Prevent tunnel fires will expand due to shortage of oxygen

fire-extinguished-due-lack-of-oxigenThe method introduced here, to prevent that tunnel fires will expand in a very rapid way, can be used at different types of fires. The method will reduce the fire and finally extinguish it due to shortage of oxygen.

Three factors will make or break a fire;

  • temperature,
  • oxygen and
  • fuel,

we should reduce or stop the supply of at least one of these factors to assure that the fire will stop.

Tunnel fires.

prevent-tunnel-fires-inflatable-bagsDue to the confined space and the chimney effect that will occur when a tunnel fire will develop a strong and a continuous flow of air will feed the fire with oxygen.
Fireblocker's method gives a possible solution of how to stop the flow of air in a first stage of a tunnel fire and reduce the area where the fire can develop.

Due to the fact that we are dealing with a fire inside a tunnel with known dimensions gives us opportunities to organise the fire fighting in a well prearranged way. However this doesn’t mean that we will have all parameters in hand while fighting the fire.

Manage fire fighting with Fireblocker

emergency-vehicle-sea-fire-areaThe Fireblocker system will give fire fighters the opportunity to manage the fire within tunnels with a greater controllability.

Reduce fire area by blocking the tunnel

The idea is to block the tunnel from either side of the fire with a large balloon ( or a couple of balloons) mounted on a special vehicle. The balloon (or balloons) will be inflated partly with the non combustible gas Helium for sealing of the overhead structure and partly with air and will so sealing of and reducing the area where the fire exists.
These large balloons are being transported, in an un-inflated capacity, towards the fire on a bus type means of transport and being brought as close to the fire as possible without risking the inflatable devices or transport vehicle catching fire.

The material of which the inflatable balloons are made of exist of a high temperature resistant material and is resistant till approximately 1000 degrees centigrade.

sealed-of-tunnel-segment-with-balloons

Van type vehicle approaching fire

When the van type vehicle comes near the fire it will park in the middle of the tunnel releasing a large flow of gas into the balloons. After the balloons have fully expanded they will block the tunnel completely and the transport of oxygen towards the fire (together with other gasses) will be blocked.

Oxygen will be consumed

Due to the fire, oxygen will be consumed in the fire area and this will decrease the oxygen percentage in the blocked area between two van type vehicles parked at each side of the fire.

 

 

  • Prevent tunnel firesPrevent tunnel fires
  • Fire fightingFire fighting
  • Manage fire fightingManage fire fighting
  • Van type vehicleVan type vehicle

Prevent tunnel fires will expand due to shortage of oxygen

fire-extinguished-due-lack-of-oxigenThe method introduced here, to prevent that tunnel fires will expand in a very rapid way, can be used at different types of fires. The method will reduce the fire and finally extinguish it due to shortage of oxygen.

Three factors will make or break a fire;

  • temperature,
  • oxygen and
  • fuel,

we should reduce or stop the supply of at least one of these factors to assure that the fire will stop.

Break a fire with reducing oxygen

The basic principle of this method is to reduce the number of free floating oxygen molecules in the space where the fire has developed or has the possibility to develop.
This can be in a shop, an office building, education centre or explained later in more detail in a tunnel of any sort.

Reducing the number of oxygen molecules is one of the main objectives, however the space should be sealed of in such a way that “new” molecules can not enter the space.

Sealing the space is one of the other objectives of the method.

The development of a system to stop or reduce the draft in a  “sealed of space” will stop or reduce the flow of oxygen to the fire at the same level. When the percentage of oxygen falls below 17% hardly anything will burn and the fire in the “sealed of space” will slowly fade out.  Obstruction of the vent ways by inflatable devices can be used in any corridor type of passage, as well in a horizontal as in a vertical lay out as in any angle in between.

Reduction of the oxygen can be done in several ways.

  • It is possible to catch the air in the “sealed of space” in inflatable bags, this will cause a reduction of the free flowing oxygen in the “sealed of space”.
  • One could  under-pressurize the “sealed of space” by sucking out air out of the area.
  • Another method to reduce the oxygen is by setting up small controlled fires that consumes the oxygen in a controlled way. Special torches could be used to obtain this.

Keywords: inflated seals, blocking fire area, oxygen reduction, sealing vehicle, air-lock, fire area reduction.