In the News

August 18, 2000

Alcad nickel-cadmium batteries provide ideal start for Sterling's diesel driven fire pumps

Alcad low maintenance, high performance XHP rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries are now playing a vital role at the heart of fixed fire protection systems throughout the world, including Edinburgh Castle, the Lloyds Building, London and the Sydney Opera House. This follows their selection by Sterling Fluid Systems, the world leaders in fire pump packages, to provide reliable starting power for their diesel driven pumps.

Sterling Fluid Systems provide specialist fire pump packages for automatic sprinkler, drencher, water spray, wet riser/standpipe, hose reel, hydrant and water/foam monitor systems. In an emergency it is essential that a diesel driven pump will start instantly so that full water pressure is available immediately. For this reason the pumps are supplied with two duplicate 24V starting batteries (or two 12V sets for air cooled diesel motors).

Automatic sprinkler systems are safety critical installations, and their design is governed in the UK by rules drawn up by the Loss Prevention Council (LPC) which is widely acknowledged to be a leading international certification and approvals body in fire protection and security. Since 1998, LPC rules (also now incorporated into BS5306 Part 2 1990) have allowed only the use of lead acid Plante batteries or nickel-cadmium batteries for pump starting. The rules also specify the provision of independent automatic and manual starting systems with the design capacity to rotate the diesel engine at 0°C for not less than 10 cycles, each of 15 seconds cranking. Typically, starting draws a current of around 1600 A, so this duty cycle places a considerable demand on the battery.

Dennis Carter, Sterling's Fire Pump Product Director, explains why Alcad XHP batteries were selected for this application:
"In specifying the batteries we looked beyond just their capability to provide the starting current to consider the whole life cost in terms of how long they would last without replacement and how often they needed topping up. We decided that Alcad's XHP nickel-cadmium batteries would be the best option since they have been designed specifically for repetitive high discharge rate duties and offer an anticipated life of 20 years. In addition, they are effectively maintenance free and only require topping up every seven years.

"A further advantage of the XHP design is its mechanical robustness, which means it resists the effects of vibration. So we can mount the batteries directly on the pump set to provide a more compact and space saving package, while the moulded plastic casing is unaffected by any spillage of oil or diesel".

The batteries for Sterling's fire pump systems typically consist of two independent sets of 20 XHP 150 cells, each configured to give a 24 V starting system with 150Ah capacity. One set is used for the automatic starting sequence, for example when a fire alarm is triggered, while the other set is used for emergency manual starting. The fire pump control panel provides a float charge which keeps both battery sets fully charged at all times.

Alcad's XHP range features sintered positive and plastic bonded negative electrodes, which increase the output current and mean that the cells can operate within a narrow voltage window. Cells are available in nominal capacities from 11Ah to 320Ah.

Press contacts:
Catharina Soderlund, Alcad.
Tel: +46 491 68100 Fax: +46 491 68110
Andrew Bartlett, Roger Staton Associates.
Tel: +44 (0) 1628 487222 Fax: +44 (0) 1628 487223

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