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Small-Scale Test Protocol for Firefighting Foams DEF(AUST)5706: Effect of Bubble Size Distribution and Expansion Ratio

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Abstract

The experimental program described in this paper sought to assess the suitability of the small scale DEF(AUST)5706 standard for measuring the suppression and burnback performance of Class B foams on pool fires. DEF(AUST)5706 is an Australian Defence standard mandatory for use by the Australian Navy, Army and Air Force. The test protocol required the measurement of the 3/4 control, extinguishment and 1/3 burnback times for a circular pan of aviation gasoline (AVGAS 100/130), 0.28 m2 in surface area. The test program involved compressed-air foams (CAF) and aspirated foams of two expansion ratios, and employed two AFFF formulations: a 6% telomer concentrate and, to obtain base-line measurements, 3% PFOS FC-600 concentrate which was manufactured by the 3 M company prior to the PFOS phase out. At lower expansion (7:1), the aspirated and compressed-air foams demonstrated similar fire control performance, whilst more expanded (9:1) CAF was generally more efficient at extinguishing, but less efficient in controlling the fire. CAF formed a better seal over the fuel surface and at the hot pan walls, and these foams performed noticeably better than aspirated foam against fuel re-ignition. The paper links these observations with the underlying distributions of bubble sizes, which were measured and fitted to modified Rosin/Rammler cumulative volume distribution functions. We propose that a modified version of DEF(AUST)5706 be adopted as a universal small-scale test protocol.

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Acknowledgements

The authors show gratitude Mr Ted Schaefer of Solberg Asia Pacific for many insightful discussions and for partial support of the test program. We also thank Warrant Officer Greg Brown and Flight Sergeant Ross Fitzpatrick of the Royal Australian Air Force for their assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Process Safety and Environment Protection Research Group, School of Engineering, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia

    Ashlea J. Laundess, Mark S. Rayson, Bogdan Z. Dlugogorski & Eric M. Kennedy

Authors
  1. Ashlea J. Laundess
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  2. Mark S. Rayson
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  3. Bogdan Z. Dlugogorski
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  4. Eric M. Kennedy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bogdan Z. Dlugogorski.

Additional information

This paper was presented at Suppresion and Detection Research and Application: A Technical Working Conference (SUPDET 2008), March 2008, Orlando, Florida, USA.

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Laundess, A.J., Rayson, M.S., Dlugogorski, B.Z. et al. Small-Scale Test Protocol for Firefighting Foams DEF(AUST)5706: Effect of Bubble Size Distribution and Expansion Ratio. Fire Technol 47, 149–162 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-009-0136-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-009-0136-2

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