- Author
- Carhart, H. W. | Leonard, J. T. | Budnick, E. K. | Ouellette, R. J. | Shanley, J. H., Jr. | Saams, J. R.
- Title
- Manual Fire Suppression Methods on Typical Machinery Space Spread Fires. Interim Report.
- Coporate
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC Hughes Associates, Inc., Wheaton, MC Coast Guard Fire and Safety Test Detachment, Mobile, AL
- Sponsor
- Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC
- Report
- NRL Memorandum Report 6673, July 31, 1990, 124 p.
- Keywords
- fire suppression | machinery | thermal radiation | aqueous films | aqueous foams | potassium bicarbonate | halon 1211 | JP-5 jet fuel
- Identifiers
- fuel oil spray fires; machinery space spray fires
- Abstract
- A series of tests was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), potassium bicarbonate powder (PKP) and Halon 1211, alone and in various combinations, in extinguishing spray fires. The sprays were generated by JP-5 jet fuel issuing from an open sounding tube, and open petcock, a leaking flange or a slit pipe and contacting an ignition source. The results indicate that typical fuel spray fires, such as those simulated in this series, are very severe. Flame heights ranged from 6.1 m (20 ft) for the split pipe to 15.2 m (50 ft) for the sounding tube scenario. These large lame geometries were accompanied by heat release rates of 6 MW to greater than 50 MW, and hazardous thermal radiation levels in the near field environment, up to 9.1 m (30 ft) away. Successful suppression of these fires requires both a significant reduction in flame radiation and delivery of a suppression agent to shielded areas. Of the nine suppression methods tsted, the 95 gpm AFFF hand line and the hand line in conjunction with PKP were particularly effective in reducing the radiant flux.