Physical Scaling of Fire Suppression by Water Mist

Abstract

The objective of the project is to develop water mist extinguishments design by scaling. The report describes the requirement and criteria of scaling fire, scale model, and the results of suppression for a developing water mist system design. The Maritime Safety Committee Draft Circular, MSC 914 is used as a basis test to evaluate a water mist design. A series of three full-scale tests related to MSC 914 were performed: fire only, fire with steel trailers, and fire with steel trailers and combustible commodities. A simulation was accordingly studied. Then, a scaled water mist design was tested in the scale model to find the characteristics needed for suppression in terms of pressure, water flow rate, droplet size, and the spray momentum. Based on these characteristics, a candidate nozzle will be selected for the full-scale MSC 914 test. The results so far show that the water mist system can effectively suppress the fire in scaled MSC 914 model. The full-scale MSC 914 is scheduled for September 2001. Therefore, the final answer is still pending until then. Scaling results are confirmed for temperatures, heat flux and flow for the MSC 914 fire without water add in.