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Foam fire suppression

General foam fire suppression information

1. What is foam fire suppression?

Foam firefighting is one of the most common firefighting technologies, since the principle of operation (which is based on limiting the amount of oxygen required to support free combustion) can be effectively implemented in foam fire suppression systems.

The most important element in the precise dosing of fire additives in the flow of water, followed by feeding the resulting foam solution to the discharge devices, where after expanding with air, the finished volume of foam is obtained. The combination of technology and fire additives allows for the use of a wide range of effective extinguishing media- from water with wetting agents to high expansion foams.

With our team's experience in these complex tasks we understand the importance of considering the individual specificity regarding the protection of each customer’s safety and property - from engineering specifications to the supply of a system, including support services.

The scope of applications of our foam equipment includes:

  • Oil tank farms

  • Oil jetties

  • Loading racks

  • LNG storage areas

  • Helipads

  • Storage facilities

  • External processing units

  • Aircraft hangars

 

The advantages of foam firefighting include:

  • The relative low cost of installation and maintenance

  • Safety for human health

  • Reduced environmental impact

  • The availability of a wide range of compatible discharge devices

  • Versatility of application

  • The potential for modernization

  • The ability to protect large areas and hazardous industrial facilities.

Foam suppression systems have a wide range of applications. Our systems are commonly used to eliminate fires in a large area, especially complex fires resulting from flammable or combustible liquids, combustible materials, petroleum, and its products, as well as aerosols, paints, or alcohols.

In addition, foam significantly reduces the consumption of extinguishing media and contributes to the effective elimination of combustion, all done with fewer consequences compared to other media.

Disadvantages include the need to de-energize the extinguishing equipment. Foam is also unsuitable for extinguishing fires of gases, metals, materials reactive with water, and subsurface fires.

2. Firefighting foams

Our primary task is to assess the specifics of each client's facility and select the foam concentrate most suitable for a firefighting challenge within that facility. There are various foam solutions available for a wide range of firefighting scenarios, including industrial, marine, mining, municipal, oil, petrochemical, aviation, and transportation.

The most common types of foam concentrate are Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF), Alcohol Resistant Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Concentrates (AR-AFFF), Class A foams, wetting agents, high-expansion foam concentrates, and protein foams.

The type of facility will determine the required expansion ratio of foam. For contained areas where total flooding is desired, we generally use high expansion foams (with a ratio over 200). For external applications where a foam blanket is desired, we generally use low expansion foams (a ratio from 5 to 20) and medium expansion foams (a ratio from 21 to 200). Obtaining fire extinguishing foam of different expansion ratios depends directly on the type of applied foam concentrate and the corresponding discharge devices. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the potential fire hazard and class of fire, our specialists are ready to offer a wide range of foam concentrates and corresponding discharge devices for use in combating fires, including:

  • Fire monitors

  • Fire towers

  • Foam chambers and pourers

  • Foam generators.

3. Types of foam suppression systems

According to GOST 12.2.047-86, fire suppression systems are comprised of fixed hardware for extinguishing fires by discharging extinguishing media. There are several types of foam suppression systems, including fire sprinkler systems, deluge, pre-action, and robotic fire suppression systems. Among them, the most common are fire sprinkler systems and deluge systems.

Fire sprinkler systems or wet pipe fire suppression systems are equipped with closed-head sprinklers that open when the ambient temperature reaches a designated activation temperature. The system activates at a certain temperature and in most cases does not require an external control input because each sprinkler activates independently near the fire. Fire sprinkler systems can be enhanced by foam.

Deluge systems are fire suppression systems equipped with open sprinklers. The sprinkler orifices are open, so initially the system is a dry pipe that is activated by initiating a device. It covers the entire area to be protected, regardless of the size of the fire. The advantages include not needing to replace the sprinklers after each activation of the system, and the ability to work at low temperatures.

The main constituent elements that make up a typical foam fire suppression installation include:

  • Water source

  • Pump (if the pressure in the water supply system is insufficient)

  • Tanks for housing foam concentrate

  • Proportioners (metering devices)

  • Control system

  • Pipes and valves

  • Discharge devices, hydrants

4. Engineering of foam fire suppression systems

The engineering department of IPK PROMO-CONSULTING employs highly qualified specialists with extensive experience in designing foam fire suppression installations at hazardous industrial facilities. We design foam installations for oil and gas, chemical, and power generation facilities.

Our company also provides turnkey basic design solutions for the protection of loading racks, tanks for storage of inflammable liquids, and standardized foam metering stations. In addition, our company produces modular installations in enclosures (fire pump installations, foam metering stations, and heated fire hose cabinets). Depending on the goals set by the customer regarding the allocated budget and timeline of operation of the foam fire suppression system, we will offer the best possible solution in each individual case.

Our specialists can develop a test procedure of a foam fire suppression system. Tests of foam fire suppression systems can be divided into the following stages: acceptance test immediately before commissioning, and periodic tests (at least once every 5 years) for compliance with regulatory requirements (discharge flow rate of system, response time, etc.), as well as according to other provisions of the current legislation. In addition, it is possible to conduct performance tests of entire foam fire suppression systems, as well as tests of individual components such as sprinklers, deluge valves, proportioners, sound alarms, and water gongs.

5. Our experience

Over the past years our team has accumulated extensive experience in implementing the requests and wishes of numerous customers and partners from various areas of industrial production, including PJSC Transneft, PJSC Gazprom Neft, PJSC NCSP, PJSC GAZPROM, PJSC SIBUR and other major Russian companies.

Having our own production site, reliable equipment suppliers (including world-renowned brands), a wide range of products, and multivariant schemes of implemented technical solutions allow us to consider the individual wishes of our customers in our activities.

6. We invite cooperation

IPK PROMO-CONSULTING LLC is guided by an individual approach to the requests and wishes of our numerous clients and partners. Our range of foam firefighting products allows us to implement the optimal fire protection system for each of the various facilities. If a foam suppression system is not applicable on a site according to the regulatory requirements, we are ready to offer an alternative solution. Our employees are ready to provide all interested parties with professional advice on matters relating to the specifics of functioning, compatibility and features of operation, and overall optimal choice regarding foam firefighting equipment, as well as on other issues related to the selection and purchase of modern equipment for effectively combating fire.

Basic regulatory requirements for foam fire suppression systems according to GOST are based on the provisions of the following relevant documents:

  • GOST 12.3.046-9 Occupational safety standards system. Automatic fire fighting systems. General technical requirements

  • GOST 12.2.047-86 Occupational safety standards system. Fire engineering. Terms and definitions

  • GOST 12.1.033-81 Occupational safety standards system. Fire safety. Terms and definitions

  • GOST 12.4.009-83 Occupational safety standards system. Fire-fighting equipment for protection of units. Basic types. Location and maintenance

  • GOST 9544-2015 Pipeline valves. Leakage rates of valves

  • GOST 12.1.004-91 Occupational safety standards system. Fire safety. General requirements

  • GOST 15150-69 Machines, instruments, and other industrial products. Modifications for different climatic regions. Categories, operating, storage and transportation conditions as to environment climatic aspects influence

  • GOST 12.1.012-2004 Occupational safety standards system. Vibration safety. General requirements

  • GOST 12.2.003-91 Occupational safety standards system. Industrial equipment. General safety requirements

  • GOST 356-80 Valves and parts of pipelines. Nominal, test, and operational pressures. Series

  • GOST 12.2.007.0-75 Occupation safety standards system. Electrical equipment. General safety requirements

  • GOST 12.1.019-2017 Occupational safety standards system. Electrical safety. General requirements and nomenclature of types of protection

  • GOST R 51052-2002 Automatic water and foam fire extinguishing installations. Wet and dry system alarm stations. General technical requirements. Test methods

  • GOST R 50588-2012 Foaming agents for fire extinguishing. General technical requirements and test methods

  • GOST R 50800-95 Automatic fire-fighting foam systems. General technical requirements. Test methods