- Title
- Small-scale test protocol for firefighting foams def(AUST)5706: effect of bubble size distribution and expansion ratio
- Creator
- Laundess, Ashlea J.; Rayson, Mark S.; Dlugogorski, Bogdan Z.; Kennedy, Eric M.
- Relation
- Fire Technology Vol. 47, Issue 1, p. 149-162
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10694-009-0136-2
- Publisher
- Springer
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2011
- Description
- The experimental program described in this paper sought to assess the suitability of the small scale DEF(AUST)5706 standard for measuring the suppression and burnback performance of Class B foams on pool fires. DEF(AUST)5706 is an Australian Defence standard mandatory for use by the Australian Navy, Army and Air Force. The test protocol required the measurement of the 3/4 control, extinguishment and 1/3 burnback times for a circular pan of aviation gasoline (AVGAS 100/130), 0.28 m² in surface area. The test program involved compressed-air foams (CAF) and aspirated foams of two expansion ratios, and employed two AFFF formulations: a 6% telomer concentrate and, to obtain base-line measurements, 3% PFOS FC-600 concentrate which was manufactured by the 3 M company prior to the PFOS phase out. At lower expansion (7:1), the aspirated and compressed-air foams demonstrated similar fire control performance, whilst more expanded (9:1) CAF was generally more efficient at extinguishing, but less efficient in controlling the fire. CAF formed a better seal over the fuel surface and at the hot pan walls, and these foams performed noticeably better than aspirated foam against fuel re-ignition. The paper links these observations with the underlying distributions of bubble sizes, which were measured and fitted to modified Rosin/Rammler cumulative volume distribution functions. We propose that a modified version of DEF(AUST)5706 be adopted as a universal small-scale test protocol.
- Subject
- fire suppression; firefighting foams; petroleum fires; lastfire; suppression of class B fires
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/936941
- Identifier
- uon:12448
- Identifier
- ISSN:0015-2684
- Language
- eng
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