Study of the extent and degree of water and heavy foam coverage of streams generated by a firefighting vehicle equipped with an SO3 jet engine

Abstract

A number of real-scale field tests were carried out on a mobile turbine rescue and firefighting system (MTRFS), equipped with a 10 kN SO3 aircraft turbine, using the energy of exhaust gases to disperse water currents with an intensity of 6 m3min-1. The performed tests have proven the feasibility of applying a fog stream with the surface coverage intensity Iz ≥ 2 mm min−1 at a distance of 90 m and an area of 657 m2. The highest efficiency of the system was obtained at a distance between 25 and 70 m, with the maximum surface coverage intensity being Iz(max) = 14.43 mm min−1. These results indicate a significant potential for the use of water mist generated by jet engines in rescue operations conducted from a distance, e.g. elimination of hazardous substance clouds or operations intended to protect objects exposed to thermal radiation. On the other hand, significantly lower maximum surface coverage intensity generated by the water mist stream than that in the case of using the water monitor generating a droplet stream (Iz(max) = 113.48 mm min−1) indicates a much lower potential for extinguishing group A fires, which require significant wetting of the material. Tests carried out on the traditional vehicle system of supplying solid and dispersed water streams through a Turbo Jet monitor have demonstrated the necessary presence of these systems to achieve optimum operability of vehicles equipped with turbine extinguishing systems.