On-Site Fire Foam Additive Proportioning for Flammable Liquid Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional firefighting foams containing fluorinated surfactants face environmental concerns due to persistence and toxicity, and alternative fluorine-free foams (F3) show weaknesses in flammable liquid fire responses, necessitating a method to modify firefighting foam properties on-site for enhanced performance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the addition of a polysaccharide-based or fluorinated additive to a base foam concentrate and dilution water stream to form a modified foam solution, allowing for on-site adjustment of foam properties to enhance fire suppression effectiveness without retargeting the hazard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fluorinated surfactants are used in firefighting foam, then fire suppression performance is improved, but environmental persistence and toxicity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing fluorinated surfactants with fluorine-free alternatives (such as hydrocarbon-based or silicone-based surfactants), thereby maintaining fire suppression performance while eliminating environmental persistence and toxicity associated with fluorinated compounds
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful fluorinated surfactant component from the foam concentrate formulation, separating the fire suppression functionality from the environmentally harmful substance, and replaces it with safer alternative surfactants
2Object-generated harmful factors
If fluorine-free foam (F3) is used to reduce environmental impact, then environmental safety is improved, but fire suppression effectiveness on flammable liquids deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite foam formulations that combine fluorine-free surfactants with complementary additives and adjuvants to achieve synergistic effects, restoring fire suppression effectiveness on flammable liquids while maintaining environmental safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts formulation parameters including surfactant concentration, foam solution concentration, and additive ratios to optimize the performance of fluorine-free foams for flammable liquid fires, achieving effectiveness comparable to traditional fluorinated foams
3Reliability
If foam properties are modified on-site by adding additives, then fire suppression performance is improved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional components (surfactants, stabilizers, and performance-enhancing additives) into a single pre-mixed foam concentrate formulation, eliminating the need for complex on-site mixing operations while maintaining improved fire suppression performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs the additive mixing and formulation optimization in advance during manufacturing, creating ready-to-use foam concentrates that deliver enhanced performance without requiring complex on-site modification procedures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the creation of a modified foam with improved fire suppression capabilities, optimizing the use of additives to achieve fuel shedding and film formation while minimizing environmental impact and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
achieving fuel shedding and film formation
Implementation Method 2
achieving fuel shedding and film formation
Implementation Method 3
addition of a polysaccharide-based or fluorinated additive to a base foam concentrate and dilution water stream
Data Source
AI summary
A method of proportioning a finished foam at or near a hazard comprising proportioning and delivering a first finished foam to the hazard, determining if the first finished foam extinguishes or suppresses the hazard, if not, selecting an amount of a fluorinated additive, and proportioning a foam solution including the selected amount of the fluorinated additive to form a fluorinated finished foam. A foam injection system is also disclosed.