Transient Application, Recirculating Pool Fire, Agent Effectiveness Screen: Final Report. NGP Project 3A/2/890.
Transient Application, Recirculating Pool Fire, Agent
Effectiveness Screen: Final Report. NGP Project
3A/2/890.
(3026 K)
Grosshandler, W. L.; Hamins, A.; McGrattan, K. B.;
Presser, C.
NISTIR 6733; 86 p. April 2001.
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
Order number: PB20001-104791
Keywords:
pool fires; effectiveness; fire suppression; solid
propellant gas generators; halon alternatives; aircraft
fires
Abstract:
A laboratory-scale facility has been developed to screen
the suppression effectiveness of fire fighting agents
that are delivered in a transient fashion such as solid
propellant gas generators. The transient application,
recirculating pool fire (TARPF) agent effectiveness
screen features a propane fire stabilized behind an
obstruction, which is known to be a highly challenging
suppression configuration. The character of the flame
and the impact of the air flow, fuel flow, obstruction
geometry, and rate of agent addition on the amount of
material needed for suppression are evaluated for N2,
CF3Br, and a solid propellant gas generator (SPGG). The
importance of the injection process on the flow field
and the transport of the agent downstream is examined,
and a simple mixing model is used to explain the
observed trend of decreasing suppressant mole fraction
with increasing injection duration, even for agents as
different as CF3Br and N2 . Direct numerical simulation
of the suppression event is shown to successfully
predict the quantity and rate of N2 required to
extinguish the flame based upon a published global
reaction rate for premixed propane/air flame
propagation. (Appendix A is also identified in this
report)
