Status of Fire Boom Performance Testing.
Status of Fire Boom Performance Testing.
(191 K)
Walton, W. D.
NIST SP 935; NIST SP 995; Volume 2; February 1999.
In Situ Burning of Oil Spills. Proceedings. National
Institute of Standards and Technology and Minerals
Management Service. November 2-4, 1998, New Orleans, LA,
Walton, W. D.; Jason, N. H., Editor(s)(s), 31-38 pp,
2003.
Spill Science and Technology Bulletin, Vol. 8, No. 4,
361-365, 2003.
Available from:
Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC 20401-0003.
Telephone: 202-512-1800.
Website:
http://www.gpo.gov
Order number: SN003-003-03597-1
Keywords:
in situ burning; oil spills; fire research;
environmental effects; crude oil; diesel fuels; heat
release rate; fire booms; pool fires; fire tests;
propane
Abstract:
Most response plans for in situ burning of oil at sea
call for the use of a fire-resistant boom to contain the
oil during a burn. Presently, there is no standard
method for the user of a fire-resistant boom to evaluate
the anticipated performance of different booms. The
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F-20
Committee has developed a draft Standard Guide for In
Situ Burning of Oil Spills On Water: Fire-Resistant
Containment Boom; however, the draft provides only
general guidelines and does not specify the details of
the test procedure. Significant advances have been made
in the past three years in implementing the guidelines
in the draft standard. Two series of tests, one using
diesel fuel and one using propane, have been conducted
to evaluate the protocol for testing the ability of
fire-resistant booms to withstand both fire and waves. A
brief description and comparison of these tests is
presented along with a discussion of the strengths and
weaknesses of the use of each fuel and some issues
identified in the tests.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899