Extinguishing the fire with dispersed water

Fires occurring on oil platforms and tanks are classified as fireы of the highest degree of difficulty, because, as a result of such fire, fire vessels can not approach the platform due to toxic gases and very high temperature.

During the study of fire safety of the object to extinguish fire in an open area, where the it is located, the method of extinguishing with the dispersed water (water with dust or mist) is applied. To do this, on the perimeter of the object in an open area are assembled tubes with numerous sprinklers. Water, by means of special pumps, is supplied under high pressure to the pipes – the system of perimeter sprinkler system. When the fire alarm is started water pressure opens the closing valves.

Water passing through the sprinklers, turns into millions of particles, in other words in a dense fog. By the movement of water spray at high pressure around the perimeter of the site in a short time all ground is covered with thick cloud of water. The heat source is in the center of the cloud, completely cut off from the supply of air.

Fire attracts the oxygen required for combustion. But, with the air moving to the fire starts to move spray too. Thus, in a clash of two opposing elements, fire and water spray, occurs steam. This vapor creates something like curtain, layers of which prevents the penetration of oxygen to the center of ignition. In the continuation of the process spray permanently separates and together with forming vapor concentration of fog displaces oxygen.

This method has perfectly justified itself in situations where other extinguishing agents were not able to provide the required efficiency. Also, the use of water as extinguishing agent makes this method cheap and widely used. And on the platforms located at sea normal water can be easily replaced by sea water.

Using intelligent spinning nozzles for fire fighting with dispersed water will allow accurate sprinkling of water spray considering wind, because, the wind dispersing the steam fog and "saturating" the fire with air, can intervene fire fighting plans. In this case, the nozzles guiding spraying water in the right direction, will not let the wind to blow the fire.