FEATURES OF EXTINGUISHING OF THE LIQUID FUELS AND ORGANIC FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS BY AN ATOMIZED WATER FLOW

Abstract

The work presents the results of experimental researches in extinguishing the model fire source (height is h = 1.5 m, diameter is d = 0.15 m) of oil, petrochemical products (gasoline, kerosene) and highly-flammable liquids (acetone, ethyl hydroxide). The investigations were conducted by the experimental setup, the operation of which is based on the use of advanced optical diagnostic methods of heterogeneous flows: Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (Stereo PIV), Shadow Photography (SP). The heat and mass transfer processes were recorded by high-speed (to 10⁵ frames per second) and cross-correlation video cameras. We obtained the values of extinguishing times for flames of liquids applied in the model fire source. It was revealed that for a given geometric dimensions of the model source (height is h = 1.5 m, diameter is d = 0.15 m) and parameters of atomization (R_m = 0.05-0.20 mm, U_m = 2.0-3.5 m/s), the value of U_g = 0.6 m/s is the extreme value of combustion product velocity at which the conditions of fire source liquidation are implemented. We determined the scale of the influence of initial temperature of extinguishing liquid on the characteristic time t_e. It is shown that for selected parameters of model source and atomization conditions, the change in the temperature of extinguishing liquid within the range T_w = 300-325 K leads to an increase in the characteristic time t_e to 10 times. Also, there are the values of the calculated volumes of extinguishing medium V_e, expended for extinguishing from the start of atomization to the implementation of the conditions of flame suppression for various dispersability of atomized water flow. The data (obtained during the experimental researches) for the conditions of flammable liquid extinguishing by the atomized water flows can be used for developing new cost-effective methods of fire liquidation of oil and products of its processing. The received results at the proved efficiency will be possible along with a traditional technique of suppression ("foamy" attack) to apply at suppression of large ignitions on objects of production, storage and oil refining.