Numeric modeling of fire suppression by organophosphorous inhibitors

TL;DR

This paper presents a numerical model for fire suppression using organophosphorous inhibitors combined with carbon dioxide, predicting extinguishing effectiveness and optimal application strategies through detailed simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive 3D RANS-based numerical approach incorporating chemical kinetics and radiation models to simulate fire suppression by organophosphorous inhibitors.

Findings

Model predictions agree with experimental data.

Minimum inhibitor concentration depends on CO2 volume.

Optimal extinguishing mixture placement is identified.

Abstract

Numerical calculations of the effect of organophosphorous inhibitor (CF3CH2O)3P and its mixtures with carbon dioxide on propane flames are carried out using the three dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations in the low Mach number approximation. The k-e model of turbulence, the EDC combustion model and the weighted-sum-of-gray-gases model of radiation are used. The Westbrook global-kinetic scheme with fractional order of reaction was used for the calculation of chemical reaction rate of propane combustion. The empirical expression for the correction factor for the chemical reaction rate was used to model the effect of organophosphorous inhibitor no the reaction. Two series of test calculations for different values of the correction factor are carried out. Dependences of the minimum extinguishing concentration of the inhibitor per carbon dioxide volume concentration in the extinguishing mixtures were obtained. The results of test calculations are shown to agree reasonably with the experimental data. A calculation of the compartment fire extinguishment was carried out using the result of test calculations. Temperature and inhibitor volume concentration fields at the moment of fire extinguishment are obtained. The results of calculation are used to find out the optimum position of the extinguish mixture source.