Minimax Sprinklers Protect River Cruiser
The GL-certified Undercover sprinkler system was designed by Minimax for the M/S Scenic Emerald, the largest freshwater cruiser on the river Elbe.
At 442 ft long and 37.5 ft wide, this new cruise giant from Saxony-Anhalt’s Tangermünde Ship Building and Developing Company (SET) offers 20 percent more room than average cruisers. The four extensive decks are home to 86 luxury suites, a restaurant, a lounge and bar area and spacious viewing areas.
Modified GL and SUK regulations now also require fire protection for German river boats. In order to ensure complete integration of the often unaesthetic fire protection elements with the elegant interior of the luxury liner, the cabins and all public areas of the Scenic Emerald were equipped with an innovative product solution offered by Minimax: Undercover sprinklers.
This system is fitted into the ceiling, ensuring discrete safety. In addition to favorable optics, the ceiling installation offers other advantages: With a maximum of 6.5 ft, the ceilings on the Scenic Emerald are comparatively low. Because of the integrated Undercover sprinkler system, no space is lost through the projection of sprinkler nozzles.
The GL-certified sprinklers consist of hanging and rapid-response umbrella sprinklers as well as a new-style casing. They also protect against false alarms, which are often caused by mechanical faults. Additionally, they are less susceptible to collecting dirt than conventionally fitted sprinklers.
For an optimal surface finish, the Scenic Emerald’s Undercover sprinkler was covered with a fine-mesh screen. The inconspicuous covers have been especially adapted to the different ceiling tones onboard the cruiser. When in use, the water jets are strong enough to force off the screens. In addition, Minimax also equipped the covers with an eject mechanism, which exposes the sprinkler head before the nominal trigger temperature is reached.
The CoverDrop eject mechanism is based on two redundant working mechanisms. A coil spring locked with a fusible link is immobilized within the fine-mesh screen. When the nominal trigger temperature of the soldered strut, which lies below the trigger temperature of the sprinkler, is reached, the coil spring is released and the cover is dropped. If, for some reason, the sprinkler is triggered before it drops out of the cover, the cover is released by the escaping water and even water distribution is guaranteed.