Firetrace, a provider of fire suppression systems for the wind industry, has launched XD Tubing, a flexible fire detection tubing with enhanced chemical durability, to mitigate the risk of fire and total loss in offshore and near shore wind turbines.
XD Detection Tubing detects fires by sensing either heat or flame, and resists corrosion, creep, and ozone exposure as found in both offshore and near-shore turbine environments.
As demand for technologies that ensure stability and safety ramps up with the addition of new offshore wind capacity, the risk of wind turbine fire, is at the forefront of many wind developers’ safety initiatives.
XD tubing improves the efficiency of identifying and suppressing wind-turbine fires to prevent a catastrophic event and reputational crisis, while helping end-users save on maintenance costs by providing an automatic solution to combating turbine fires.
The product launched following accelerated environmental exposure testing that simulates the field service conditions on the polymeric fire detection tubing for corrosion, creep resistance and ozone exposure. The XD tubing performed ideally in the saltwater and zinc galvanic corrosion testing as well as elevated ozone exposure found in ocean environments.
The testing found the XD tubing material provides enhanced resistance in applications that have historically proven to be challenging to standard detection tubing. Creep resistance testing indicated the likelihood of creep rupture failure as a function of normal services is low, and ozone exposure testing indicated no damage after exposure that mimics 10 years or more of real-world concentrated ozone exposure.
“This product was designed to ensure that near-shore and offshore turbines could have the most robust and cost-effective fire suppression solution available in wind turbines worldwide,” said Angela Krcmar, Firetrace’s global sales manager. “Following an extensive testing period, we’re happy to announce the launch of XD Detection Tubing, so that we can continue our work with world-leading OEMs/developers dedicated to combating climate change and ensuring the safety of their staff and the industry.”
More info www.firetrace.com/xd
