All the benefits of preventing fires instead of suppressing them, make hypoxic air fire prevention systems especially suitable for applications where a fire would cause irreparable damage and/or business disruption.
Hypoxic air technology for fire prevention, also known as oxygen reduction system (FX Prevent’s systems, LOX® Low Oxygen Systems), is a proactive fire protection technique based on a permanent reduction of the oxygen concentration in the protected rooms. The technology of lowering the oxygen level through nitrogen supplementation is being applied in a variety of industry sectors for decades. These normobaric hypoxic air systems are able to prevent fire, unlike traditional fire suppression systems that usually extinguish fire after it brakes out.
As a general rule, 5% to 10% of oxygen contained in the air is replaced by the same amount of nitrogen: as a consequence a hypoxic atmosphere containing around 15 % of oxygen and 85 % of nitrogen is created. In this environment, most materials cannot ignite or burn.
Alongside our sister company, PRESSCON, we have more than 20 years of experience with a variety of methods for manipulating the concentration of oxygen and nitrogen in the ambient air, with the help of nitrogen generators. The agriculture and horticulture industries used the principles of this technology to conserve goods, and the petrochemical industry uses them by applying a nitrogen blanket over flammable materials (blanketing). In that capacity, the technology has proven to be very successful and reliable.
The most popular methods in this sector are using a membrane filter or a (V)PSA filter, which stands for (vacuum) pressure swing adsorption.
High Performance PSA (HP-PSA)
Using the PSA (pressure swing adsorption) technology, FX and PRESSCON have developed a completely new system (HP – High Performance) that eliminates the drawbacks experienced by traditional PSA systems.
The HP technology distinguishes itself by an optimized airflow in the system and an unique press-on system for the active coal. These improvements result in a system that is environmental friendly with a significantly longer service life and a lower energy consumption.
Our proprietary compression canisters need less than 2m³ of compressed air in order to generate 1m³ of 95% purity Nitrogen. Other systems on the market can not reach this level of efficiency, often needing up to 3m³ of compressed air in order to generate 1m³ of nitrogen. Besides lower energy usage this also means that by using a LOX® system, a lower capacity air compressor will be needed in order to ensure the desired air volumes. In order to achieve the maximum possible energy efficiency, the protected areas need to be well sealed in order to minimize the permanent air leakage.
In comparison to the traditional PSA technology, the HP-PSA offers energy savings up to 30%, and when compared to the membrane based system, energy savings can even reach 50%!
The systems that emerged from our experience and which we proudly design, develop and manufacture at our facility are:
LOX® – Low Oxygen System intended for large projects;
LOX® Compact – Low Oxygen System intended for medium to large projects;
LOX® Compact PnP – mobile and fully independent Low Oxygen System intended for small to medium projects.
Thanks to the modular design of our LOX® Line – Low Oxygen Systems, we can provide our customers with units that are built specifically for the needs of their project, regardless of its size.
Having production under our own management, makes us a highly flexible organization. This enables us to build to your specifications to deliver a custom installation which reflects your requirements, rather than just a standard product.
The LOX® Low Oxygen Systems are competitively priced, with a considerable longer operational cycle and lower maintenance cost than their comparable competitor systems.
Our goal is to create the safest possible environment, in close collaboration with our customers and demanding parties like the government and insurance companies. An environment in which harm caused by fire to people and damage to company’s property and to the environment are kept to a minimum, and in some cases eliminated completely.
24/7 Service-line
Our 24/7 service line is ready to offer you day and night the support and quality that you expect.
Preventing rather than extinguishing!
A proactive approach that lowers your risks and increases your company’s continuity.
Environmentally friendly
Our innovative fire prevention systems offer safety for your personnel and the environment.
Innovation, quality and flexibility
Our products have evolved around the core values of our company: innovation, quality and flexibility.