Evaluation of Surfactant Enhanced Water Mist Performance |
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Authors: | Georges LeFort André W Marshall Martial Pabon |
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Affiliation: | (1) Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et d’ Aerotéchnique (ENSMA), Futuroscope Chasseneuil Cedex, 86960, France;(2) Department of Fire Protection Engineering, University of Maryland, 0151 Glenn L. Martin Hall, College Park, MD 20742, USA;(3) DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise, Chantereine, Mantes la Jolie, France |
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Abstract: | Water-mist technology provides efficient fire suppression for compartments while minimizing water usage. Even with the many
advantages of water mist systems, there is still room for improvement. Water mist systems have demonstrated effectiveness
at suppressing flammable liquids (Class B) fires in compartments. However, an especially challenging fire suppression scenario
for water mist systems is the small Class B fire. This scenario is often realized after a large fire has been reduced in size
or ‘controlled’ by water mist. The small fire scenario is challenging because a small fire may not be able to generate enough
vaporized water to displace sufficient oxygen for complete extinction. It should also be noted that even if the Class B fire
is extinguished with a water mist system, re-ignition from the hot surrounding surfaces may occur at any time. In the present
work, an additive is introduced into the water supply and its effect on the water mist suppression performance is studied.
This ForafacTM additive is a specific formulation, which includes fluorinated surfactants for creating a robust fire suppression foam. The
enhanced suppressant exiting the mist nozzle is dispersed in the form of small droplets (not as a continuous foam) similar
to a pure water mist spray. However, these droplets create a foam blanket on the surface of the fire, which acts to isolate
the fuel from the air. With this formulation, the efficiency of the water mist system is improved even on small fires and
most importantly the re-ignition of class B fires is prevented.
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Keywords: | surfactant water mist suppression class B fires |
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