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Module 5: Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol-Blended Fuel

PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Page 1: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

Module 5: Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol-Blended Fuel

Page 2: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

2

Objective

Upon the successful completion of this module, participants will be able to develop foam use strategies for controlling / fighting fires associated with ethanol-blended fuels.

Page 3: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Introduction Production of ethanol large & likely to

continue to increase Predominate danger from tanker trucks &

rail cars carrying large amounts of ethanol, manufacturing facilities, & storage facilities

Responders need to be prepared for large-scale emergencies & prepared with most effective techniques & extinguishing media

Page 4: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles What is foam?

– “…an aggregate of air-filled bubbles formed from aqueous solutions which is lower in density than flammable liquids. It is used principally to form a cohesive floating blanket on flammable and combustible liquids, and prevents or extinguishes fire by excluding air and cooling the fuel. It also prevents reignition by suppressing formation of flammable vapors. It has the property of adhering to surfaces, which provides a degree of exposure protection from adjacent fires” (NFPA 11).

Page 5: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Why use foam?

– Only agent capable of suppressing vapors & providing visible proof of security

– Foam blanket on unignited spill can prevent fire

– Suppression of vapors prevents them from finding ignition source

Page 6: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Why use foam?

– Can provide post-fire security by protecting hazard until it can be secured / removed

– Can provide protection from flammable liquids for fire & rescue personnel during emergency operations

Page 7: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles How foam works:

– Foam can: Exclude oxygen from fuel vapors Cool fuel surface with water content of foam Prevent release of flammable vapors from

fuel surface Emulsify fuel

Page 8: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles How foam works:

– Foam tetrahedron: Before being used

must be proportioned & aerated

4 elements:– Foam concentrate– Water– Air– Aeration

Copyright 2007, TEEX/ESTI

Page 9: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles What is foam not effective on?

– Foam is not effective on Class C electrical fires: Foam contains 94–97% water & water

conducts electricity Class C fires can be extinguished using

nonconductive extinguishing agents

Page 10: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles What is foam not effective on?

– Foam is not effective on 3-dimensional fires: Recommended to first control spill fire Extinguish flowing fire using dry chemical

agent

Page 11: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles What is foam not effective on?

– Foam is not effective on pressurized gases: Vapor pressure too high for foam to be

effective Examples:

– Propane– Butane– Vinyl chloride– Butadiene

Page 12: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles What is foam not effective on?

– Foam is not effective on combustible metals: Combustible metals usually react with water Fires involving combustible metals require

specialized techniques & extinguishing agents

Page 13: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles What is foam effective on?

– Effective at suppressing vapors & extinguishing Class B fires

– 2 categories of Class B products: Hydrocarbons Polar solvents

– Hydrocarbons– Polar solvents

Page 14: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Foam terminology:

– Foam concentrate– Foam solution– Finished foam

Page 15: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Types of foam:

– Protein foam– Fluoroprotein foams– AFFF– FFFP– AR foam

Page 16: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Foam characteristics:

– Knockdown– Heat resistance– Fuel tolerance– Vapor suppression– Alcohol tolerance

Page 17: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Foam Characteristics

Property Protein Fluoroprotein AFFF FFFP AR-AFFF

Knockdown Fair Good Excellent Good Excellent

Heat Resistance Excellent Excellent Fair Good Good

Fuel Tolerance Fair Excellent Moderate Good Good

Vapor Suppression Excellent Excellent Good Good Good

Alcohol Tolerance None None None None Excellent

Source: National Foam

Page 18: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Foam proportioning &

delivery systems: Concentration levels:

– Hydrocarbons: 3%– Polar solvents: 6%

Foam proportioning systems:

– Eductors: In-line

eductors: Advantages

Property of Chauncey Naylor, reprinted with permission

Property of Chauncey Naylor, reprinted with permission

Page 19: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Foam proportioning

& delivery systems:– Foam proportioning

systems: Eductors:

– Bypass eductors– Common eductor

failures

Copyright 2007, TEEX/ESTI

Property of Chauncey Naylor, reprinted with permission

Page 20: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Foam proportioning & delivery systems:

– Foam proportioning systems: Foam nozzles:

– Foam proportioning nozzles: Advantages

Copyright 2007, TEEX/ESTI

Page 21: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Foam proportioning

& delivery systems:– Foam proportioning

systems: Air aspirating

nozzles Non-air aspirating

nozzles

Copyright 2007, TEEX/ESTI

Page 22: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Application techniques:

– Never plunge foam directly into the fuel– Bounce-off:

Effective if there is an object in / behind spill area

– Bank-in: Particularly effective with non-air aspirating

fog nozzles

Page 23: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Basic Foam Principles Application techniques:

– Rain-down: Nozzle elevated & foam allowed to fall over

spill as gently as possible

Page 24: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Foam and Ethanol and Ethanol-Fuel Blends Foams not developed for application

on alcohol- / ethanol-blended fuels:– Ineffective on fuels containing alcohols /

ethanol: Alcohol / Ethanol attacks & absorbs foam

solution

Page 25: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Foam and Ethanol and Ethanol-Fuel Blends AR foams:

– Forms tough membrane between foam blanket & alcohol-type fuel

– Crucial to use in combating ethanol-blended fuel fires

– Apply gently to surface of alcohol- / ethanol-blended fuels

Page 26: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Foam and Ethanol and Ethanol-Fuel Blends AR foams:

– Use Type II application techniques: Apply indirectly to fire

– Type III application: Effective only when deflected off surfaces Best option may be to protect surrounding

exposures

Page 27: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Foam and Ethanol and Ethanol-Fuel Blends Require higher flow rate of foam to

extinguish fires:– AFFF-type: 1 gpm foam / 10 ft2 burning

surface on hydrocarbon-type fuel– Ethanol-blended fuels: 2 gpm foam / 10

ft2 of AR type foam

Page 28: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Foam Recommendations for Fire Departments Consider converting to AR foam

concentrates Develop means of having cache of

AR foam readily available

Page 29: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Foam Recommendations for Fire Departments AR foams effective on both alcohol &

hydrocarbon fires:– Some have quicker knockdown abilities

& longer foam retention times than protein-based hydrocarbon foams

– Thermal imaging camera recommended

Page 30: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Foam Recommendations for Fire Departments

Copyright ERG

Page 31: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Foam Recommendations for Fire Departments AR foams effective on both alcohol &

hydrocarbon fires:– Uncertain if fire is

alcohol- / ethanol-blended: Consider doubling application rate

– Foam of choice

Page 32: PowerPoint: Module 5 - Fire Fighting Foam Principles and Ethanol

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Summary AR foam best choice for incidents AR foam recommended choice for all

fuel fires involving gasoline- / ethanol-blended fuels

AR foam performs on hydrocarbon fires as well:– Preferred choice from response

standpoint if nature of burning fuel is unclear