (BTM) is used mainly in fire extinguishing systems for aircraft engines, APU and aircraft cargo compartments.
This has resulted in the issuance of several EASA Airworthiness Directives (ADs), requiring many handheld Halon 1211 fire extinguishers to be removed from service. However, no ADs have been considered necessary for engine/APU systems.
The full presentation on this can be found here.
The full set of standards, along with references, can be found here.
|
News from Wesco |
We thought you might enjoy seeing some pictures from Wesco's annual Christmas party!   Click here to see them all.
|
NAFED Announces Speaker Line Up for Sectional Conferences |  NAFED has announced its speaker selection for the Spring 2012 conferences that will take place in New Orleans, LA, Atlantic City, NJ, and Las Vegas, NV.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. George Lucas, with his seminar entitled "The One Minute Negotiator." The other speakers will be JoAnna Brandi, with a seminar entitled "21 Ways to Keep 'em Happy, Keep 'em Loyal and Keep 'em Coming Back!", and Greg Coggiano, with aseminar entitled "State of the Fire Protection Industry-Welcome to the New Normal."
For information on how to register, visit NAFED's site.
You can check out more information on the speakers here.
|
Did You Know?
|
According to the Science Panel reporting to the Members of the Parties of the Montreal Protocol: - Total chlorine from ODS continues ot decline in both the lower atmosphere and the stratosphere;
- CFC's are now contributing most to the chlorine decline;
- Total bromine from ODS is declining in the lower atmosphere and is no longer increasing in the stratosphere;
- For the first time the global atmospheric abundance of bromine from halons stopped increasing, and halon 1211 actually declined.
|
Most Popular Stories from November 2011 |
These are the stories in our last issue that got the most clicks. If you haven't already, check them out! |
|
If you have any questions, comments, would like to be featured in a future Halon Herald, or would like to be added to our mailing list for this newsletter, please contact Kari Buser at kbuser@ushalonbank.com. WESCO HMB
1.800.433.1751 www.ushalonbank.com OUR BLOG   |
|
|
|
|
