The patent pending foaming unit is the heart of the MIC-Guard™ FPS & MIC-Guard™ AF systems. It is the applicator which allows custom application for your particular fire protection system. It is small, so it is able to access small areas, wherever your systems are located.
How does it Work?
The foaming unit mixes concentrated MIC-Guard™ FPS or AF with compressed air to make a stable foam. Accurate control of air volume and chemical solutions creates and maintains stable foam, whose quality is determined by the engineering design of the treatment. The foam is first created within the body of the unit. It then rises into the head of the unit to the foam stabilizer. The foam stabilizer is designed to create homogeneous bubble size and consistency. The stable foam now has unique properties that differ from the properties of foam we are all familiar with. Once the stable foam is created, it is released into the system in timed pulses. The pulsing effect creates high velocity, high energy surges, that clean the piping as it passes by. The fines and tubercles broken loose by the surging are carried out in the body of the foam. The piping surface is then exposed for additional cleaning by MIC-Guard™ AF or the bio-static coating of MIC-Guard™ FPS.
What exactly is a 'Stable Foam'?
The properties of stable foam are well known. When the bubbles within a foam have the same size and consistency, the foam body creates unique properties:
Viscosity increases, enabling the stable foam to carry particulates great distances. Stable foam has been used for years to form a wedge and fracture the ground thousands of feet below the surface in oil and gas wells. Once the fracture is created, proppant (usually sand) is then placed into the fracture to "prop" the formation open. After the fracture closes, greater drainage is available for the oil and gas. During this process, several pounds of sand per gallon of stable foam are carried.
Stable foam adsorbs standing water and air pockets within itself. This property ensures that MIC-Guard™ FPS & AF are able to reach all parts of your fire protection system, so treatment is uniform.
Stable foam lasts a long time. This property ensures that large fire protection systems will be treated throughout. Stable foam is measured in "Half-Lifes" (the time it takes for half the volume of foam to dissipate). Half-Lifes can be formulated to be longer than one and a half hours to ensure the job is a success.
Stable foam's properties can be monitored through pressure, volume and velocity calculations. Thus, the actual condition of the treatment is known while the job is in progress. This allows the operator to adjust conditions according to job design, if needed.
Stable foam can be created with varying foam quality for specific functions.
What is 'Foam Quality'?
Foam quality is a universally accepted term that describes the gas / liquid percentage of a foam. A 90 quality foam (frequently written as 90Q) means it consists of 90% gas (air) and 10% liquid (MIC-Guard™). By varying the quality of the foam, you change the properties of the stable foam to enhance the specific properties you desire. Our foaming unit can change the quality of the foam to create "stages" within the job. For example, we are able to create a cleaning stage and follow with a system penetration stage. Foam quality also affects Half-Life. We are able to control Half-Life by adjusting the foam quality for the specific system being treated.
MIC Europe BV has created the foaming unit especially for the fire protection industry. Please contact us for more specific information.
