REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Administration for civil protection and disaster relief
Bureau for Education and Training

THE THEORY OF COMBUSTION AND

EXTINGUISHING

Ig, 18.march 2009

Fire school Janez Hočevar, Milan Dubravac

THE THEORY OF COMBUSTION AND FIREFIGHTING

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF

COMBUSTION?

Combustion is an exotermic chemical reaction between a

combustible substance (oxidant) and the oxygen.

Energy supply (heat - source of ignition) is needed to achieve

reaction between a combustible substance and the oxygen

Exothermic: radiating energy, heat

Exothermic reaction: energy releasing reaction
 OXIDATION
• QUIET OXIDATION
breathing, oxidizing of metal,

• COMBUSTION
with flames, glow – heat, light

• BURST
heat, light, a minimum increase of pressure;
speed up to 333 m/s

• DETONATION (EXPLOSION)
heat, light, a strong increase of pressure;
speed over 333 m/s
 THE CONDITIONS FOR
BURNING:
ENERGIJA heat

ZRAK ( KISIK ) air

fuel GORLJIVA SNOV

 K)

EN
I SI

ER
(K

GI
AK

JA
ZR

GORLJIVA SNOV
CANDLE FLAME
CANDLE FLAME

Vroči stožec

Svetli stožec
Temni stožec

Stenj

Raztopljen vosek

Sveča
OXIDANT

GORLJIVA SNOV
 FUEL

• SOLID OXIDANTS
• Wood, wood pulp, cork, cellulose
• Coal, peat
• Leather, composition leather,
textile, cotton
• Tobacco,
• Straw, hay
 OXIDANTS

• LIQUID OXIDANTS
• Petroleum products
• Alcohols
• Solvents
• Fats (grease, oil, butter, margarine)
• Waxes, resins
INFLAMMABLE LIQUIDS

FLASH POINT

IGNITION POINT

BOILING POINT
COMBUSTIBLE SUBSTANCE

• GASEOUS COMBUSTIBLE
SUBSTANCES
• Hydrogen
• Butane, propane – mix
• Acetylene
• Dissus gas
• Pyrolytic gases
COMBUSTIBLE SUBSTANCE

• METALS ON FIRE
• Light metals
• Sodium, potassium, sulphur
• Raspings (from iron, brass)
• Magnesium, aluminium (powdered)
• Electron, natron
ZR
AK
(K
I SI
K)
OXYGEN
 OXYGEN

OXYGEN is a

chemical element

Gas
- without colour, odour, taste
- slightly heavier than air (1.429g/l)
- its share in air is 21%
What order do candles follow in turning off?
CANDLES ARE TURNED OFF:

• A - BOTTOM UP
• B - TOP DOWN
C

B CANDLES ARE
TURNED OFF
A
TOP DOWN
WHAT IS THE LESSON OF THIS
STORY?

STAY LOW!
PRISOTNOST KISIKA V ZRAKU
IN INTENZIVNOST GORENJA

21% 18% 15%

Pressure depression occurs when
oxygen is spent
• Pressure depression occurs when a candle
turns off
• Water column rises by 40 cm
• What pressure depression is created in the
glass?

10 m of water column = 1 bar = 1 kg/cm2

1 m of water column = 0.1 bar = 0.1 kg/cm2
0.4 m of water column = 0.04 bar= 0.04 kg/cm2
The glass holds 0.04 bar (or 0.04 kg/cm2)
of pressure depression
What is the force of pressure depression on a
door wing?
Door wing size: 100 x 200 cm

Door wing surface: 20,000 cm2

Force resulting from pressure

200 c m

depression:

20,000 cm2 x 0.04 kg/cm2 = 800 kg

Pressure depression of 0.04 bar

100 cm creates the force of 800 kg on
a door wing
What force is created by pressure depression on
a window wing?

Window wing size: 50 x 100 cm

Window wing surface: 5 000 cm²

FORCE CREATED BY
PRESSURE DEPRESSION:
5,000 cm² x 0.04 kg/cm² = 200 kg
100 c m

Pressure depression of 0.04 bar

creates the force of 200 kg on a
50 cm
window wing
(= 4 bags of cement)
 OXYGEN EXCESS

WHAT PHENOMENA
RESULT FROM
OXYGEN EXCESS IN
THE AIR?
 JA
GI
ENERGY

ER
EN
 TYPES OF ENERGY - SOURCE

• MECHANICAL - FRICTION
• ELECTRIC
• DYNAMIC, STATIC, ATMOSPHERIC

• CHEMICAL
• BIOLOGICAL
• SOLAR
• ATOMIC
• …..ETC.…..
 FIREFIGHTING

PRINCIPLES OF FIRE-
FIGHTING:

K)

EN
I SI
(K

ER
- Cooling

GI
AK
- Sealing

JA
ZR
- Removing
- Hindering the
chemical processes GORLJIVA SNOV
 K)

EN
I SI

ER
(K

GI
AK

JA
ZR

GORLJIVA SNOV
 PRINCIPLES OF
EXTINGUISHING
EXTINGUISHING BY HINDERING
THERMAL REACTIONS

COOLING
 PRINCIPLES OF
EXTINGUISHING
EXTINGUISHING BY HINDERING
OXYDATION PROCESSES

FIRE SEALING
 PRINCIPLES OF
EXTINGUISHING
EXTINGUISHING BY REMOVING FUEL

REMOVING
 PRINCIPLES OF
EXTINGUISHING
EXTINGUISHING BY HINDERING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS

ANTI-CATALYSIS
 WATER H2O
• Covers ¾ of the planet’s surface,
• Colourless liquid
• Temperature, mass, energy,
 WATER H2O
• Calorific value of water

1 O
kcal/kg C
4.187 kJ/kgK
• Calorific value of water
ICE MELTING POINT 0ºC

80 kcal/kg (335 kJ/kg)

EVAPORATION POINT AT 100ºC

539 kcal/kg (2257 kJ/kg)

H2O DISSOCIATION
• 700ºC – 0.0003 %
• 1000ºC – 0.003 %
• 1500ºC – 0.2 %
• 2000ºC - 2.0 %
• 2500ºC – 9 %
• 3000ºC – 20 %
• 3200ºC – 40 %
• 3500ºC – 60 %
 WATER H2O
• ELECTRIC CURRENT CONDUCTIVITY
• PROVOKING CHEMICAL REACTIONS
• WETTING THE MATERIALS
 WATER H2O
• FULL JET
• DISPERSED JET
• WATER FOG
• COMBINATIONS
• WATER ADDITIVES
 Fire extinguishing foam
• Mix of foaming agent, water and air
• Foaming
- Up to 20 times – heavy foam
- between 20 and 200 times – medium foam
- between 200 and 1000 times – light foam
 CARBON DIOXIDE CO2

GAS:
- COLOURLESS
- ODOURLESS
- TASTE-FREE
- HEAVIER THAN AIR
 FIRE-EXTINGUISHING
POWDER
• Sodium carbonate
• Potassium carbonate

• SPECIAL POWDERS
- Ammonium phosphate
- Amonium sulphate
- Barium sulphate
 HALONS
• In use since 1839
• (tetrachlordioxide - TETRA)

• Fluorine – gaseous form

• Chlorine – gaseous form
• Bromine – liquid
• Iodine - solid
 HALONS
C F Cl Br J
1 2 1 1 - 1211Bromchlordifluormethane
1 3 0 1 - 1301 Bromtrifluormethane
2 4 0 2 - 2402 Dibromtetraflorethane