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Extinguishment of natural gas pressure fires

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Abstract

Several series of tests have been performed to compare the effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate-base and potassium bicarbonate-base dry chemicals in extinguishing natural gas fires. The author describes the methods used to analyze test data and recommends specific dry chemical application rates for extinguishing such fires.

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Abbreviations

A :

area of vertical jet flame, sq ft

D :

diameter of vertical jet flame, ft

h :

height of vertical jet flame, ft

Q :

quantity of dry chemical required to extinguish fire, lbs

R :

dry chemidal flow rate, lb/sec

R o :

optimum dry chemical flow rate, lb/sec

T :

dry chemical flow time, sec

V :

natural gas flow rate, cu ft/sec

a, b, m andn :

constants that vary with the type of dry chemical and the type of fire

References

  1. “Natural Gas Fire Tests,” Technical Bulletin No. 32, 1953, The Ansul Co., Marinette, Wisconsin.

  2. Guise, A. B., “Control of Natural Gas Fires,”Pipe Line Industry, Feb. 1958, pp. 54–56.

  3. Letter of May 5, 1967 from Roger R. Cholin, Safety First Products, Elmsford, New York.

  4. Neill, R. R., “The Hydrocarbon Flame Extinguishing Efficiencies of Sodium and Potassium Bicarbonate Powders,” Report 5183, 1958, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

  5. Burgess, D., and Zabetakis, M., “Fire and Explosion Hazards Associated with Liquefied Natural Gas,” Report No. RI 6099, 1962, Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior.

  6. Rawlins, E. L., and Shellhardt, N. A., “Back-Pressure Data on Natural Gas Wells and Their Application to Production Practices,” Monograph No. 7, 1935, Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, pp. 128–129.

  7. Sylvia, R. P., “New York's 13-Alarm Night of Flame,”Fire Engineering, Vol. 120, No. 4, April 1967, pp. 44–47.

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  8. Guise, A. B., and Lindlof, J. A., “A Dry Chemical Extinguishing System,” NFPAQuarterly, Vol. 49, No. 1, July 1955, pp. 52–60.

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  9. Johnson, N. L., and Leone, F. C., “Statistics and Experimental Design,” Vol. 1, Wiley, New York, 1964, p. 382et seq.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. “Military Specification, Fire Extinguishing Agent, Potassium Dry Chemical,” MIL-F-22287A (Wep), 23 Nov. 1962, and Amendment 1, 1 Nov. 1963.

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Authors
  1. Arthur B. Guise PE, SFPE
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Additional information

Note: Copies of the motion picture records of the tests may be borrowed from The Ansul Company and the Safety First Products Corporation.

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Guise, A.B. Extinguishment of natural gas pressure fires. Fire Technol 3, 175–193 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02601783

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02601783

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