A New Forest Fire Pump

Abstract

HE British Colunlbia Forest Service, as well as the logging operators, has T felt for some time that there is room for improvement in foresthrc pumps.Since pumps were first used in B.C. there has been steady progress in reducing weight and increasing c;~pacities of these pumps, until it is feared that dependability has been sacrificed to portability. Certainly in some of the later developments, nothing more could be desired in the matter of weight when complete units are on the market as light as 40 lbs.Attention has recently been directed to the possibilities of utilizing engines of the Austin type. These engines have been altered for marine or electrical service and are available without starter or generator, but with high,tension magneto and governor added. This-makes an ideal power plant, weighing i 3 i lbs., and is just as dependable as the Austin car.The Forest Service, starting with one of these engines, canvassed the pump manufacturers of England and America for a stock pump with the following specifications :Weight not over 30 lbs. Speed about 2,200 R.P.M. Capacity 50 Imperial gallons per minute. Working pressure 170 lbs. normal at pump. Construction to be other than "gear." N o pump embodying all these requirements, or near it, could be obtained. Some marlufacturers offered to design a pump to our order. Advantage was taken of one such offer in Vancouver, and after thorough discussion of the problem, a 4,stage centrifugal pump with enclosed impellors was built. This pump of aluminum alloy construction, weight, with coupling, 43 lbs. The engine and pump were mounted on a cast aluminum base specially designed for the purpose, and a new pump was ready for test.Although the real test of a season on actual fires is yet to come, this pump has been operated for about 25 hours to date, and no trouble of any kind, either in starting or running, has occurred. Results attained appear to have justified our experiment, T o those of us who have been on fires where the common kinds of fire pumps were used, there was great satisfaction in seeing two vigorous streams from two half4nch nozzles at the same time, shooting water out 125 or more feet from the nozzles. To those who have played the accustomed 3 18 in. stream on a firc, there was a real thrill in bracing against the reaction of a The Forestry Chronicle Downloaded from pubs.cif-ifc.org by 54.191.190.102 on 05/12/18For personal use only.