Fuel Effects on the Extinguishment of Laminar Diffusion Flames by Thermal Agents

Published

April 24, 2001

Author(s)

William M. Pitts, Rodney A. Bryant

Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has been investigating the potential of fire-extinguishing agents that act solely by the extraction of heat from a flame zone, i.e., thermal agents, to serve as replacements for halons. Both detailed chemical-kinetic modeling and experimental characterization have been used to better understand the behavior of thermal agents in extinguishing fires. Most of our earlier work, some of which was discussed during the 1999 and 2000 Halon Options Technical Working Conferences, has focused on methane as a fuel. In order to better understand fuel effects, the studies have been extended to flames fueled by propane. During this presentation we will summarize the experimental and detailed chemical-kinetic modeling results for extinguishment of propane flames by thermal agents and compare the findings with those reported earlier using methane. In this paper, experimental extinguishment measurements and detailed chemical-kinetic modeling investigations are extended to propane diffusion flames. The results are compared with earlier findings for methane flames in order to better understand the role of fuel variations in flame extinguishment behavior.

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 984-4

Report Number

984-4

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

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Keywords

halon alternatives, extinguishment, laminar flames, diffusion flames, combustion, diluent gases, fire extinguishing agents, fuel/air mixtures, fire suppressant, reaction kinetics, temperature effects, halons

Citation

Pitts, W. and Bryant, R. (2001), Fuel Effects on the Extinguishment of Laminar Diffusion Flames by Thermal Agents, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=909057 (Accessed April 23, 2024)