Firefighting foam is used to generate foam that can fight fire and extinguish the fire. Gone are the days when only water jets were used to extinguish fire. Recently, foam equipment has been used to combat fire breakouts.
There are multiple types of foam equipment, namely
- Foam Chambers
- Handline nozzles
- Foam Generators
Foam Chamber
This specialized equipment discharges foam on the surface of any type of flammable liquid. Any flammable liquid stored in a tank or other storage areas can cause a fire breakout.
The foam chamber is used to discharge and apply a low expansion liquid over the surface of combustible liquids to create a foam blanket and prevent fire breakout. NFPA 11 defines them as
Type II discharge outlets.
Advantages: the foam chamber creates a foam blanket on the surface of a flammable liquid to prevent the liquid from coming in contact with the air and thus stop the fire.
Uses: It is primarily used to prevent fire breakout in gas stations, petroleum bottling plants, or any other factory unit that involves storing and handling flammable liquid.
Handline Nozzles
Handline nozzles are typical air aspirating nozzles used to extinguish the fire using Class B foam concentrates. The foam concentrated used in Handline nozzles are the expected low expansion foam concentration like Fluoro protein and aqueous film-forming foam. Class A foam concentrates can also be used with these handline nozzles.
Advantages: Handline nozzles are advantageous for use in various fire situations because of exclusive characteristics such as a greater stream range and the enhanced cooling effect obtained by more awesome water content.
Uses: Since the handline nozzles are portable and convenient, they are widely used to handle fore breakouts at chemical plants, tank farms, aircraft hangers, crash-fire rescue vehicles, and various other areas that involve high risk.
Foam Generators
The foam generators create foam with the fire extinguishing solution. By creating millions of bubbles with the extinguishing solution, the foam generators restrict the movement of free air around the inflammable object, reducing the spread of fire.
It dilutes the oxygen concentration in the fire zone and brings it below the level needed for combustion. Lowering temperature below the combustion point is the working modality of foam generators.
Advantages: Expands the foam through bubble formation that can cater to a large area under fire. Lowering temperature below the combustion point and diluting oxygen concentration help stop the spread of fire quickly.
Uses: They are best suited for deep-seated handling fires because they have insulating and heat-reflecting properties. Foam generators help combat the spread of fire by creating a heat shield.
Fire Fighting Foam & Fire Protection Equipment from the house of foamtech antifire can be your ideal solution for ensuring safety and protection during fore breakouts and to affirm a quicker extinguish.
It is crucial that all of the foam be completely discharged from the storage system during an emergency. Because the fitting inserts used must be placed or molded above the knuckle radius, the majority of full-discharge storage tanks don’t truly deliver a full discharge.
