Full-scale burning tests on heat release rate of gasoline fire with water mist

There are concerns on whether a water mist fire suppression system (WMFSS) can extinguish a fire quickly, though the system might be applied for suppressing or controlling the fire. It was also suggested in the literature that water mists might not always be capable of controlling a fire, even when working under the design conditions as there are many factors to be considered in designing WMFSS. This article will report on experiments on action of water mist discharged from low-pressure fire suppression system on gasoline fire. The objective is to observe more clearly the fire extinguishing mechanism. Full-scale tests were carried out at the new burning facility, PolyU/HEU Assembly Calorimeter at Lanxi, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. There, heat release rates up to 5 MW can be measured by oxygen consumption calorimetry. Results on the heat release rate of liquid pool fires with and without discharging water mist; and the associated temperature profiles will be reported in this article. It was observed that if the flame shape did not change under the action of water mist, the burning process can be sustained although the heat release rate and temperature were both reduced. The downward push induced by discharging water mist is proposed to be one of the extinguishing mechanisms on liquid pool fires. © 2003, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.