Suppression of Fires in Confined Spaces by Nitrogen Pressurization: Ml Extinction Limits for Liquid Pool Fires

Abstract

Larger scale studies of liquid pool fires involved varying the pool surface area and depth, the chamber size and geometry, the pressurization rate, and the fuel and fuel temperature. Fuel-oxidant mixing and fuel temperature are the primary determinants of how much nitrogen is needed for flame suppression. In the worst cases, turbulent fires of boiling n-heptane or ethanol, reduction of the ambient oxygen concentration to about 10.9 percent by volume was required. The results are discussed with regard to other extinction experiments and are found to be consistent.