A class of fire suppressant compounds which have labile bromine atoms bound to atoms other than carbon have been discovered to be more effective at suppressing fires than Halon 1211 and Halon 1301. Moreover, this class of fire suppressant compounds hydrolyze or oxidize rapidly in the troposphere and as a consequence thereof, they have minimal ozone depletion potential.
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0. 39. A fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of IBr in a liquid stage and a propellant combined with the IBr for propelling the composition to catalytically suppress a fire, wherein the composition has no ozone depletion potential.
0. 34. A fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of CuBr in a liquid state and a propellant combined with the CuBr for propelling the composition to catalytically suppress a fire, wherein the composition has no ozone depletion potential.
0. 44. A fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of BrCl in a liquid state and a propellant combined with the BrCl for propelling the composition to catalytically suppress a fire, wherein the composition has no ozone depletion potential.
0. 5. A fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of: at least one brominated, non-carbon compound in a liquid state selected from the group consisting of CuBr, IBr, and BrCl; and a propellant combined with the compound for propelling the composition such that sufficient bromine atoms are liberated from the composition to suppress a fire, wherein the composition has no ozone depletion potential.
0. 1. A fire suppressant composition consisting essentially of at least one brominated, non-carbon compound selected from the group consisting of PBr3, POBr3, SOBr2, BrF3, BrF5, PBr5, TiBr4, SiBr4, IBr, CuBr, NOBr, BrF, and BBr3, which is combined with a propellant such that the ozone depletion potential of the composition is less than 0.1.
0. 2. The fire suppressant composition of
0. 3. A fire suppressant composition consisting of at least one labile brominated compound selected from the group consisting of PBr3, POBr3, SOBr2, BrF3, BrF5, TiBr4, SiBr4, IBr, CuBr, NOBr, BrF, BBr3, and BrCl, which is combined with a propellant selected from the group consisting of CO2, N2, compressed air, and HCFC-123 (CF3CCl2H).
0. 4. The fire suppressant composition of
0. 6. The composition of
0. 7. The composition of
0. 8. The composition of
0. 9. The composition of
0. 10. The composition of
0. 11. The composition of
0. 12. The composition of
0. 13. The composition of
0. 14. The composition of
0. 15. The composition of
0. 16. The composition of
0. 17. The composition of
0. 18. The composition of
0. 19. The composition of
0. 20. The composition of
0. 21. The composition of
0. 22. The composition of
0. 23. The composition of
0. 24. The composition of
0. 25. The composition of
0. 26. The composition of
0. 27. The composition of
0. 28. The composition of
0. 29. The composition of
0. 30. The composition of
0. 31. The composition of
0. 32. The composition of
0. 33. The composition of
0. 35. The composition of
0. 36. The composition of
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0. 48. The composition of
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Thus lower average bond energies indicate the possibility of labile bonds in a group of materials, but further experimentation with specific materials is required to establish the lability of the bond compared with Halons.
TABLE I
Composition
Phase
% Br
Comments
PBr3
liquid
88
brominating agent
POBr3
liquid
83
brominating agent
SOBr2
liquid
77
brominating agent
BrF3
liquid
58
reactive solvent
BrF5
liquid
46
reactive solvent
PBr5
solid
91
brominating agent
TiBr4
solid
87
reacts with water
SiBr4
liquid
92
reacts with water
IBr
solid
39
decomposes at 116° C.
CuBr
solid
29
brominating agent
NOBr
gas
73
brominating agent
B2F
gas
81
boils at −20° C.
C6H4O2NBr
solid
44.9
decomposes at 170° C.
BBr3
liquid
96
boils at 90° C.
BrCl
gas
70
decomposes at 10° C.
In one embodiment of the invention liquid SOBr2 is introduced as an air-pressurized mist into a 500,000 Btu/hr fire resulting from kerosene flowing at a rate of 4 grams per second through a nozzle with cross-flowing compressed air to atomize the liquid into a fine mist. The fire is contained in a flame holder whose volume is approximately 8 liters and is further blown by an atmospheric cross-wind of 40 miles per hour. The fire is reproducibly and irreversibly extinguished with less than one gram of SOBr2 in less than 0.2 seconds as confirmed by videotape records of the experiments. The same fire is not reproducibly suppressed with aliquots of 25 grams of CF3Br added to the same location.
In another embodiment of the invention 0.2 cubic centimeters of PBr3 is mixed with 0.7 cubic centimeters of liquid carbon dioxide. The liquid CO2 propels the PBr3 through a valve and into the flame zone, generated as herein above described, as it is opened, irreversibly and completely extinguishing the flame in the presence of flowing fuel, air, and hot surfaces.
Extinguishment of a similar fire, with a hydrocarbon fuel burn rate of 12 grams per second, by Halon 1301 is taught by Alvarez in chapter 3 of Gann (ibid.) to require between 90 and 130 grams per second of CF3Br for suppression. Another example of a gasoline fire with similar heat output is taught by Ford in chapter 1 of Gann (ibid.) to require between 500 and 1500 grams of Halon 1301 for suppression. Another fire, in which 10 grams per second of jet fuel are burned in fast-flowing air at the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory Engine Nacelle test facility (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH) requires between one and three kilograms of Halon 1301 for reproducible suppression. In each of these examples the quantity of Halon 1301 required to suppress a similar fire is between 100 and 1000 times greater than that required of the compositions of matter described herein above, of which SOBr2 and PBr3 are specific embodiments.
The labile bromine atoms and high proportion of bromine in the composition of matter listed in Table I provide a more efficient fire suppression formulation than the Halons, which typically have less bromine by weight (Halon 1301 and 1211 are 54% and 48% Br, respectively) and lesser proclivity for liberating bromine atoms when thermally or chemically activated in a combustion environment.
Methods for dispersing gas, liquid, or solid suppressants require designs based upon such factors as specific geometry of the locus of the fire, flow properties of the fire suppressants, and flame conditions of the fire. For example, fine mists of liquid are transported by fluid-dynamical drag forces along flow streamlines in the nacelle of an aircraft engine. The mists vaporize in hot zones, liberating bromine atoms by pyrolysis in precisely the regions where the heat released by combustion is most intense. Inasmuch as the drag coefficient is inversely proportional to the droplet diameter, as is known to people practiced in the art of fluid dynamics, there is a range of aerosol size distributions which most effectively deliver specific suppressants to specific fires. Another such factor for a gaseous composition is the mixing of suppressant flow with turbulent flames in a well-ventilated fire, which is affected by the delivery pressure, the nozzle contour and orientation, the mass-flow rate of the suppressant, and the fluid dynamical properties of the fire. Dispersing methods designed for suppressing fire in the nacelle of a jet engine differ from dispersing methods designed for suppressing fire in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle, the flu of a chimney, or the gas-handling manifold of a semiconductor processing clean-room.
Methods for preventing and extinguishing fires of jet fuel using a composition of matter class which is highly efficient and environmentally friendly is also disclosed by the present inventors in Final Technical Report FR-4021 (US Air Force Phase I SBIR Contract F33615-94-C-5005, November 1994).
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be understood that within the scope of this invention various changes may be made in the amount of fire suppressant, the composition of a fire suppressant mixture, and the method for dispersing fire suppressants which is generally stated consist of a class of fire suppressants and methods of dispersing such fire suppressants capable of carrying out the objects set forth as disclosed in the appended claims.
Haaland, Peter D., Huntington, John H.
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