Fire Fighting Course Lecture 3 Part 2

1
FIRE FIGHTING
PREPARED BY
Eng. Mahmoud Saber
Senior Mechanical Engineer
2
COURSE OUTLINE
1- BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINATION.
2- MANUAL FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS.
STANDPIPE SYSTEMS ( FHC– SIAMESE CONNECTION – FIRE
HYDRANT) - PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
3- AUTOMATIC FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS.
SPRINKLER SYSTEMS - FOAM SYSTEM - WATER MIST SYSTEM
- WET CHEMICAL SYSTEM - FIRE FIGHTING GASES – AUTOMATIC
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS .
4- FIRE FIGHTING CALCULATIONS.
5- FIRE PUMPS & WATER TANKS.
Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 3

3 . AUTOMATIC FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
FOAM SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
O Foam has been available for firefighting for

many years.
O 1800s: Foam was introduced as an
extinguishing agent for flammable liquid
fires
O It was produced by mixing two powders
(aluminum sulfate and sodium bicarbonate)
with water in a foam generator.

FOAM SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
O 1940s: Introduction of foam concentrate based on

liquid protein
O Made from natural animal protein by-products
O Produced by mechanically mixing protein foam
concentrate with water in a foam proportioner
O Protein-based foam used to fight flammable
liquid fires on Navy ships.

FOAM SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION

FOAM SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
O 1960s: Introduction of FP and AFFF
O More versatile, better than protein foam
O Knocks down fires faster
O Longer blanket life
O 1970s: Introduction of alcohol-resistant foams
O Used for hydrocarbon and polar solvent fuels
O Allowed flexibility in dealing with fuels that fire
fighters encounter daily

FOAM SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
O Introduction of automobile and use of petroleum
products proved water is not effective for extinguishing
these fires.
O Water is heavier than petroleum so application to
petroleum-fueled fires caused more problems than
it solved.
O Water spreads fire, making the situation worse.
O Firefighting foam became available to deal with
these issues.
FOAM SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION

FOAM SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
O Foam characteristics
O Good foam needs the right physical characteristics
to be effective.
O Knockdown speed and flow: time required for foam
blanket to spread across fuel surface
O Foam needs good heat resistance to avoid
breakdown from direct flame contact with burning
fuel vapors or heat from metal objects.
O Foam produces a good vapor-suppressing
blanket.

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM CLASSIFICATIONS
O Class A foams
O Used on ordinary combustible materials (wood,
textiles, paper)
O Effective on organic materials (straw, hay)
O Referred to as wetting agents
O Effective because they improve penetrating effect of
water and allow greater heat absorption
O Manufacturers say these foams extinguish fire in
Class A materials 20 times faster than water.

FOAM SYSTEM
O Class A foams
O Useful for protecting buildings in rural areas during
forest or brush fires with limited water supply
O Used as an obstruction to the spread of fire
O Used by many departments while performing initial
fire attack and overhaul
O Increases effectiveness of water as an extinguishing
agent by reducing water’s surface tension

FOAM SYSTEM
O Class B foams
O Used on hydrocarbon, combustible fuels, and
polar solvent fires
O Categories:
O Protein foams
O Fluoroprotein foams
O Alcohol-resistant film-forming fluoroprotein
foam (AR-FFFP)

FOAM SYSTEM

FOAM SYSTEM
O Protein foams
O Used for extinguishment of Class B fires involving
hydrocarbons
O Contain animal by-products as foaming agent
O May be created using fresh or salt water
O Fluoroprotein foam
O Consists of hydrolyzed protein, stabilizers, preservatives,
and synthetic fluorocarbon surfactants
O Intended for use on hydrocarbon fuels and some oxygenated
fuel additives
O AR-FFFP
O Used on hydrocarbon and water-soluble fuels

FOAM SYSTEM
O Synthetic foams: AFFF
O Based on combinations of fluoro chemical surfactants,
hydrocarbon surfactants, and solvents
O Very fluid, flows around obstacles and across fuel surface
O Apply using aspirating foam nozzles
O AR-AFFF
O Contain synthetic detergents, fluoro chemicals, and high-
molecular-weight polymers
O When a non-alcohol-resistant foam is applied to the surface of
polar a solvent, the foam blanket breaks down into a liquid and
mixes with the fuel.
O One of the most versatile types of foam

FOAM SYSTEM
O Synthetic detergent foams (high-expansion foams)
O Effective in confined-space firefighting operations
and areas with limited access or dangerous entry
O Used on Class A or B fires
O Achieve fire control, extinguishment by rapid
smothering, and cooling of fire

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM CONCENTRATES
O Foam concentrates are designed to be mixed with water
at specific ratios.
O Must be proportioned at the percentage listed by the
manufacturer
O Foam is tested and approved for certain fires at specific
ratios, so follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.
O Foam concentrates are manufactured at different
percentages.

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM CONCENTRATES
O Industry trend is to reduce foam concentrate percentages

as low as possible.
O Less bulk in storage for departments
O Firefighting capacity can be doubled by carrying the
same volume of foam concentrate or cut the foam
supply in half without reducing fire suppression
capabilities
O Reduce cost of fixed foam system components and
concentrate transportation costs

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM CONCENTRATES
O Alcohol-resistant foams are used effectively on
hydrocarbon and polar solvent fuel.
O AR-AFFF is the most commonly used concentrate for
this.
O Many foam concentrates are available, so selecting the
right concentrate is critical to safe and effective handling
of an incident.
O Knowledge of foam types and systems assists IC in
mitigating the incident

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM EXPANSION RATES
O Ratio of finished foam to foam solution after the

concentrate is mixed with water, agitated, and aspirated
through a foam-making appliance
O Air inside the bubbles makes up expanded part of finished
foam
O NFPA 11 classifies foam concentrates into three expansion
ranges.

FOAM SYSTEM
O Low-expansion foam
O Foam expansion ratio of up to 20:1
O For use on flammable and combustible liquids
O Effective in controlling and extinguishing most Class
B fires
O Special low-expansion foams are used on Class A
fires where a penetrating and cooling effect of the
foam solution is important.

FOAM SYSTEM
O Medium-expansion foam
O Foam expansion ratio of 20:1 to 200:1
O Used to suppress vapors from hazardous
chemicals
O High-expansion foam
O Foam expansion ratio of 200:1 to 1000:1
O Designed for confined-space firefighting
O Consists of synthetic and detergent-type foam
used in confined spaces

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM CALCULATIONS

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM CALCULATIONS

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM CALCULATIONS

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM CALCULATIONS

FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM CALCULATIONS

WATER MIST SYSTEM
GENERAL
A water mist system is a fixed fire. protection system that uses water
to control, suppress or extinguish a fire. The system comprises
automatic nozzles attached to a piping system containing water and
connected to a water supply. At operation, the water mist system
discharges a cone of spray containing small water droplets that fills
the protected zone with water mist. Some systems additionally
discharge other gases or include additives. An effective water mist
system should generate, distribute, and maintain a concentration of
small droplets sufficient for the protection of the fire risk for sufficient
time to meet the objective of the protection

WATER MIST SYSTEM
GENERAL
• Cooling by heat absorption via large surface
• Inerting by local oxygen displacement
1mm 2m²
0,1mm 20m²
0,01 mm 200m²

WATER MIST SYSTEM
GENERAL

WATER MIST SYSTEM
GENERAL

WATER MIST SYSTEM
APPLICATION

WATER MIST SYSTEM
DURATION OF WATER MIST PROTECTION

WET CHEMICAL SYSTEM
GENERAL
O AUTOMATIC FIRE PROTECTION FOR MODERN INDUSTRIAL KITCHEN
.
O Food service has several elements that increase the risk of fire.
Fats and cooking oils are flammable materials, oxygen is always
available and a spark can come from different sources - such as
open flame or electrical shorts. Fire may occur on the cooking
surfaces and in hard to reach places such as exhaust hoods and air
ducts. In recent years the transition to more efficient cooking
appliances and use of vegetable cooking oils, have both increased
fire risk and occurrence of fires are difficult to extinguish.

WET CHEMICAL SYSTEM
GENERAL

WET CHEMICAL SYSTEM
GENERAL
1. The system is triggered when heat from the starting fire
melts the melting part of the detector. This activates the
control box and the extinguishing agent container opens. The
system can also be triggered manually.
2.Wet Chemical Extinguishing agent is stored under pressure
in the container. When triggered, the extinguishing agent is led
through the piping system and out of the strategically placed
nozzles. Electrical equipment is automatically turned off.
3. The system extinguishes flames quickly by forming a foam
layer which extinguishes the fire and prevent it from flaring up
again.
WET CHEMICAL SYSTEM
GENERAL

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHERS .
TYPES
O FIRE MATIC.
O FIRE SEARCH.

FIRE MATIC.

FIRE TRACE

FIRE TRACE

FIRE TRACE

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
GASES DISSCUSED
 CO2.
FM2OO.
NOVEC1230.

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
IMPORTANT AGENT FEATURES
The agent ...
 shall extinguish fires (without damage)
 shall be acceptable for the environment
 shall be safe for human beings

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
Carbon Dioxide
Systems

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
The Properties of CO2
O A colourless, dry, odourless, non-corrosive gas.
O Density 1.5 times that of air.
O Occurs naturally in atmosphere (0.03%).
O A by-product of combustion process eg. fossil fuels.
O Produced as a by-product of industry.

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
How does it work?
O Reduces oxygen to less than 15%
O Discharges as liquid, expands at nozzle into dense cloud of
vapour/ dry ice
O Expansion creates cooling effect, expansion ratio 1kg= 0.56m3
O Effective on fire classes:
A - Ordinary combustible material
B - Liquid fuel fires
C - Electrical fires
FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
ADVANTAGES
O Inexpensive
O Readily available
O Effective on wide range of fires
O Versatile: high pressure/low pressure
O Total flood/local application
O Non corrosive: will not contaminate liquids or food
O Clean - no mess, CO2 dissipates to atmosphere
FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
CO2 & The Environment
O Normally present at 0.03% (increasing due to

pollution/combustion)
O We breathe in CO2 at 0.03% & breathe it out at 3 - 4%
O Harmless at low concentration
O Zero ODP

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
CO2 & The Environment
O Significant GWP but non-emissive

O No environmental restrictions on CO2
O No restriction on testing (eg FMRC procedures)
O CO2 is environmentally friendly

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
CO2 Safety
O Cylinder safety:
- Stored as a liquid at 58bar
- Burst disc
- Transport cover
O Container Storage Temperature range:
- Local application: 0ºC to + 46ºC

- Total Flood: -18ºC to + 54ºC
FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
Hazards to Personnel
O Direct discharge of CO2 onto person
- skin burns - eye injury - ear damage

O Precautions to prevent accidental discharge
- isolation valve (BS requirement) - control head

- lockout at control panel (NFPA/FM requirement)
- lock off/door interlock (BS requirement)
O Clearance from live electrical apparatus
- guidance provided in standards
FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
Design Standards & Approvals
Design Standards Approvals
O FMRC
O NFPA 12
O ABS
O BS 5306 Pt 4
O LRS
O MSA
O DNV
O CCS (China)
O NKK (Japan)
O BASEEFA

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
System Components

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
System Design Data

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
System Design Data

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
System Design Data

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
CO2
Unsuitable Applications
O Reactive metals, e.g. Magnesium
O Chemicals which generate their own oxygen
e.g. Cellulose Nitrate
O Metal hydrides
O Inerting - static discharge creates a hazard and a potential
explosion

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200
• First generation Halon 1301

replacement
• very good extinguishing
capability
• environmentally acceptable
• safe for people • HFC 227 ea
• safe for equipment • CF3-CHF-CF3

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 PROPERTIES
• contains no Bromine or Chlorine (ODP=0)
• colorless and odourless
• safe for people
• no electric conductivity
• no residues
• causes no damage to
 electronic equipment
 books / papers
 paintings / objects of art

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 PROPERTIES

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 SUITABLE FOR
EU: Solid+Electrical Flam. Liquid Gases

USA: Solid Flam. Liquid+gas Electrical

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 MASS DESIGN
- The minimum design concentration for systems specified to
NFPA 2001, total flooding applications is 6.25% v/v. For systems
specified to BS EN ISO 14520, a minimum design concentration of
7.5% v/v should be used. For either specification a higher
concentration may be required for the specific hazard.
- The agent required must be based on the lowest expected
ambient temperature in the protected space. Care must be taken
that the calculated concentration for normally occupied spaces at
the highest expected ambient temperature in the space does not
exceed the value for of 10.5% v/v per NFPA 2001.

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 MASS DESIGN
1. Calculate agent quantity at minimum hazard
temperature
2. Determine tank size, numbers and fill density
3. Check concentration at max. temperature
4. Find appropriate nozzle location
5. Design pipe network
6. Run hydraulic flow calculations

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 MASS DESIGN CONCENTRATIONS
Class A & C Hazard
• ISO 14520 7.9 % (Surface Class A)
8.5 % (Higher Hazard Class A)
• FM 7.17 %
• UL 2166 6.4 %
Class B *
• ISO 14520 9.0 %
• FM 9.0 %
• UL 2166 9.0 %
* based on Heptane (cup burner test + 30% safety factor)
FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 MASS DESIGN

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 MASS DESIGN
Altitude correction factor
At elevations above sea-level, FM-200® has a greater specific

volume because of the reduced atmospheric pressure. A system
designed for sea-level conditions will therefore develop an actual
higher concentration at levels above sea-level and an actual lower
concentration at levels below sea-level.
FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 MASS DESIGN
1) Using the flooding factor table
W  V  CF  C Alt
Where W = Required FM-200® quantity [kg]
V = Net Hazard Volume* [m³]
CF = Flooding factor [kg/m³]  from table
Calt = Altitude correction factor  from table

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
FM200 MASS DESIGN
2) Using the formular
V C
W  ( )
S 100  C
Where W = Required FM-200® quantity [kg]
V = Net Hazard Volume [m³]
S = Specific vapor volume [m³/kg]
= 0.1269 + 0.0005131 x T (at sea level!)
T = Min. Hazard Temperature [°C]
C = Concentration [%]
Adjust agent quantity W in accordance with 'Altitude
Correction' table if applicable.
FIRE FIGHTING GASES
NOVEC1230
 Zero Ozone Depletion Potential
 Very low GWP / Short
atmospheric lifetime
 Low toxicity
 Effective for flooding &
streaming
 Safe for sensitive, valuable
assets C6 Fluoroketone

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
NOVEC1230 PROPERTIES
Chemical formula CF3CF2C(O)CF(CF3)2
Molecular weight 316.04
Boiling point @ 1 atm 49ºC (120.2º F)
Freezing point -108ºC (-162.4ºF)
Density, sat. Liquid @ 25ºC 1.60 g/ml (99.9 lbm/ft3)
Density, gas 1 ATM @ 25ºC 0.0184 g/ml (1.15 lbm/ft3)
Specific volume, 1 ATM @ 25ºC 0.0543 m3/kg (0.870 ft3/lb)
Liquid viscosity @ 25ºC 0.41/0.56 centistokes
Heat of vaporization @ BP 88.1 kJ/kg (37.9 BTU/lb)
Solubility of H20 in
<0.001% by wt.
Novec 1230 @ 25ºC
Vapor pressure @ 25ºC 0.40 bar (5.87 psig)
Dielectric strength (dry conditions) ~60kV

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
NOVEC1230 MASS DESIGN

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
NOVEC 1230 APPLICATIONS

FIRE FIGHTING GASES
COMPARISON FOR 200 M³ CLASS A HAZARD
CO2: 50% = 1,30 kg/m³ 260 kg - 6 x 45 kg
FM-200®: 7,9% = 0,63 kg/m³ 126 kg - 1 x 147 ltr.
Novec™1230: 5,3% = 0,78 kg/m³ 156 kg - 1 x 180 ltr.

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1

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 3

O Foam has been available for firefighting for

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 4

O 1940s: Introduction of foam concentrate based on

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 5

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 6

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 7

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 9

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 10

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 11

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 12

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 13

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 14

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 15

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 16

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 17

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 18

O Industry trend is to reduce foam concentrate percentages

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 19

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 20

O Ratio of finished foam to foam solution after the

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 21

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 22

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 23

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 24

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Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 44

The agent ...

 shall extinguish fires (without damage)

 shall be acceptable for the environment

 shall be safe for human beings

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 45

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 46

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 47

O Normally present at 0.03% (increasing due to

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 50

O Significant GWP but non-emissive

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 51

- Local application: 0ºC to + 46ºC

- skin burns - eye injury - ear damage

- isolation valve (BS requirement) - control head

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 54

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 55

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 56

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