Study and Evaluation of the Efficiency of Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguishing System for Glue Laminating Machine in Flexible Plastic Packaging Factory

Abstract

This research aimed to study and evaluate the efficiency of carbon dioxide (CO₂) fire extinguishing system used with a glue laminating machine in a flexible plastic packaging factory based on NFPA 12 standard. The machine used in this study had openings at both the top and bottom, resulting in CO₂ leakage during fire extinguishing. This leakage caused the use of CO₂ in a quantity greater than that estimated by theoretical calculation. From the calculation, it was found that the internal volume of the machine was 7.48 m³, and the required CO₂ mass based on the machine volume and the appropriate gas concentration was 9.77 kg. However, when considering the leakage from the bottom opening, which had a total area of 1.03 m², the and the required CO₂ mass increased to 124.60 kg, which was a loss of more than 13 times. From the study of the effect of ambient temperature around the machine on CO₂ leakage, it was found that the required CO₂ mass increased as the temperature increased. When the experiment was performed by reducing the size of the bottom opening by 1 cm at a time to analyze the amount of carbon dioxide gas leakage, it was found that the required CO₂ could be significantly reduced, which is very useful for planning and designing future fire extinguishing system. The results of this study can be used as a guideline for improving the design of carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems to be suitable for machinery in the plastic industry to maximize fire extinguishing efficiency, reduce damage, and increase safety for personnel and assets in the workplace.