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PUBLICATIONS

An Apparatus for Evaluating Liquid Fire Suppressants

Published

Author(s)

Jiann C. Yang, Michelle K. Donnelly, William L. Grosshandler, N C. Prive

Abstract

Cup burners have been extensively used as a fire suppression efficiency screening tool for gaseous halon alternatives. In the search for alternatives to halons in fire suppression, it is likely that several types of condensed-phase compounds will be identified which may be delivered in droplet or aerosol form. Although cup burners have been used for evaluating condensed-phase agents (e.g., sodium bicarbonate powder), currently there is no apparatus designed specifically for screening liquid agents under well-controlled experimental conditions. The objective of this work is to design, construct and demonstrate a bench-scale device capable of screening the fire suppression efficiency of liquid agents. The design of the apparatus is based on a well-characterized flame, a means to facilitate the introduction of liquid agents, and a way to generate liquid droplets. These individual components will be described in detail in the following sections. Since the project is on-going, its current status will be discussed, and some encouraging preliminary results will be presented.
Citation
Special Publication (NIST SP) - 984-4
Report Number
984-4
NIST Pub Series
Special Publication (NIST SP)
Pub Type
NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

halon alternatives, halons, blowoff, burners, diffusion flames, droplets, fire suppression
Buildings and Construction and Fire

Citation

Yang, J. , Donnelly, M. , Grosshandler, W. and Prive, N. (1998), An Apparatus for Evaluating Liquid Fire Suppressants, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=909149 (Accessed October 14, 2025)

Issues

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Created May 12, 1998, Updated February 19, 2017
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