RU2442626C1 - The system and method of impulse fire extinguishing on sea vessels and platforms and shore-based facilities - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: firefighting equipment.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to firefighting facilities, equipment for fighting of fast-developing fire of hydrocarbons on sea-vessels, sea hydrocarbons production platforms and the sea shore-based objects with a high level of fire and explosion hazard; the method lies in supply of the pulsed combined air-and-water low and average ratio foam jet; to attain the technical result the fire fighting system for sea vessels, platforms and sea shore-based objects comprises the piping station placed in the container and connected with the water supply devices with the help of pipes, the foam generator tank and the fire extinguishing device which are made to create and supply pressurized pulsed combined air-and-water jet of foam of low ratio, from 7 to 20 and the foam of average ratio, from 20 to 100.

EFFECT: enhancement of the productivity and efficiency of fighting of fast-developing fire burning of hydrocarbons due to the increase of the throw of the combined low and average ratio foam stream to 100 and more meters.

21 cl, 1 dwg, 1 tbl

Description

Technical field

The group of inventions relates to fire fighting equipment, to systems and methods for extinguishing rapidly developing hydrocarbon fires on marine vessels and offshore platforms for hydrocarbon production and offshore based facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard.

State of the art

Recently, a number of leading oil-producing countries of the world, including Russia, have increased activity in the development of deposits on the continental shelf.

It is known that Russia has the longest shelf on the planet, 85% of which is in the Arctic sector. About 100 billion tons of oil equivalent, of which more than 30% is oil, are the total hydrocarbon resources of the Russian continental shelf.

It is also known that about 70% of the main hydrocarbon resources in Russia are concentrated in the bowels of the Arctic seas (Barents, Pechora, Kara).

For the development of deposits on the continental shelf only until 2020 and only Gazprom will need more than 10 drilling and technological platforms, more than 50 ships and floating equipment of various types, as well as up to 23 tankers for the transportation of hydrocarbons.

Offshore development, exploration and development of oil and gas fields is a high-risk industrial activity.

Distinctive features of accidents and catastrophes at offshore site facilities are the extreme transience of the development of emergency processes associated with the release of hydrocarbons and their combustion in a tightly packed technological equipment.

In the world history of the development of the continental shelf, there are a number of accidents with catastrophic consequences that arose as a result of errors in the design and adoption of insufficiently effective concepts and equipment for emergency, explosion and fire hazard.

So, due to the untimely adoption of measures to eliminate the accident and untimely extinguishing of the fire on the Ron-Tappmeyer platform on 02.10.80 (Red Sea), an uncontrolled oil spill occurred during drilling, followed by an explosion and fire. Killed 19 people. Environmental damage amounted to several million US dollars.

03/27/83 in the North Sea, when a series of explosions followed by a fire occurred due to the destruction of the supports of the Alexander Kielland oil platform, 123 people died. The platform was completely destroyed.

In the North Sea on July 6, 1988, several explosions occurred on the deck of the Piper Alfa platform, resulting in a fire. The fire killed 164 people. The platform was completely destroyed.

In the Atlantic Ocean on March 15, 2001, as a result of powerful explosions on the Petrobrass oil platform, a fire broke out in which 10 people died. The platform sank completely. Over 125 thousand tons of oil fell into the ocean.

In November 2009, a fire broke out in the Indian Ocean on the platform of Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd., which completely destroyed the main platform of the northern oil field, the operation of which accounted for up to 17% of all oil production in India. About 100 thousand barrels of oil per day were pumped out of here. This platform was the main production asset of the corporation, the total value of assets of which is estimated at 32 billion US dollars. Of the 385 people who were on the platform, only 336 were saved, the rest are reported as missing.

From February to September 2010, only the elimination of the oil leak continued after the destruction of the marine platform in the Gulf of Mexico near the US borders as a result of the explosion and fire, as a result of which a large amount of oil fell into the waters of the gulf and caused irreparable damage to the ecology of this region.

Over the past 30 years, more than 60 incidents have occurred on offshore platforms, which killed more than 600 people and many suffered severe burns and injuries. Moreover, almost every incident associated with an explosion or fire ended with the platform being destroyed or becoming unsuitable for recovery.

For this reason, the main concept of fire and explosion suppression systems on offshore platforms is the need to provide an instant response to ignition of any scale.

The most important factor in the localization of fire extinguishing on ships and offshore hydrocarbon platforms and offshore facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard is the prevention of any kind of flame burning. The physical essence of this condition lies in the fact that the term "extinguishing a fire" means the creation of such physical conditions that would exclude the possibility of continuing combustion processes in any form and any material.

Thus, with the start of development of the shelf of the northern and southern seas, as well as with the development of the Arctic and Antarctic, there was an urgent need to create effective means of extinguishing hydrocarbon fires on ships and offshore platforms for hydrocarbon production and offshore facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard in the form of devices and compact equipment installed on decks and in containers of various volumes, with complete fire extinguishing pumping stations.

Known marine complete pumping stations of firms Nijhuis Fire Fighting Protection (Netherlands), SPP-Pumps Ltd. (England), MTT (USA), Flughafenfeuerwehr Baden-Airpark (Germany), which allow generating either only water jets or low-foam jets with the required range, but unsatisfactory efficiency in extinguishing hydrocarbon fires due to the low efficiency of extinguishing water fires of hydrocarbons due to their lower density compared to water. Therefore, systems and methods for water fire extinguishing are being intensively developed.

Foams of low multiplicity have good cooling ability and a high spreading rate over the fuel surface, an increased feed range. However, they are not effective enough due to the low insulating ability, except for foams of low multiplicity based on expensive and environmentally harmful fluorinated blowing agents.

Medium-sized foams have enhanced heat-insulating properties, but their use in large-scale fires is limited due to their short range, low spreading speed on the fuel surface, high destruction coefficient from the effects of radiant heat and convective flame flows, and also from heated metal and other structures of a burning object .

Known fire monitors and hand barrels forming jets of foam of low multiplicity with a feed range of 20-60 m. However, they do not allow for a large coating area and require the use of expensive film-forming fluorinated foaming agents, which does not allow to obtain the required fire extinguishing effect, leads to a delay of the extinguishing time and high the cost of blowing agents used in extinguishing a fire.

It is known the use of foam of medium multiplicity, which has increased (compared with foams of low multiplicity) fire extinguishing efficiency when extinguishing oil and oil products, and foam generators in a portable and stationary version. However, most previously known medium-sized foam generators provided foam jets from 3 to 8 m, which made it difficult to use them due to the high risk of the personnel of fire departments working in the fire zone. Similar methods and devices for forming a foam jet of medium multiplicity are described in A.S. USSR N 1789239, class A62C 31/12, publ. 01/23/93, and A.S. USSR N 1614813, class A62C 5/02, publ. 12/23/90.

The closest in technical essence and achieved by using the result for the group of inventions (prototype) are the previously developed by the applicant method and device for forming a combined jet of foam medium and low multiplicity with a range of foam jet medium multiplicity up to 20-50 m [RF Patent 2170123, A62C 5 / 02, Publ. 07/10/2001 (prototype)].

Task and technical result

The main technical problem (the inventive task has not been solved so far), which hinders the increase in productivity and efficiency of modern fire extinguishing methods and equipment for quickly developing hydrocarbon fires on ships and offshore hydrocarbon platforms and offshore facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard, is that the well-known foam generators of low multiplicity provide a spray range of 20 to 60 m, but they do not allow the use of call affordable cheap water-soluble foaming agents and do not provide the required efficiency and coverage area of the foam jet, and the known methods and generators of medium-sized foams have the required fire extinguishing efficiency and allow the use of water-soluble foaming agents, but they can deliver low-foaming foam only up to 50 m, which is clearly not enough to extinguish large marine fires of hydrocarbons.

The required technical result achieved by using the inventions is to increase the productivity and increase the efficiency of extinguishing rapidly developing hydrocarbon fires on ships and offshore hydrocarbon platforms and offshore facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard due to the accelerated creation of a pulsed combined foam jet of medium and low multiplicity and increase the range of the pulsed combined jet of foam of low and medium multiplicity up to 100 more meters.

Disclosure of invention

The goal and the required technical result when using the invention are achieved by the fact that the fire extinguishing system on ships, offshore platforms and offshore coastal facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard according to the invention contains a pumping station connected by pipelines with a means for supplying water, a foaming agent container and a fire extinguishing installation made with the possibility of creating and supplying a pressure of 1.1-1.9, mainly 1.4-1.6 MPa, of a pulsed combined water-air low expansion foam jet by a factor of 7 to 20 and a medium expansion foam with a multiplicity of 20 to 100.

At the same time, the fire extinguishing system is configured to create and supply a pulsed combined water-air jet under pressure through a centrifugal pump with a capacity of at least 300 l / s (1100 m ³ / h).

At the same time, the fire extinguishing system is made in a stationary version with the possibility of mounting on the decks of sea vessels, offshore platforms and onshore-based facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard, or made in a mobile version with the possibility of being placed in a container installed and used on the decks of sea vessels, offshore platforms and on vehicles of coastal-based facilities.

In this case, the means of supplying water to the pump station is made in the form of a water tank placed in the container or near the container, or in the form of a water supply pipe connected to the pump station from the side of the sea vessel or offshore platform, or in the form of a supply pipe connected to the pump station water from the water supply system of a marine vessel, offshore platform or offshore-based facility.

The goal and the required technical result when using the inventions are also achieved by the fact that according to the method of extinguishing fires on ships, offshore platforms and sea-based facilities, including the supply of a fire extinguishing agent to the fire zone, a pulsed combined water-air jet of low-foam foam is used as a fire extinguishing agent with a multiplicity of 7 to 20 and foam of medium multiplicity with a multiplicity of 20 to 100, supplied under a pressure of 1.1-1.9 MPa, mainly 1.4-1.6, MPa, created by cent obezhnym pump.

In this case, a pulsed combined jet of foam of low and medium multiplicity of horizontal orientation or at an angle to the horizontal is used, moreover, two or more pulsed combined jet of foam of low and medium multiplicity from one, two or more pulsed fire extinguishing systems is simultaneously supplied to the fire zone two or more pulsed combined jets of foam of low and medium multiplicity with the possibility of contact or mutual overlap of the jets with the formation of a single pulse combined jet of foam of high pressure and increased area of coverage of the fire zone.

In this case, pulsed combined jets of foam of low and medium multiplicity are fed into the fire zone by means of a stationary fire extinguishing system mounted on the decks of ships, offshore platforms and offshore facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard, or pulsed combined jets of foam of low and medium multiplicity are fed into the zone fire through a fire extinguishing system placed in a container installed and used on the decks of ships, offshore platforms and vehicles shore-based facilities.

In this case, a pulsed combined jet of low and medium foam foam is used, obtained by pulsed generation of medium foam on grid generators and the generation of low foam by means of barrels and nozzles providing foaming of the foam solution by impact of the jets with the possibility of transferring the kinetic energy of the low foam foam jets to the foam jets medium multiplicity in a pulsed combined jet of low foam and medium foam.

The extinguishing agent is supplied to the fire zone by means of the fire extinguishing system described above.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a General view of an embodiment of a fire extinguishing system according to the invention in a mobile version in a container.

The implementation of the invention

Foams with a multiplicity of 7 to 20, that is, low-level foams, have good cooling ability, and foams with a ratio of more than 20 to 100 (medium-sized foams) have good insulating ability.

To obtain foams of low multiplicity in the system according to the invention, trunks and nozzles are used that provide foaming of the aqueous solution by impact of the jets. In this case, foam bubbles are formed due to the ejection of air directly into the jet.

To obtain medium-frequency pulsed foams, grid generators (ejection foam generators) are used. Here, foam is formed on the grid by feeding (sticking) the solution directly to it. Air ejection also occurs from outside, due to the energy of pulsed jets supplied to the grid. Moreover, to improve the formation of the foam jet outside the grid, an air flow is formed, as a rule, in the cylindrical body of the generator.

Moreover, according to the invention, the simultaneous use of foams of low and medium multiplicity by pulsed generation of foams of medium multiplicity on grid generators and the transfer of kinetic energy of the jets of foam of low multiplicity to the foam jet of medium multiplicity is ensured, which provides increased range of the pulsed combined foam jet. Due to this, an increase in the range of supply of foam with an average multiplicity of more than 10 times in comparison with the known world analogues is provided. At the same time, the spreading speed of the foam on the surfaces of flammable liquids also increases, the degree of destruction of the foam from the effects of hazardous fire factors decreases, which ensures an increase in fire fighting efficiency.

Structurally, the fire extinguishing system according to the invention can be performed in 2 main versions:

in the stationary version - using on the decks of sea vessels and oil and gas platforms or as part of fire emergency rescue vessels, as well as at sea-based facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard;

in the mobile version - in standard ISO containers, which can also be installed and used on the decks of platforms or ships, as well as on vehicles (cars or railway platforms) for shore-based facilities.

The fire extinguishing system according to the invention can be equipped with "Purga" combined fire extinguishing installations (hereinafter - UKTP "Purga") produced by the applicant, designed to provide fire protection for fire and explosion hazardous objects during construction, repair and repair work, and can also be used as a stationary water fire extinguishing system at various facilities.

A distinctive feature of the fire extinguishing system according to the invention is the use in its composition of new technical means developed by the applicant, namely the complex fire extinguishing systems manufactured by the applicant UKTP “Purga”, with the help of which pulsed combined jets of fire extinguishing foams of low and medium multiplicity are carried out for an increased distance ( more than 5-6 times in comparison with analogs-foam generators) with a high rate of foam penetration into confined volumes, and also spread I eat on the surface of a flammable liquid.

The main technical characteristics of the UKTP “Purga” installations produced by the applicant, which are included in the equipment of the fire extinguishing system according to the invention and are used to generate medium-sized foam jets in pulsed combined jets of fire extinguishing foams of low and medium frequency, are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. No. Parameter Name Value "Blizzard-5" "Purga-7" "Blizzard 10.2030" one Ox consumption at a pressure of 0.8 MPa, l / s 5.2 7 thirty 2 The flow rate of an aqueous solution of a foaming agent, l / s 5.2 7 25 ... 30 3 Foaming agent consumption, l / s 0.3 ... 0.4 0.4 0.9 ... 1.8 four The range of the jet (in extreme drops) at a pressure of 0.8 MPa, m: - water eighteen 25 fifty - foam 24 thirty 47 5 The rate of foam at the end of the jet fifty 70 twenty 6 Weight kg 6.55 9 70 7 Dimensions in working position, mm: - length 610 950 1960 - width 365 350 625 - height 310 400 1280

An advantageous embodiment of the fire extinguishing system according to the invention provides the following functions:

- the supply of a pulsed combined jet of foam of low and medium multiplicity, supplied under a preferential pressure of 1.1-1.9 MPa, created by a mechanical centrifugal pump;

- water intake directly from the side of the vessel or from an intermediate water tank;

- the supply of a pulsed combined jet of fire extinguishing foam using the foam mixing system and UKTP "Blizzard" to the place of fire;

The composition of the preferred embodiment of the fire extinguishing system according to the invention may include:

- a container for placing equipment of type 1CC GOST 18477-79;

- an electric pump unit with pumps of the K100-65-250 type (2 pcs - main and backup);

- a water tank with a volume of 5000 l;

- a tank for a foaming agent of 1000 l;

- portable installation UKTP "Purga-5";

- portable installation UKTP "Purga-7";

- mobile installation UKTP "Purga-30";

- water-filled pipeline communications with devices for connecting Purga plants and devices for filling tanks, as well as connections to object water systems;

- system control cabinet;

- a manual pump for pumping a foaming agent;

- a set of fire hoses;

- a set of electric heaters.

A general view of an embodiment of a fire extinguishing system according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1

The equipment can be placed inside a standard container 1 type 1CC (figure 1).

From the inside, the container can be insulated with a layer of mineral wool 50 mm thick and can be sheathed with plywood 2.

The volume of the container can be divided by a warmed partition with a door into two compartments - a pump room and a working vestibule.

The main equipment is located in the pump room: water tanks 4 and foaming agent 5, pump station 3, foam piping communications 6.

Hand-held fire-fighting systems "Purga", fire hoses and other equipment that do not have a fixed installation place can also be stored here. In the working vestibule place the control cabinet 7.

The partition can be equipped with a lifting shutter for access to the taps and valves of water pipelined pipelines.

This technology according to the invention was practically tested when extinguishing large fires in aircraft, where it was shown that using this method it is possible to extinguish fires on areas of 1000 m ² or more in 1-2 minutes.

The use of the pulsed method of supplying fire extinguishing substances to the combustion zone is due to the need to provide instant fire extinguishing at especially explosive and fire hazardous facilities associated with the rapid development of the fire and the transition of the fire from the initial stage of development in minutes to catastrophic fires with difficult to predict consequences.

To ensure the speed of the fire extinguishing system on ships and offshore hydrocarbon platforms and offshore facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard, the most efficient way is the pulsed (extremely fleeting) method of supplying a fire extinguishing agent.

The pulsed supply of extinguishing agents in the system according to the invention is based on the kinetic energy of water suppressed by centrifugal fire pumps.

As sources of pulsed supply of extinguishing agents, the following can also be used: translational or rotational motion of a solid (shock transformer, flywheel); explosion energy; progressive fluid movement (hydraulic ram); energy of compressed gas (pneumatic accumulators); combustion energy of a combustible gas mixture (Humphrey pump); combustion energy of solid fuels (powder pressure accumulators, powder gas generators); energy of electric discharge (discharge of a capacitor bank in a liquid medium, magnetofugal systems).

The main advantages of the system and method of pulse fire extinguishing according to the invention:

- constant readiness for action,

- simplicity of design and operation,

- high reliability (due to a simpler equipment design).

Due to the higher kinetic energy characteristics of the pulsed combined water-air jet, low-foam and medium-foam foam using the system and method of pulsed fire fighting according to the invention provides:

- quick fire fighting in large areas;

- extinguishing a fire with high energy (sea vessels, offshore platforms, coastal warehouses, storage facilities, etc.);

- extinguishing fires from a long distance (up to 150-200 m), which is especially significant if it is impossible to approach the source of fire due to transport, high temperature, explosive and other restrictions.

A detailed description of the design and features of the functioning of the system prove the industrial applicability of the invention.

Individual parts and components of the equipment of the inventive system according to the invention can be made of materials commonly used in fire fighting equipment, using conventional equipment using conventional technologies.

Claims (21)

1. Fire extinguishing system on ships, offshore platforms and offshore coastal facilities, characterized in that it comprises a pumping station connected by pipelines with a means of supplying water, a foaming agent container and a fire extinguishing installation configured to create and supply a pulse combined air-water pump under pressure jets of foam of low multiplicity and foam of medium multiplicity. 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a pumping station connected by pipelines with means for supplying water, a foaming agent container and a fire extinguishing installation, configured to create and supply under pressure a pulsed combined water-air jet of low-foam foam with a multiplicity of 7 to 20 and foam of medium multiplicity with a multiplicity of 20 to 100. 3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a pumping station connected by pipelines with means for supplying water, a foaming agent container and a fire extinguishing installation, configured to create and supply a pressure of 1.1-1.9, preferably 1.4 -1.6 MPa, pulsed combined water-air jet foam of low multiplicity and foam of medium multiplicity. 4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to create and supply under pressure a pulsed combined water-air jet by means of a centrifugal pump. 5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to create and supply under pressure a pulsed combined water-air jet with a capacity of at least 300 l / s (1100 m ³ / h). 6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made in a stationary version with the possibility of mounting on the decks of sea vessels, offshore platforms and onshore-based facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard. 7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made in a mobile version with the possibility of placement in a container installed and used on the decks of sea vessels, offshore platforms and on vehicles of sea-based facilities. 8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of supplying water to the pumping station is made in the form of a water tank located in the container or at the container. 9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of supplying water to the pumping station is made in the form of a water supply pipe connected to the pumping station due to the side of the sea vessel or offshore platform. 10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of supplying water to the pumping station is made in the form of a water supply pipeline connected to the pumping station from the water supply system of a marine vessel, offshore platform or offshore based facility. 11. A method of extinguishing fires on ships, offshore platforms and offshore coastal facilities, comprising supplying a fire extinguishing agent to a fire zone, characterized in that a pulsed combined water-air jet of low-frequency foam and medium-frequency foam is used as the fire-extinguishing agent. 12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that as a fire extinguishing agent use a pulsed combined water-air jet of foam of low multiplicity with a frequency of 7 to 20 and foam of medium frequency with a frequency of 20 to 100. 13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the pulsed combined jet of foam of low and medium multiplicity is used, supplied by pulses under pressure of 1.1-1.9, mainly 1.4-1.6 MPa. 14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that they use a pulsed combined jet of foam of low and medium multiplicity, supplied under a pressure of 1.1-1.9 MPa, mainly 1.4-1.6 MPa, created by a centrifugal pump. 15. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that use a pulsed combined jet of foam of low and medium multiplicity of horizontal orientation or orientation at an angle to the horizontal. 16. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that two or more pulsed combined foam jets of low and medium multiplicity from one, two or more pulse fire extinguishing systems are simultaneously supplied to the fire zone with the possibility of forming two or more pulsed combined foam jets of low and medium multiplicity. 17. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the pulsed combined foam jets of low and medium multiplicity are fed into the fire zone with the possibility of contact or mutual overlap of the jets with the formation of a single pulse combined foam jet of increased pressure and an increased area of coverage of the fire zone. 18. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the pulsed combined foam jets of low and medium multiplicity are fed into the fire zone by means of a stationary fire extinguishing system mounted on the decks of ships, offshore platforms and onshore-based facilities with a high degree of fire and explosion hazard. 19. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the pulsed combined jets of foam of low and medium multiplicity are fed into the fire zone by means of a fire extinguishing system located in a container installed and used on the decks of ships, offshore platforms and vehicles of coastal-based facilities . 20. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that they use a pulsed combined jet of low-foam and medium-foam foam, obtained by pulsed generation of medium-foam foam on grid generators and the generation of low-foam foam by means of barrels and nozzles, providing foaming of the aqueous solution by impacting the jets with the ability to transfer the kinetic energy of the low-foam foam jets to the medium-sized foam jets in a pulsed combined jet of low-foam and medium-sized foam. 21. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the supply of the extinguishing agent to the fire zone is carried out by means of a fire extinguishing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images