Two projects, but a common mission - that can even save lives in an emergency: HAK and HTL-graduates from Wels, together with the education initiative from the Upper Austrian Federal Fire Department "Gemeinsam.Sicher.Feuerwehr" and Pöttinger Entsorgungstechnik GmbH, work on a solution for early fire detection in press containers.

Misuse as an underrated fire hazard

Unfortunately, faulty waste in press containers can cause fires. Mistakes are often made inadvertently, but sometimes also through ignorance and lack of knowledge about the possible consequences. Due to the increasing connection of press containers to buildings, there is of course the danger that a fire will spread to adjacent buildings. Waste disposal contractors and companies know about the problem of dangerous misuse - for example, from batteries.

Pöttinger Entsorgungstechnik introduced the "falconic" control module in the spring of 2018, which creates new possibilities for the implementation and feasibility of early fire detection in the press container. "The education initiative 'Gemeinsam.Sicher.Feuerwehr' offers an ideal platform, which bundles know-how from the fire department. The implementation by means of a diploma thesis was a logical step ", says fire director Franz Humer, vice-president of the Austrian federal fire-brigade federation and commander of the fire-brigade Wels.

In October 2019, the kick-off event of the diploma theses took place in the main fire station in Wels, where all project participants had the opportunity to get to know each other.Pöttinger Entsorgungstechnik provided two press containers of the latest generation to demonstrate the containers, including the web application.

Two projects - a common mission

The HAK1 Wels undertakes the statistical evaluation of the fire runs for waste fires and container fires in Upper Austria to provide a basis for further work. They will also conduct a customer survey at waste disposal companies & households on the subject of waste separation and waste fires and create a marketing concept.

The HTL Wels is responsible for the analysis and evaluation of systems on the market, an investigation and development of a reporting & extinguishing system as well as the implementation of practical experiments. Finally, they will select a concept, which will in future be used in the press containers.

Pictures: OÖLFV / Bruckbauer