- Author
- Bobert, M.
- Title
- High Expansion Foam Systems for Inside Air: Literature Review and Fire Tests.
- Coporate
- Swedish National Testing and Research Inst., Boras, Sweden
- Report
- SP Report 2001:01, 2001, 40 p.
- Distribution
- For more information contact: SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, Box 857, SE-501 15 BORAS, Sweden. Telephone: +46 33 16 50 00, Fax: +46 33 13 55 02, Email: info@sp.se Website: http://www.sp.se/eng/default.htm AVAILABLE FROM: National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000; Fax: 703-605-6900; Rush Service (Telephone Orders Only) 800-553-6847; Website: http://www.ntis.gov
- Keywords
- high expansion foams | air | pallet storage | fire tests | scale models | pool fires | fire spread | ventilation
- Abstract
- The aim of the project was to improve and compile knowledge about high expansion (HIEX) foam systems using inside air. The experimental part has been focused on fires in high rack storages. The project was mainly divided in two parts. The first part was to collect and evaluate information about HIEX foam systems in general and for inside air systems in particular. As the second part of the project, a test series in reduced model scale was conducted with a HIEX foam system for inside air. The information about HIEX foam systems for inside air is rather limited. Research from the 1960-70th is available about foam destruction caused by smoke and heat. References and tests show that pyrolysis gases are able to decrease foam production considerably. It has also been shown that low located fires, like pool fires, are easy to put out with HIEX foam. Present standards do not specify any design criteria for HIEX foam inside air systems. Present standards do not specify any design criteria for HIEX inside air system and present foam standards, IS0 7203, EN 1568 etc., do not evaluate foam concentrates for the use in HIEX inside air applications. In a high rack storage where the vertical fire spread is rapid it is very important that the HIEX foam system is activated in an early stage in order to control the fire before the fire spreads to surrounding racks. If the air temperature used for foam production is allowed to increase above approximately 300C the foam production and foam build up in the test enclosure is limited. The tests also show that ventilation of the protected area affect the foam generation. If the fire is under ventilated and pyrolysis products are generated the foam generation decreases even if the temperature at the generators is rather low. The size of the protected enclosure and the degree of ventilation is very important and has to be considered when designing a HIEX foam system using inside air. The test results can be used to estimate how the investigated parameters should influence the results in full scale if the scale effects are considered.