Conference Papers
Fixed water spray systems may be designed to mitigate flammable vapors. They work primarily by entraining air into the spray cone and mixing the air and water droplets with the flammable vapor, thereby diluting the vapor. The current industry standards – including NFPA 15: Standard for water spray fixed systems for fire protection, while providing information on vapor mitigation using fixed water spray (section 7.5) – do not provide the design criteria on how much water and pressure is required to effectively mitigate a specified minor vapor leak. API 2030 does not address the use of fixed water spray for vapor mitigation. In addition, in the event of an ignition, the amount of water and pressure required to control the fire is not defined. This has resulted in the inconsistent application of NFPA 15 for vapor mitigation by engineers and consultants.
The goal of this research project is to evaluate the effectiveness of fixed water sprays to suppress the development of flammable vapor clouds and control the fire in case of ignition.
As the biofuels industry continues to expand in support of global decarbonization mandates and objectives, facility owners and developers are being challenged to balance production efficiency, operational reliability, and personnel safety.
As high hazard facilities, biofuels sites should focus on developing a fire protections strategy informed by performance-based analysis so strategies implemented meet the unique challenges found at each facility.
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