If your firm is investigating how to best protect an Elevator Machine Room there are some interesting facts to consider.
Whatever fire protection system, water sprinkler, dry chemical, wet chemical systems, clean agent systems, and CO2 Systems some may be inappropriate for use in an EMR with slab penetration such as is normal for a traction elevator system. In older traction elevator EMRs, the shaft is vented through the EMR.
An aerosol fire suppression system may be the most effective way to protect humans and the EMR. Our system is a potassium based aerosol which can suppress a fire. The aerosol is inert, non-toxic and will not harm people if they are caught in the discharge and will not affect the equipment. Aerosol is lighter than air so it would float within the EMR and probably not enter the hoistway. Aerosol is an engineered system using small canisters of aerosol located in the EMR with no piping or storage tanks and is a condensed aerosol system per NFPA 2010.
