Quantifying the Effectiveness of Fire Suppressants in a 1-D Laminar Diffusion Flame.
Quantifying the Effectiveness of Fire Suppressants in a
1-D Laminar Diffusion Flame.
(380 K)
Crompton, T.; Atreya, A.
Combustion Institute/Eastern States Section. Chemical
and Physical Processes in Combustion. Technical
Meeting, 1993. October 25-27, 1993, Princeton, NJ,
471-474 pp, 1993.
Sponsor:
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD
Keywords:
combustion; fire suppression; fire tests; laminar
flames; diffusion flames; effectiveness; polymethyl
methacrylate; experiments; stagnation point
Abstract:
In this study a method for evaluating and ranking fire
suppressants is being developed. A small scale,
stagnation-point flow apparatus has been constructed
that can test a variety of gas and liquid suppression
agents. This apparatus allows well controlled,
transient experiments to be conducted on solid, liquid,
or gaseous fuels. The one-dimensional, laminar
diffusion flame configuration is convenient for
experimental measurements and theoretical analysis.
Experiments can be performed using various fuel types,
oxidizer concentrations, and external heat fluxes.
Supporting flame structure measurements, with and
without suppressants, are performed using a steady
counter-flow diffusion flame apparatus. These
experiments along with numerical modeling will reveal
and quantify physical and chemical suppression
mechanisms. A better understanding of fire suppression
mechanisms will assist in the selection of an optimal
suppressant and application method for a particular
environment. The results from these tests will also aid
in finding halon substitutes by identifying important
properties of fire suppressants.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899