OXIT operation principle

The chance of fire is significantly reduced by permanently lowering the oxygen level just a couple of percent in a specific area, but the area remains accessible for people. This makes the OXIT fire and explosion prevention system the ultimate protection system.

Three basic elements are needed for fire to develop:

• heat/ignition
• fuel
• oxygen

The fuel and oxygen must also form an explosive mixture for an explosion to develop. There is no fire and no explosion when one of these three basic elements is missing. Removing the fuel is usually not an option. Heat or ignition can manifest itself in many different ways. This is usually the cause of the fire. Performing technical maintenance and adopting safety measures is not enough. With an OXIT fire prevention system, the chance of fire can be reduced even more by lowering the oxygen level in these areas to a point where combustion becomes impossible. The reduced oxygen level is realised by blowing additional nitrogen into these areas.

The atmospheric air around us consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% of other gasses. Independent research by, amongst others, KIWA, has shown that lowering the partial oxygen pressure down to 172 mBar is sufficient to prevent fires in a good many cases. This corresponds to 17 % of O2 with a nominal air pressure of 1.013 mBar. The oxygen absorption in our blood (oxygen saturation) is also affected by the partial oxygen pressure. Lowering the partial oxygen pressure can be compared to a stay high up in the mountains. Hence, 17 % of O2 at sea level can be compared to a stay at an altitude of 1.750 m.