News Archive
Week 24/09 Steamexfire Ltd. has been invited to present its line of inert gas generators for the mining industry. Our Steamexfire systems find its way to several Mine and Rescue Organizations. The presentation will take place in Ostrava, Tjech Republic in week 39 2009.
Week 19/09 At the World Congress of ITA (International Tunnel Association) Movares and Steamexfire Ltd. presented a paper on a new way of killing tunnel fires. A new unique method of suppressing fires with the use of an inflatable plug and the Steamexfire system proves a promising method for fire fighters; they don’t have to go inside the tunnel any more during a large fire.
This congress took place in Budapest, Hungary in week 22 2009.
Week 20 / 2009 Launching the new Steamexfire 1702 on the ivic.
The 5th International Trade for Incident Management, Disaster Prevention and Rescue Services IVIC. Steamexfire will show the Steamexfire 1000 and the 1702. Live outside demonstration shall launch the new Steamexfire 1702 system, a large watermist thrower, to wash down smoke. This is a first time presentation of this new system.
When: Wednesday 13 – Thursday 14 – Friday 15 – Saturday 16 May 2009
Where: Airbase Valkenburg Katwijk (near The Hague), The Netherlands
Opening hours: 10.00 AM – 5.00 PM
Click here for more info about the IVIC 2009
Week 04/2009 Steamexfire BV signed a cooperation with J.B. Roche Ireland for developing and selling inflatable plugs for the tunnel and mining industry. This special product will be utilized to seal off sections on fire.
Week 04/2009 Liberty Gasturbine Holland signed a cooperation contract with Reclamation Group from South Africa. The cooperation focuses on developing and selling energy systems and direct drive systems (power packs) on the continent of Africa.
Week 29/2008 The Steamexfire is one of the 10 nominees of 409 entries for the Dutch Herman Wijffels Innovation Award 2008. This most prestigious innovation award is an initiative of Rabobank Nederland. The presentation of this award will take place on the 3rd of December this year. All members of the Innovation Platform will be present during this ceremony, including the chairman Mr. Balkenende (the Dutch prime minister). The award will be handed by Mr Wijffels and Mr Heemskerk (chairman of the board of directors of Rabobank). The ten nominated companies are reflected and displayed at the website of the Rabobank. Click here to go to this webpage.
Week 17/2008 First price! The Steamexfire has won a first price, the Dutch National Fire Safety Award 2008. This price is part of the National Fire Safety Congress, which was held in De Doelen in Rotterdam and organised by SBR, Foundation Builders Research. By voting, the Steamexfire gained the majority of votes, of the three nominees.
Week 03/2008
Steamexfire was tested in Hubertustunnel The Hague
Innovative fire suppression system draws attention from Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) and ProRail
On Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th of January, a new innovative fire extinguishing system for tunnel fires, has been successfully tested, in the new Hubertustunnel in The Hague, Holland. Because of the large number of tunnels, and the increasing economic value of tunnels, the Dutch organisations ProRail and RWS, (rail and road tunnel responsible) show interest in innovations in the spectrum of fire suppression methods for large tunnel fires (200 MW plus).
The Steamexfire is driven by a turbo-jet gasturbine engine. The principle of the machine is that it produces an inert gas. Reduction of oxygen (inertisation) in a tunnel as a method of suppressing fires has never been done before. Besides performing inertisation, the Steamexfire creates a strong cooling effect because of the production of water vapour and steam, which takes the energy out of the fire. The Steamexfire can be started after evacuation of the people in the tunnel.
The Steamexfire is a Dutch invention of Liberty Gasturbine Holland from Putten. The inventor, Michel Kooij, investigated the possibilities of applying this system in tunnels, in close cooperation with engineering experts of Movares Holland. The outcome of all the studies were positive. Based on the positive conclusions, RWS and ProRail decided to cooperate in an inertisation test in a real tunnel, which took place last Saturday and Sunday. Without the support of the Hubertustunnel consortium, BAM Civiel, Van Hattum en Blankevoort en Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau, and the City of The Hague, this test would not have been possible.
The test in practise was done by placing a mobile Steamexfire system on a trailer just in front of the tunnel entrance, and was connected with the tunnel plug by using some pipes. After this, the tunnel, with a length of 1500 meters, was inertised in various conditions and various performances. RWS and ProRail asked TNO to measure and data log all test results. Based on these results the preconditions of usability of the system can be determined.
Week 36/2007
Steamexfire Ltd. is now offering the newest and the fastest method for longwall inertisation with the new Steamexfire 1000. Operated from the surface, we can utilize excisting bore holes for easy operation. The system excists of three modules which must be connected together on location. Total weight is aproximately 650 Kg. Length is 6 meters.
Week 05/2007; On 02-02-07 Movares and Liberty Gasturbine Holland Ltd. decided to join forces.
Week 50/2006; Liberty Gasturbine Holland Ltd has become member of working group 3 of COSUF. This working group is responsible for collecting new techniques in the tunnel industry.
Week 25/2006; Steamexfire Ltd. now offers the newest and fastest method for mine-innertisation, the Steamexfire 1000. Also this system is the most ideal system to extinguish fires in enclosed car parks and preferably unmanned spaces.
Week 21/2006; The first tests of the prototype of the Steamexfire 1000 were succesfully performed.
Week 17/2006; In May 2006 Liberty Gasturbine Holland Ltd. became a member of COSUF (Committee on Operational Safety or Underground Facilities). COSUF is a working group of ITA (international Tunnelling Association).
Week 34/2005; After the successful extinguishing job in South Africa, Steamexfire Ltd. was asked to suppress a coal mine fire at the Norsk Grube Company from Spitsbergen ]island. The circumstances and conditions were extremely difficult at the Svea Nord mine. However, we extinguished the fire in a record time. Steamexfire Ltd. has saved a very large investment and a great deal of economic activities on the island.
Week 17/2005; Very short after joining strengths from Australia and Dutch specialists, Steamexfire Ltd. has been asked to extinguish a raging coal mine fire from the Goedehoop mine in Witbank (South Africa). The Executive Board of Anglo Coal came over to examine our method. They were very much under impression of our activities, although it was only the prototype of the Steamexfire 2500 that done the job.
Week 04/2005: The prototype of the Steamexfire 2500 has been extensively tested, the final design will be done in the next couple of months. Oxygen levels showed to be under 1%. The prototype is considered to be available for the commercial market.
