Study of Liquid Pool Fire Suppression with Water Mists by Cone Calorimeter

Abstract

An experimental study of the pool fire suppression with water mists was performed in this paper. Spatially resolved droplet size, velocity distributions, and volume flux of the fine water mist has been obtained by LDA/APV system. A method to correct for the presence of droplets is presented and used to determine the heat release rate using a cone calorimeter system, the effects of water mist application on the heat release rate for liquid pool fires were studied. It was found that the volume flux of the water spray mostly determined the liquid pool fire-behavior. For the current experimental conditions, the flame was enlarged when lower volume flux of water is used, and suppressed significantly when higher volumes of water are used. Two opposing mechanisms compete when water mists are applied, which is more complex than the halon agents, such as 1301. The combustion enhancement becomes insignificant when water mists with the proper characteristics such as adequate volume flux are applied to the diffusion flame in a confined space.