- Author
-
Hoshino, M.
|
Hayashi, K.
- Title
- Extinguishing Abilities of Fire-Fighting Foams for Petroleum Tank Fires.
- Coporate
- Fire Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- Journal
-
Bulletin of Japanese Association of Fire Science and Engineering, Vol. 39, No. 2, 41-49, 1990 <b>AND</b> Report of Fire Reserch Institute of Japan, No. 71, 53-62, March 1991,
- Keywords
-
tank fires
|
petroleum
|
foam extinguishing systems
|
gasoline
|
aqueous films
|
aqueous foams
|
fluoroprotein foams
|
fuel tanks
|
vapors
|
extinction time
- Identifiers
- detergent foam
- Abstract
- [ABSTRACT IN ENGLISH] This report was to determine extinguishing abilities of fluoroprotein foam, synthetic detergent foam and aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) when applied to gasoline fires. A double-sidewall construction was used for the fuel tank to simulate the severe burning condition of actual tank fires; i.e., the red-heated tank wall and the hot fuel layer etc. A 30 min. long preburn time was used with each test. Comparative performance was judged by extinction time, radiaiton, and inner sidewall temperature. The fuel vapor sealability was tested by applying a lighted torch over the foam blanket 15 min. after extinction. In case of AFFF, expansion ratios of 9.6 and 2.5 were used. When applied by gentle surface application, fluoroprotein foam greatly reduced extinction time compared to AFFF and synthetic detergent foam. The AFFF with an expansion ratio of 2.5 is the only agent not ignited in the fuel vapor sealability test. Fifteen minutes after extinction of the gasoline fires with synthetic detergent foam, the gasoline surface was exposed, therefore torch test was not carried out. For AFFF having a expansion ration of 9.6, the gasoline surface was not exposed after 15 minutes, but the fuel still ignited to full fire by the torch test. For fluoroprotein foam, the gasoline surface was not exposed after 15 minutes, but the fuel partially ignited by the torch test and subsequently small edge fire continued.