- Author
- Underwriters Laboratories, Incorporated
- Title
- Report of Heptane Spill Fires. Fire Tests Described Herein Were Conducted in the Most Sophisticated, Environmentally Friendly Large Scale Fire Test Facility in the World.
- Coporate
- Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., Northbrook, IL
- Sponsor
- HSB Industrial Risk Insurers, Hartford, CT
- Report
- NC1838-97NK34585, December 29, 1997, 52 p.
- Keywords
- heptanes | fire tests | test facilities | storage | ceilings | sprinkler systems | instruments | spill fires
- Abstract
- This test report describes the Special Service Investigation conducted for Industrial Risk Insurers to develop fire test data relative to the level of protection required for fire scenarios involving Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs). The sole purpose of this investigation was to develop test data relative to the protection of storge arrays simulating IBC's using a wet pipe ceiling sprinkler system. The data developed for Industrial Risk insurers, may be provided to the National Fire Protection Association Fire Test Committee. The investigation consisted of three fire tests which exposed a 2x2x2 array of steel forms representing stacked IBC's to a running heptane fuel fire positioned within the array. The fuel flow rate was set at 4 gpm for Fire Test No. 1, 6 gpm for Fire Test No. 2, and 15 gpm for Fire Test No. 3. Sprinklers were provided to deliver densities of 0.06 gpm/ft². The fire tests were conducted in a 120 by 120 by 54 ft. high room fitted with a 100 ft. by 100 ft. adjustable height ceiling adjusted to a height of 30 ft. The test rooms are equipped with an exhaust system through a regenerative, thermal oxidizing, smoke abatement system. Make-up air is provided through four inlet ducts positioned along the walls of the test facilities. The floors of the test facilities are smooth and flat and surrounded with a grated drainage trench to insure adequate floor water drainage from the test area. The water runoff from the suppression system drain is collected through a 180,000 gallon water treatment system.