The Extinction Of Fire With Plain Water: A Review

Abstract

Research into the extinction of fire of solid and liquid fuels by plain water has been reviewed. Properties of water sprays and of the fires themsel ves that influence the performance of sprays as extinguishing agents are outlined. The results of basic investigations which have yielded data which are of assistance to quantifying extinction processes and of empirical investigations designed to provide information directly applicable to practical problems have been briefly summarised. Simple quanti tati ve approaches to two forms of extinction for which basic data exists i.e. extinction of the flames by spray and cooling the fuel to the firepoint are outlined. The approach to extinction by cooling also points to an approach for deciding under which conditions stable flaming may be formed on the whole of a fuel surface in the absence of spray. Areas for future research are indicated.

A study of portable water mist fire extinguishers used for extinguishment of multiple fire types

“…Six properties of water sprays were identified to be important for fire extinguishment [16]. According to features of local application water mist, these six properties can be further combined into three most important criteria: water flux density, spray coverage and momentum.…”

“…The extinguishing mechanisms and water mist characteristics required, such as droplet size, water flux density, and spray coverage, change with the types of fires encountered. As indicated by Rasbash in his early water mist research [16], the liquid fires can be extinguished with water mist by either cooling the fuel or/and cooling the flame, depending on fuel property, while the solid fires are extinguished mainly by cooling the fuel. He and other researchers [16][17][18] also tried to quantify water mist characteristics required for fire extinguishment through both theoretical and experimental studies.…”

“…As indicated by Rasbash in his early water mist research [16], the liquid fires can be extinguished with water mist by either cooling the fuel or/and cooling the flame, depending on fuel property, while the solid fires are extinguished mainly by cooling the fuel. He and other researchers [16][17][18] also tried to quantify water mist characteristics required for fire extinguishment through both theoretical and experimental studies. Although general principles have been understood, information on water mist characteristics required for extinguishing various types of fires is still limited.…”

Influence of dispersion degree of water drops on efficiency of extinguishing of flammable liquids

“…As the main parameters of fire seat -burning liquid -defining the balance of heat and mass in the process of suppression by water it is considered: • burnout rate (evaporation) of FL; • temperature in a zone of combustion (flame jet); • temperature of a liquid surface; • water use ratio (during suppression) [4][5][6]. Depending on the size of water drops extinguishing process is focused either in a zone of combustion or on a burning liquid surface.…”

Concept Design and Testing of Multi-Nozzle Water Mist Fire Suppression System

“…The use of fine water sprays as alternative method for fire control has been widely recognized [1][2][3][5][6][7][8][9]. The smaller size water mist droplets offer larger surface area for the same amount of water, allowing faster evaporation of the droplets, and more effective heat extraction from a fire.…”