In 1955, a high magnitude explosion at the former Standard Oil Refinery in the USA wrought severe infrastructure damage to the refinery and the surrounding communities. At that time, Volunteer Fire Chief Clyde McMillan was aiding in those extreme firefighting efforts.
From that day, Clyde went on to start manufacturing firefighting nozzles in his family basement to solve the many challenges during a firefight just as he experienced on the industrial fire ground. He went on to be the founder of Task Force Tips (TFT), a well-known provider of firefighting equipment.
Many industrial fire protection teams and/or the AHJ find themselves having to piece meal various types of firefighting equipment to get the needed solution for the task. Picking items and trying to make them work simultaneously presents challenges, especially in a high-risk industrial environment.
System pictured includes a H.U.M., Booster with
Oscillation, and Monsoon
Monitor.
The typical stationary monitor often has friction loss over 25 psi at 2000 gpm (7600 l/min) which leads to decreased stream reach and diminished flow rates with the available water supply. They also pose a challenge when an underground main interruption stops water flow; there is no way to hook a supply line to the monitor to continue water delivery. Sometimes even with onsite booster pumps, needed flow and pressure ratings are not achieved and there is no easy way to boost them with a secondary apparatus and/or pump. Many monitors cannot oscillate efficiently on their own without expensive electronically controlled PLC systems, remote controllers, and/or control panels. If the controls burn up during an incident or a power loss is experienced, that expensive remote controlled oscillation feature does not do much good. Manual water driven Pelton wheel oscillators exist, but are prone to external damage, extra friction loss, freezing, and/or creating ice buildup during mission critical moments. The Ultimate Industrial System is setting a new standard that solves all of these challenges and gives capabilities to industrial fire brigades to be the most effective and adaptable at moment’s notice.
Since that day in 1955, TFT has evolved into one of the top three innovators for municipal and industrial firefighting. This new Ultimate Industrial System proves to challenge the status quo of firefighting capability for industrial facilities around the world.
Let us take a deeper dive into what is included with this unique system:
1 Masterstream Nozzle
User Customized Flow and Pressure Ratings
2 Typhoon Monitor (1500 gpm / 5700 l/min) Or Monsoon Monitor (2000 gpm / 7600 l/min)
Low Friction Loss Design Maximizing Flow and Stream Reach
3 Integrated Boosting Valve available with Oscillation
Boost During a Water Main Break, Inject Foam Solution, Boost During Normal Operations, and/or Oscillate for Wide Angle Coverage
4 Hydrant Under Monitor (H.U.M.)
Hydrant Water Supply with Simultaneous Valve control to Hydrant Outlets and/or Monitor
1. Masterstream Nozzle
User customized Flow and Pressure Ratings
With a wide range of common flow rates, operating pressures, global certifications, and approvals, the TFT “ZO series” of Masterstream nozzles are giving options for industrial firefighters. This FM approved nozzle offers a simple and rugged industrial design with superior stream quality and reach. It’s casted all metal construction with two layers of corrosion resistant coatings gives durability and exceeds life expectancy in harsh industrial environments. This Fixed GPM design allows flow rates from 1250 gpm(4750 l/min) to 2000 gpm(7600 l/min) and uniquely allows the ability to specify user defined pressure and flow rating (K factor). This unique design of this nozzle allows an easy, in the field baffle change to set the nozzle at a different K factor needed by the facility. The ZO Masterstream nozzle does well at solving the challenge of burned up rubber fog bumpers. It also ensures that a quality stream reach, flow, and fog pattern coverage never deteriorates by intense heat or other environmental factors.
2. Typhoon Monitor or Monsoon Monitor,
Low Friction Loss Design Maximizing Flow and Stream Reach
When reach and flow are mission critical with available water supply, the Typhoon and Monsoon are FM approved monitors that get the job done. The low friction loss designs of these two monitors allow maximum flow and maximum stream reach with the available water supply. These two choices are valid options when trying to solve the challenges of monitors that have friction loss above 25 psi, which diminishes flow and reach when it counts.
The Typhoon allows the delivery of up to 1500 gpm (6000 l/min) with under 20 psi (1.3 bar) of friction loss.
The Monsoon seems to be the most common choice for the Ultimate Industrial System. Its patented design gives industrial firefighters the ability to send up to 2000 gpm (7600 l/min) with only 15 psi of loss.
3. Integrated Boosting Valve with available Oscillation,
Boost During a Water Main Break, Inject Foam Solution, Boost During Normal Operations, and/or Oscillate for Wide Angle Coverage
It is evident that attention to detail and user feedback was at the heart of this Boosting Valve. This FM approved valve allows much more than the typical water delivery for a fire protection monitor.
TFT’s boosting valve provides a secondary supply inlet that allows pressure to be boosted using a pump and /or allowing introduction of foam solution. An integrated swing check valve allows supply connections while the monitor is flowing from the main fire protection riser without interruption of the firefighting efforts. If the underground water main fails, the fire brigade can easily connect supply hose to this valve and continue to feed the monitor. Adaptability and options are constant with this addition to the lineup.
This Boosting Valve also has the availability of built-in, water driven Oscillation. The Oscillator model adds horizontal oscillation capability up to 120 degrees. Driving this exclusive innovative design is a completely enclosed water driven turbine. This valve solves the external damage and freezing challenges of external Pelton wheel oscillators. The completely mechanical solution wipes away the worry of electrical failures. The Oscillator also has a field adjustable sweep angle during operations or not.
4. Hydrant Under Monitor (H.U.M.),
Hydrant Water Supply with Simultaneous Valve control to Hydrant Outlets and/or Monitor
This appliance called the “H.U.M” is yet another FM approved innovation that enhances water supply and delivery.
The H.U.M. is an alternative hydrant supply. Although still needing a PIV or master valve for the underground water main, the H.U.M. brings supply ports above the ground for easy access for use and service.
The innovative dual valve control of the H.U.M allows the user to deliver water from the source to the monitor, deliver water just to the hydrant supply ports, or even simultaneous water delivery from the source to the supply ports and to the monitor. The H.U.M also offers a high level of customization, which allows the AHJ to choose the needed hydrant supply outlets that range from 2.5” all the way up to 6” storz. This is a problem solver for high flow water needs adapting to an underground water main supply and/or secondary apparatus or fire pump deployment.
Exceptional flow and reach
Unmatched low appliance loss. Customization to meet specific needs. Easy use, maintenance, and installation on any 6 inch (152 mm) ANSI 150 flange. Adaptable firefighting capabilities for the smaller or extreme incident. This innovative Ultimate Industrial System seems to achieve all of these benefits and is worth a further review by any industrial facility.
For more information, go to www.TFT.com
About the Author
Brian W. Podsiadlik has been a volunteer/paid-on call firefighter in the State of Indiana since 2001. He has BS in Engineering Technology from Purdue University and is qualified to IFSAC FF II, ISFSI member, Instructor 1, and was a career industrial firefighter/EMT before joining Task Force Tips, LLC. in 2006.
