- Author
- Gigandet, D. M.
- Title
- Experimental Method Used to Evaluate the Fluidity and Extinguishing Characteristics of Fire Fighting Foams Transported Through Narrow Channels.
- Coporate
- Worcester Polytechnic Inst., MA
- Report
- Thesis, May 1995, 187 p.
- Keywords
- fire fighting | foam extinguishing systems | extinguishing | experiments | aqueous films | aqueous foams | quantitative analysis | foam drainage | foam expansion
- Identifiers
- foam rheology research; database of experimental information; charts of experimental measurements; experimental apparatus construction details; material and equipment list for experiments
- Abstract
- A small scale laboratory experiment has been developed to evaluate the fluidity and extinguishing characteristics of fire fighting foam transported through narrow channels. A total of fifty-eight foam transport experiments and twenty-nine foam drainage experiments have been conducted using three multipurpose synthetic foam concentrates (MPC) and one aqueious film forming foam concentrate (AFFF). Foam concentration was either 3% or 6% depending on the type of flammable liquid fuel used in the foam transport experiments. Foam expansion ratios ranged from 2.5:1 to 5.5:1 depending on the maximum attainable with the blender used for these experiments. Data obtained from these experiments show the following general relationships for foam transport and foam drainage measurements: foam transport time increases with increasing foam expansion ratios and foam concentrtions; foam velocity decreases with increasing foam expansion ratios and foam concentrations; foam transport height increases with increasing foam expansion ratios and foam concentrations; and , 25% foam drainage time increases with increasing foam expansion ratios and foam concentrations. Statistical regression analysis was also used to formulate linear and curvilinear equations from measured data obtained from the foam transport and foam drainage experiments.