Methodology for experimental investigation of gas jet fire suppression using automatic gas-powder fire extinguishing systems

Introduction. Currently, the design and construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities are actively taking place in the Russian Federation. Accidents at these facilities typically start with equipment leaks, followed by the release and subsequent ignition of flammable substances. The impact of such fire hazards can lead to the destruction of adjacent equipment and cascading accidents. Existing literature on LNG fire suppression mainly focuses on extinguishing or containing LNG spills. However, there is limited research on fire suppression of pressurized combustible gases.

This publication aims are to develop a methodology for conducting fire tests on gas jet fire suppression.

The tasks include reviewing the results of previous experiments on jet releases of LNG, analyzing the frequency of leaks and their most probable diameter, determining the parameters of the model fire source, defining the parameters of the test setup, and outlining the procedure for conducting fire tests.

Analytical part. The methodology is developed based on the analysis of statistical data on accidents in the petrochemical industry. Parameters of the test setup for conducting LNG jet fire suppression tests are determined using data on the frequency of equipment leaks and the most probable equivalent diameter of the accidental openings.

Conclusions. A review of previous experiments on LNG jet releases and an analysis of leak frequencies and their most probable diameters have been conducted. Based on this analysis, parameters for the test setup and a pro­cedure for conducting fire tests have been proposed. A methodology for conducting fire tests on gas jet fire suppression to determine the fire extinguishing effectiveness of fire suppression modules has been developed.

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