Fighting Fires at Refineries: Calculating Water Requirements

Whatever amount you come up with...double it!

A fine water mist effectively suppresses oil fires that are shielded from wind. This method may work for you if the fine mist system can be installed inside the storage tank, and if the fire can be extinguished before the tank is breached. Foam is the preferred suppressant for outdoor oil fires.

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The quantity of water required will depend on the composition and quantity of fuel, fuel temperature, ambient temperature, and relative humidity.

You should consult someone in the business of installing this type of fire suppression equipment about the quantity of water your system would require, and of what quality.

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What kind of tank liquid - crude, product HVP or LVP, gasoline????

What kind of tank, floater or fixed - dual or single seal, vapor recovery or vented???

Remember if you put the fire out...the hot liquid is still generating vapor - you have air and all you need is a new ignition point...remeber also fools, angels, rushing in, fear to tread, etc.

Don't expect to put the fire out, make sure you can isolate the tank from piping into and out of...

Make sure to protect the piping from the heat...vaporizing

You need high pressure - fogging/misters and ring type sprinkler with remote farm monitors or rings - primarily to keep the other tank cools so that they don't start vaporizing and forming bombs

TOM

You'd better question: what amount of foam concentrate should I have and how are we going to apply it in case of fire.

Plain water on an oil fire is worse than doing nothing.

You can cool the surface to guarantee the stability and prevent that the fire will spread to adjacent tanks.

It is very simple to calculate this: take the water density needed, multiplied by the surface to cool and the time to keep it working.

the density is depending the content of the tank, and in most cases the roof is satisfied by half the Walls density (depends on the roof angle as this drives the runoff speed)

Have you thought about using foam, like the Air Force and commercial airports do for jet fuel fires? Pouring water on gasoline or liquid fuel fires tends to spread the fire from burning fuel floating on top of the water runoff.

Foam is great stuff, but not practical for fixed installations...the foam truck should be there but not fixed foam monitors.

Water can be used and is more practical - as a mister or fogger - need specialized nozzles and high pressure - triple-plus - 150 ft of head pressure to make the listing work. You actually want the water to vaporized - great stuff water - heat of vaporization is key - also don't get runoff.

Fogging/Misting is primarily used to cool the air and the flame and to reduce oxygen availability and thereby the spread of fire, NOT to directly impact the flame source. Last comment/reply

Fixed foam systems are the best solution: as soon as a tank fire is detected foam should be used to cover the burning surface.

For this special equipment is available (inject from the top or the bottom of the tank)

But: never use bottom injection on styrene ot other products who have the nasty habit of autopolymerisation.

The idea of foam trucks is really old fashioned driven by accountants who want to invest as little as possible.

AFFF foam should be applied above by means of pre-placed monitors. The foam will seal the surface of the fuel from oxygen. Cool the liquid fuel, and dilute the surface of the fuel. For application rates you can contact Angus, Ansul, or 3M. The quantity of water/foam mixture should be determined as a flow rate. Ten million gallons of water delivered at 5 gallons per minuet will not work. What ever numbers you come up with will have no value if the integrity of the tank is compromised. Have you contacted the NFPA yet.

I DO NOT REALY KNOW WHAT IT TAKES IN THE AMOUNT OF WATER ,BUT WE HERE AT DORN TANKS HAVE A GREAT STORAGE TANKS FOR THE WATER STORAGE THAT THE PLANTS COULD USE. OR FOR THAT MATTER ,OIL STORAGE , FOOD STORAGE , GRAIN ECT. SALT WATER , YOU NAME IT .

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