The Increase of Fire Extinguishing Efficiency of Gas-Aerosol Binary Mixture Using Shock Waves

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The Increase of Fire Extinguishing Efficiency of Gas-Aerosol Binary Mixture Using Shock Waves

Journal Title: Safety & Fire Technology - Year 2017, Vol 46, Issue 46

Abstract

Objective: Determination of the n-heptane diffusion flame-extinguishing efficiency of the combined method which uses a fire extinguishing aerosol, CO2 gases (N2) and the simultaneous impact in their environment of shock waves. The identification of a possible extinguishing mechanism for this method. Methods: In order to determine the possibility of extinguishing the diffusion flame of n-heptane by the combined use of CO2 or N2 gases, aerosol and the shock wave created by the explosion of the pyrotechnic charge, an experimental chamber was set up with a volume of 0.5 m3. Inside the chamber, a shock wave generator was installed, and a crucible with n-heptane was placed at a distance of 1.75 m from it. The gas was fed to the chamber through a gas meter. The pressure in front of the shock wave was measured with a BMP-180 pressure and temperature sensor for the Arduino controller, which operates on a piezoresistive basis. The photographic documentation of the extinguishing process by the combined action of aerosol, CO2 and N2 gases, and a shock wave was done using the Nikkon 1j4 camera with a frame rate of 1200 frames per second Results: The scientific aspects of the increase in the fire-extinguishing efficiency of the gas-aerosol mixture are theoretically substantiated and experimentally confirmed in this paper. Accordingly, the combined impact of a series of shock waves and CO2 or N2 gases mixed with aerosol on the flame of n-heptane inside a chamber, leads to a significant increase in the extinguishing efficiency of such a method. It has also been demonstrated that the extinguishing aerosol concentrations decrease 8 times, and the gases concentration in the binary mixture with the aerosol decreases 4,6 times for CO2, and 4 times for N2 in a relation to their individual extinguishing concentrations when the diffusion flame of the n-heptane is exposed to a series of 3 shock waves with a frequency of 10 Hz and a total power of only 240 Pa. Conclusion: The characteristics of extinguishing the diffusion flame of n-heptane under the conditions of a special chamber were determined experimentally using the proposed combined extinguishing method. The tests have shown that the time for the onset of fragmentation decreases significantly after exposure to a series of shock waves, and the flame is then detached and dispersed at much lower concentrations of aerosol and gas mixture, which leads to faster extinguishing.

Authors and Affiliations

Vladimir Balanyuk

Keywords

EP ID EP265106
DOI 10.12845/bitp.46.2.2017.5
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