Extinguishment of cable fires at packaged transformer substations

Introduction. According to the statistical data, electrical fires account for the majority of all fire accidents. Hence, better fireproofing of fuel and energy facilities is a relevant issue. The article addresses electrical fire extinguishment using high-expansion foam. An extinguishment time analysis methodology, applicable to fire extinguishment using high-expansion foam, has been developed to validate these solutions. The purpose of this article is to calculate the dependence between the fire extinguishment time and the foam consumption rate. The research objectives are to 1) identify the principal values to be used in the calculations and the list of input data; 2) to identify the dependence between the extinguishment time and the foam consumption rate using packaged transformer substation 2BKTP (1,000 kVA) as an example.
Calculation methodology. The calculation methodology is based on the material balance equation between the amount of foam, applied for firefighting purposes, and the amount of foam, destroyed as a result of its contact with the heated wire surface, which is the main fire load inside burning electrical facilities.
Research results. The co-authors have calculated the fire suppression time using packaged transformer substation 2BKTP (1,000 kVA) as an example. Dependencies between fire extinguishment time, specific foam consumption rate, and foam application rate are identified.
Conclusions. The co-authors have identified the main values, needed to simulate a fire extinguishing model. They have also shown optimal foam consumption and application rates and offered their assessment of the applicability of high-expansion foam to electrical fires.

1. Kasholkin B.I., Meshalkin E.A. Extinguishing fires in electrical installations. Moscow, Energoatomizdat Publ., 1985; 112. (rus).

2. Androsova I.G., Zueva N.A., Lupanov S.A., Sibirko V.I., Firsov A.G., Chaban N.G. et al. Fires and fire safety in 2013: Statistical compendium / V.I. Klimkin (ed.). Moscow, VNIIPO Publ., 2014; 37. (rus).

3. Sibirko V.I., Kondrashov A.A., Chaban N.G. General characteristics of the situation with fires that occurred at the facilities of the Russian economy in 2011-2015. Voprosy statistiki. 2017; 1:75-88. URL: https://voprstat.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/444?locale=ru_RU (rus).

4. Grigorieva M.M., Kuznetsov G.V., Strizhak P.A. A fire risk assessment of cable lines on overload. Pozharovzryvobezopasnost/Fire and Explosion Safety. 2010; 19(9):9-13. URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=16902930 (rus).

5. Korolev I.V., Kondratieva O.E., Valuev P.V., Loktionov O.A. Analysis of advisability of arc breakdown detectors for integrated protection from fires caused by failures of electrical equipment. Electric power. Transmission and distribution. 2018; 47(2):108. (rus).

6. Valuev P.V., Smirnov M.I., Korolev I.V. On the positive impact of the NPA in the field of AFCI technologies on the positive trend in the fight against electric fires. Student. 2019; 1(45):38-45. (rus).

7. Richard Campbell. NFPA RESEARCH — Electrical fires. NFPA. 2017; 5, 12, 13.

8. Barbotko S.L. Modeling of the Gorenje process of materials in tests for heat release estimation. Pozharovzryvobezopasnost/Fire and Explosion Safety. 2007; 16(3):10-24. URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=12512010 (rus).

9. Huiqing Zhang. Fire-Safe Polymers and Polymer Composites. Technical Report DOT/FAA/AR-04/11. Federal Aviation Administration, William J. Hughes Technical Center Airport and Aircraft Safety, 2004; 209.

10. Smelkov G.I. Fire safety of electrical wiring. Moscow, LLC “CABLE” Publ., 2009; 328. (rus).

11. Keski-Rahkonen O., Mans J., Turtola A. Ignition of and fire spread on cables and electronic components. URL: https://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/publications/1999/P387.pdf (Accessed: 30.12.2018).

12. Keski-Rahkonen O. Effect of electrical conductivity on emergency performance of cables at high temperatures. Transactions of the 17th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology. Prague, 2003; 462-466.

13. Sosnina E.N., Masleeva O.V., Pachurin G.V., Bedretdinov R.Sh. Study of the impact of digital transformer substation on the working conditions of service personnel. Fundamental research. 2015; 5-1:143-148. URL: https://www.fundamental-research.ru/ru/article/view?id=38023 (rus).

14. Anuriev V.I. Reference book of the designer-machine-Builder : in 3 vols. Vol. 1. 8th edition, revised and expanded / I.N. Zhestkova (ed.). Moscow, Mashinostroenie Publ., 2001; 920. (rus).

15. Khasanov I.R., Varlamkin A.A. Effect of the structure of cable penetrations on their fire hazard during operation. Occupational Safety in Industry. 2019; 3:46-51. DOI: 10.24000/0409-2961-2019-3-46-51 (rus).

16. Smith E.E. Measuring rate of heat, smoke and toxic gas release. Fire Technology. 1972; 8(3):237-245. DOI: 10.1007/bf02590547

17. Khasanov I.R., Varlamkin A.A. Experimental methods for determining the fire resistance of cable penetrations in case of fire, taking into account the influence of load currents. Problems of forecasting emergency situations : collection of materials of the XVII scientific and practical conference. Moscow, FKU Center “Antistikha” EMERCOM of Russia, 2018; 77-78. (rus).

18. Tamus Z.Á., Szedenik N. Investigation of temperature dependence of dielectric processes in thermally aged PVC insulation. Journal of Electrostatics. 2013; 71(3):462-466. DOI: 10.1016/j.elstat.2013.01.003

19. Ovsyannikov E.A., Korol’chenko D.A., Sharovarnikov A.F. The fire extinguishing in cable works by means of polydisperse high-expansion foam. Fire Safety. 2016; 2:94-98. (rus).