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In this chapter we will review the well-known facts by introducing the causes, the features, all the
phenomena of extinguishing fires of different types of tank constructions (cone roof and floating
roof) and finally the environmental impacts caused by these fires taking place mainly in the form
of air pollution.
Fire fighting of different fire brigades can be examined similarly to those of the stationary
technologies. We are given the subject of the work (the fire), the workers involved (firefighters)
who do the necessary steps according to the prescribed technology. The product is the
successfully extinguished fire. This activity involves using and effecting the environment as well as
any other activities. The environmental effects greatly depend on the technology used in the
process.
There are three basic traditional methods of fighting fires of tanks. All three have one feature in
common tactical operating regulations include static intensity regulations, the prescribed intensity
value does not depend on the size of fire surface.
After introducing the procedure in details, we will analyze its advantages and drawbacks, describe
its implementation requirements, the regulations of the traditional application, the parameters,
the environmental impacts of this strategy.
Environmental estimation:
No need for preparation, the appliance carries out the fire fighting within a short time. Air
pollution is relatively low, soil pollution does not occur in practice.
Environmental estimation:
The traditional way of fighting with the standard foam intensity results in long burning time and air
pollution is high.
CONCLUSION
The traditional, most commonly used semi-fixed and mobile fire fighting apparatus work with
static and low foam intensity rate, therefore the long burning time (that can even be increased by
the time needed to install the apparatus and change the strategy) will result in considerable air
pollution.
Preparation time exclusively depends on the chosen extinguishing strategy. Based on the study of
the elements of preparation time, actuating the fixed fire fighting apparatus requires the shortest
time, extiguishing can start in a few seconds after detecting the fire. Adapting the semi-fixed or
mobile fighting methods, detection, alarm, proceeding and assembly cause significant preparation
time loss, firefighting can only start after having done these.
Using thermoplastic or melting pipes, bars, sheets (e.g.: pneumatic linear detector),
appliances based on the technique of sprinkler heads installed on the upper rim of the
sidewalls inside the tank or at the foam dam in tanks with floating roof
One of the most commonly used way of avoiding false alarm is after relying on the signal made by
the perceivers, the operators supervise and check if it agrees with the facts.
Safety can be increased by rising the level of redundancy. Reducing the level of odds of false
alarms can be reached by multiplying the detectors and reading their signals altogether in AND
logical relationship.
According to our hypothesis, the solution can be found by examining the chart of extinguishing
time and foam intensity. We prove the efficiency of extinguishing with FoamFatale™ meaning that
fighting time can be drastically reduced by increasing the amount of foam solution.
The following chart shows the relationship between the foam solution intensity and the
extinguishing time:
How to reduce soil pollution by reducing foam exploitation
Pollution of above and underground water can be decreased by reducing the amount of
extinguishing materials used and increasing the efficiency of their exploitation. Load of the sewage
system can also be reduced by the foam amount used. The total amount of foam volume getting
into the tank and into the dike area due to the aiming loss should be considered as pollution.
The rate of soil pollution depends on the foam exploitation of the certain technology as well as the
method of foam introduction.
In order to be able to compare the different extinguishing technologies we introduce the concept
and the standard of foam effectiveness factor. Defining its rate can be carried out by using easily
adaptable evaluating methods. Having examined the relationship between the foam effectiveness
factor and the foam intensity we realized that we can define the intensity of the optimal working
point of certain extinguishing technology in concrete figures.
Based on theoretical assumptions the relationship between the foam exploitation factor and the
foam solution intensity is depicted in the following chart:
The value of η in case of less than critical foam solution intensity is 0, the fire could not be put out.
In case of this low level of cumulative foam volume flow the penetrational speed decreases to 0 in
view of the advanced time spending on putting out the fire and spreading of the foam face stops.
The fire continuously consumes the released foam amount, t(extinguishing) = ∞
The value of η is 100% if the driven foam amount is used to create the foam blanket without any
waste with its full volume. This case takes place in case of cold foam spreading experiments,
providing the adaptation of high quality stable foam.
If we are aware of the relation between foam exploitation factor and solution intensity of different
extinguishing strategies, before starting extinguishing the fire we can calculate the full foam
volume to be produced in a certain case, moreover, the necessary foam concentrate amount
taking the intensity into account resulting from the capacity of our technical background.
CONCLUSION
The benefits of extinguishing with high capacity foam intensity should be exploited to reduce
extinguishing time. The appropriate extinguishing strategy should be chosen by taking the best
foam utilization factor into account and it should be operated in an optimal working point.
The technologies are characterized by their foam introduction manner. The most appropriate way
among all the possible foam introductions is the curtain-like manner which is able to cool the inner
part of the shell and stop wall-effect.
Based on these assumptions we developed a new extinguishing strategy of storage tank fires
which adaptability were tested in an experimental way.
Hypothesis: introducing a new technology
Tactical instructions
As a ground principle of redefining tactical instructions we introduce the method of choosing the
dynamic intensity in order to decrease burning time.
According to the foam solution intensity-extinguishing time diagram, above the value of 10
l/min/m2 intensity, in the range of FoamFatale™ system extinguishing time decreases rapidly.
From a practical point of view, intensity value of 15 and 30 l/ min/m2 would be favourable in case
of fixed and mobile extinguishing strategy.
We propose the working point should come in the intensity range of FoamFatale™ system in order
to make air pollution small and to avoid harm caused by tank heat. In this case, based on our own
measurements and the experiments of extinguishing fire by mobile strategy, extinguishing time
drops to order magnitude of 10 seconds. This short extinguishing time should be favourable to
keep in case of bigger fire surfaces and tank sizes.
According to the traditional tactical instructions, we were able to define the extinguishing time
and the time of foam introduction reading the low intensity value from the extinguishing time-
foam solution-intensity diagram. In order to obtain short extinguishing time we need to modify
the extinguishing instructions regarding the time of foam introduction as the independent
parameter, leaving the foam solution intensity the dependent variable and adjusting it to the size
of the combustion surface.
In case of extinguishing, the first phase is to develop the necessary foam thickness for
extinguishment. It requires a few 10 seconds in the range of FoamFatale™ system. The traditional,
static approach prescribed the same intensity value independently from the combustion surface.
Modifying this by instructing that the intensity value should be adjusted to the combustion
surface, we can realize that in case of a bigger suface the foam should take a longer distance under
the affection by the fire, the attacked foam surface gets bigger. The impacts of the inevitable foam
destruction can be outweighed by increasing intensity and decreasing extinguishing time. With the
help of an increased intensity value, the foam rolls faster on the surface, being exposed to the
drying thermal demolishing impacts of fire for a short time of some 10 seconds.
The second phase of the extinguishing procedure is the increasing of the foam blanket thickness.
Its importance lies in preventing reignition. We should continue the accession of the foam to the
surface of the liquid until it grows up to an adequate thickness. We should be able to maintain the
resistance of the foam blanket even if a strong sidewind tries to make the blanket go open. The
bigger intensity value beside the fixed foam introduction time results in greater safety factor and
the required bigger foam blanket thickness will be set by the end of the prescribed total foam
introduction time.
Based on our measurements and the conclusions from calculating the foam spreading velocity to
different tank size, we propose the following values of the diagram indicating the relation between
the foam solution intensity and the fire surface.
In practice designing the extinguishing equipment consists of two steps, contrary to the traditional
planning processes for example those working with statical intensity data from NFPA.
The first step is calculating the total foam amount needed and planning the capacity of the foam
source. The method of foam supply is defined by the chosen extinguishing strategy. In case of
fixed extinguishing equipment a fixed SEF® (which is a kind of pre-mixed, ready-to-use type foam),
while in case of mobile extinguishing a mobile instant foam tank or high capacity mobile foam
solution supply unit can be applied.
The second step is to plan the foam introduction, consisting of the hydraulic design of the foam
pipe. The base of the design is the upper limit of foam introduction time. We should set it as a
main criteria how much time we need to get the above defined total foam amount inside the tank
on fire.
Based on our measurements and with the respect of the economically acceptable values resulting
from examining the penetration velocity, we propose to introduce the following instructions:
The permissible longest foam introduction time at any size of tanks is maximum 2 minutes.
Based on the foam introduction time, we can calculate the foam volume rates in the foam pipes
and as the next step, taking the equivalent pipe lengths into account, we can calculate the pipe
cross sections.
The appropriate choice of foam introduction can improve the efficiency of the extinguishing in two
fields. We can benefit from the environmental asset preventing soil pollution by driving the total
foam amount to the tank without any waste. In addition to this, we can obtain the best foam
exploitation factor, which is most important concerning the reduction of total foam amount used.
To be able to find the most favourable way of foam introduction, we carried out theoretical
research of the examination of penetration velocity, foam profile diagram, foam perimeter curve
and the geometrical possibilities of foam introduction.
We discovered the theoretical and the physical explanation of the so-called wall-effect
phenomenon and its related anomalies. In the meantime, we applied the specific surface foam
load attribute number as one of the parameters of the extinction.
Having studied the different foam introduction geometrical schemes, the curtain-like foam
streaming inside the tank shield was the most promising. Its equipment is the Continuous Linear
Nozzle.
The features and the applied equipment at the three foam supply systems are summarized below.
Experimental evidences on theoretical results
So far we have outlined the different phases of our research work:
How to reduce preparation and extinguishing time along with air pollution by increasing
the foam application intensity
How to prevent soil pollution, how to manage extensive foam volume rates properly and
drive it to the tank
In the next chapter we will prove all of our theoretical results by experimental evidence of cold
foam spreading measurements and fire tests.
Chart of the issues of cold foam tests are based on the report of Ministry of Interior National
Catastrophe Defence Directorate, Fire Test Laboratory.
We carried out the foam spreading experiments with nearly the same extinguishing parameters
partly due to the experimental equipment, partly to the bound feature of the foam sources. In
every case less than half a minute was needed to reach foam closing, which can be regarded a
significant achievement, it also brings some hope for the future to reach a similarly short
extinguishing time.
Another accomplishment is to comply with all the criteria of FoamFatale™ by mobile foam supply.
Fire tests
The change of the penetration velocity when foam is exposed to fire was considered important.
We carried out two fire tests and compared the results with the measured parameters in cold
conditions.
Chart of the issues of cold foam tests are based on the report of Ministry of Interior National
Catastrophe Defence Directorate, Fire Test Laboratory.
Evaluation of measured results
There was a significant difference concerning the circumstances of the two fire tests that we did
and unfortunately we failed to draw our attention to it until the beginning of the second test.
The water in the tank model had been left contaminated from the time the previous test was
taken. As a result of this, 3-5 mm thick alga crust generated on the surface of the water and it was
floating. Unfortunately, the drawbacks of the phenomenon were recognized later, after watching
the video recording. Apparently, during the filling of the flammable liquid from the tank truck, the
alga crust was broken by the mixture of petrol and pushed ahead. So the relatively longer
extinguishing time can be attributed to the alga pollution in the second test. During extinguishing,
the presumedly burnt and stiffened alga mass could hinder the spreading of the foam, decreasing
the penetration velocity and towards the end of the whole process the alga drenched in petrol
was accumulated in front of the foam, in the middle of the liquid surface and was burning for a
long time like a wick in a candle. Eventually, the foam covered this last piece of burning surface,
but caused the extinguishing time to increase a little bit.
CONCLUSION
The floating and flammable firm contamination on the liquid surface did not risk, but
delayed the successful outcome of putting out the fire.
The results serve as evidence of our hypothesis, the large tank fire surfaces will be
extinguished using the appropriate increased intensity range.