(68a) High Expansion Foam Application for Controlling LNG Pool Fire -- Experiment Results and Analysis

LNG pool fire emits high heat radiation thus preventing fire fighter from coming closer and extinguishing the fire. One of the strategies used in industry is to use foam to control LNG fire and reduce heat radiation then fire fighters can come closer to the pool fire to extinguish it.

High expansion foam (HiEx) has been considered as one of the best options for controlling LNG pool fire. However, its effectiveness heavily depends on foam application rate, foam generator location, and dike design. Examination of these factors is beneficial in order to achieve the maximum benefit of applying HiEx on LNG pool fires.

While theoretical study of the effects of foam on LNG fires is important, the complicated phenomena involved in LNG pool fire and foam application increase the need for experiment. Therefore, five LNG experiment sponsored by BP and ANGUS FIRE has been conducted at Texas A&M University's Brayton Fire Training Field.

In this paper, data collected during five experiments are presented and analyzed. The effectiveness of high expansion foam on controlling LNG pool fires with various application rates at two different pits is discussed. LNG fire behaviors and the effects of dike wall height are also presented and discussed.