Effect of CF3H and CF3Br on laminar diffusion flames in normal and microgravity

Chemical inhibition of diffusion flames through addition of halogenated inhibitors is a problem of significant practical and scientific interest. Extensive studies on diffusion flames in microgravity have shown that these flames have significantly different characteristics than those under normal gravity. However, the mechanisms through which inhibitors reach the reaction zone to suppress combustion in diffusion flames and the effectiveness of these compounds under reduced gravity have yet to be investigated. This study reports preliminary results of investigations on the behavior of laminar jet diffusion flames upon the addition of bromotrifluoromethane (CF3Br) and trifluoromethane (CF3H) to the surroundings under normal and microgravity conditions. The results show that the flame structure in microgravity is significantly different from that under normal gravity conditions, and more importantly, that conditions for flame stability are less stringent under microgravity. Experiments show that flames that cannot be stabilized under normal gravity are quite stable under microgravity conditions. In addition, normal gravity experiments at reduced pressure (low buoyancy) did not reproduce the structure or stability limits of inhibited flames in microgravity

Fire Suppression in Low Gravity Using a Cup Burner

Longer duration missions to the moon, to Mars, and on the International Space Station increase the likelihood of accidental fires. The goal of the present investigation is to: (1) understand the physical and chemical processes of fire suppression in various gravity and O2 levels simulating spacecraft, Mars, and moon missions; (2) provide rigorous testing of numerical models, which include detailed combustion suppression chemistry and radiation sub-models; and (3) provide basic research results useful for advances in space fire safety technology, including new fire-extinguishing agents and approaches. The structure and extinguishment of enclosed, laminar, methane-air co-flow diffusion flames formed on a cup burner have been studied experimentally and numerically using various fire-extinguishing agents (CO2, N2, He, Ar, CF3H, and Fe(CO)5). The experiments involve both 1g laboratory testing and low-g testing (in drop towers and the KC-135 aircraft). The computation uses a direct numerical simulation with detailed chemistry and radiative heat-loss models. An agent was introduced into a low-speed coflowing oxidizing stream until extinguishment occurred under a fixed minimal fuel velocity, and thus, the extinguishing agent concentrations were determined. The extinguishment of cup-burner flames, which resemble real fires, occurred via a blowoff process (in which the flame base drifted downstream) rather than the global extinction phenomenon typical of counterflow diffusion flames. The computation revealed that the peak reactivity spot (the reaction kernel) formed in the flame base was responsible for attachment and blowoff of the trailing diffusion flame. Furthermore, the buoyancy-induced flame flickering in 1g and thermal and transport properties of the agents affected the flame extinguishment limits

Flame Inhibition by Potassium-Containing Compounds

<p>A kinetic model of inhibition by the potassium-containing compound potassium bicarbonate is suggested. The model is based on the previous work concerning kinetic studies of suppression of secondary flashes, inhibition by alkali metals, and the emission of sulfates and chlorides during biomass combustion. The kinetic model includes reactions with the following gas-phase potassium-containing species: K, KO, KO₂, KO₃, KH, KOH, K₂O, K₂O₂, (KOH)₂, K₂CO₃, KHCO₃, and KCO₃. Flame equilibrium calculations demonstrate that the main potassium-containing species in the combustion products are K and KOH. The main inhibition reactions, which comprise the radical termination inhibition cycle are KOH + H=K + H₂O and K + OH + M=KOH + M with the overall termination effect: H + OH=H₂O. Numerically predicted burning velocities for stoichiometric methane/air flames with added KHCO₃ demonstrate reasonable agreement with available experimental data. A strong saturation effect is observed for potassium compounds: approximately 0.1% volume fraction of KHCO₃ is required to decrease burning velocity by a factor of 2; however, an additional 0.6% volume fraction is required to reach a burning velocity of 5 cm/s. Analysis of the calculation results indicates that addition of the potassium compound quickly reduces the radical super-equilibrium down to equilibrium levels, so that further addition of the potassium compound has little effect on the flame radicals.</p