FIST-AID FIRE EQUIPMENT FOR ARCTIC REGION

Abstract

For Arctic Region of Russian Federation a stored pressure extinguisher generating a water mist flow with antifreeze and gallogen-including foam agent and fluorine SAA (surface active agent) added should be applied as the first-aid fire equipment. It is a special priority-task to use water mist at Arctic Region facilities, where high extinguishing capacity is required, there is limited water supply and transportation, FEA-spill-caused collateral damage minimization is necessary. It is advantageous to use LiCl or CaCl₂ salt solutions as antifreeze while employing the above extinguisher in Arctic Region. A certain amount of fluorine SAA (AFFF-type) practically does not increase the SAA freezing temperature without lowering extinguishing capacity. A developed analytical description of the process in a stored pressure extinguisher allows to define optimal correlation with respect to gas filled volume V₀ and total (summarized) extinguisher volume V_£. At present in world practice an opinion has formed of limiting service bottle pressurization level up to 2 MPa (20 bar). Arctic Region designed 6 l capacity extinguisher tests performed on A Class (solid combustibles) and B Class (flammable fluid) model fire sites have demonstrated high efficiency under lower temperatures (-52 °C) equal to present-day extinguisher efficiency at positive temperatures: A Class - 6A, B Class - 183B. The results of experiments made determine a possibility of atomized solution flow application for extinguishing energized electric sets, as current leak would not exceed 0.25 mA. Negligible conductivity of atomized FEA flows is explained by a small solution volume proportion (< 0,05) in the air.