SIEMENS has developed the Sinorix Silent Extinguishing Technology to prevent possible damage to hard disk drives caused by high noise levels while extinguishing fires with gas extinguishing systems.

“This technology not only extinguishes fires in data centres quickly and reliably but also offers the benefit of generating comparatively low noise levels,” it said. The technology consists of the new Sinorix silent nozzle and the Sinorix CDT (Constant Discharge Technology) pressure-regulated extinguishing system, and it is suitable for both new installations and for upgrading existing systems.

The Sinorix silent nozzle is designed to keep the noise at a comparatively low level during extinguishing – at a level that is safe for hard disk drives and, at the same time, does not impair the distribution of the extinguishing agent.

In addition, the discharge of gas, and hence sound, is focused in a predefined direction, which additionally prevents noise from affecting hard drives. The Sinorix silent nozzle is available in three sizes and can be mounted on either the ceiling or the wall.

Sinorix Constant Discharge Technology is a regulated extinguishing system that uses inert gases – nitrogen (N2) and argon (Ar) – as extinguishing agents.

The Sinorix CDT technology consists of a cylinder valve with a pressure-regulating function that releases the gas in the extinguishing area at a constant mass flow throughout the entire flooding.

This prevents mass flow peaks at the beginning of the discharge and thus reduces the maximum noise level. Thanks to the constant mass flow, the pipes can have a smaller cross-section than in conventional, unregulated extinguishing systems. The size of the overpressure flaps can also be reduced by as much as 70 per cent.