Evaluation and Mitigation of Industrial Fire Hazards

• A tool suitable for conducting industrial fire and explosion hazard analysis is presented, together with an identification of weak links in the hazard evaluation chain. For some of the weak links additional research has been carried out. The tool, "FREIA", evaluates the consequences for humans and components due to fires and accidental releases indoors and outdoors using established engineering methods. Investigations have been carried out to find possible methods to simulate detector activation. The temperature, velocity, soot, CO2, CO and oxygen concentration were determined in the plume above a fire. Close agreement was found between the different compound fields. A CFD simulation of the same plume closely matched the experiments. However, there are large uncertainties involved when transforming light attenuation measurements into soot volume fraction. Simulations of tests according to the EN54 detector standard were also carried out. The agreement differed for different fuels. In addition, there is a problem with comparing light attenuation measurement performed at different wavelengths. All the results obtained indicate that it is possible to model smoke detector activation by treating the soot as an inert gas, or by assuming the soot concentration closely corresponds to one of the other compound fields. Heat detector activation is not as complicated to simulate. The phasing out of halons often demands new solutions in order to maintain the given protection level. More recently water mist has been mentioned as a possible replacement for halons. Experiments together with theoretical considerations have shown that no presently available water mist system fulfils the requirements of a total flooding system. A narrow window exists, however, in which a water mist can function as a total flooding system. Several halon-like agents have been developed. These, however, produce more thermal decomposition products than halons, the amount produced was found to be proportional to the amount of fuel burnt in the presence of the agent. In addition, experiments have shown that they can actually increase the fire instead of extinguishing it, if not properly designed. Estimating human burns is difficult; a test dummy for such measurements is presented.

• Popular Abstract in Swedish Ett beräkningsprogram, "FREIA", lämpligt för industriell brandriskanalys presenteras. Programmet beräknar skada på människor inom och utom en byggnad på grund av en brand eller ett utsläpp av farligt gods. För några av de i riskanalysen ingående momenten har ytterligare forskning utförts. Dessa områden är: Detektion, Släckmedel samt Brännskada på människa. Det är i dagens läge inte möjligt att förutsäga när en rökdetektor i en komplex rumsgeometri kommer att aktiveras av en brand. Olika möjligheter för att beräkna aktivering med hjälp av CFD-modeller har undersökts. Halonersättning är ett mycket aktuellt ämne. Faktorer att tänka på vid halonersättning diskuteras liksom möjligheten att använda vattendimma som rumsskydd. En testdocka lämplig att mäta brännskador på människor med presenteras.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Annan samhällsbyggnadsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Other Civil Engineering (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Husbyggnad (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Building Technologies (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Teknik

Technological sciences

Effect of fires

Accidental release

Water mist

Halon replacement

Industrial Fire Hazards

Human burns

Smoke detektion

Publication and Content Type

dok (subject category)

vet (subject category)