Water vapor suppression to tubular flame

Abstract
Water vapor effects on fire extinguishment are studied using a tubular flame burner and a CHEMKIN program. Methane/air mixtures with water vapor and carbon dioxide suppressant are studied on the basis of flammability limit. A 353 K water vapor is mixed with methane/air and is burned in a tubular flame. The whole mixture is kept at the constant temperature by heating up the mixture line. Although the heat capacities of water vapor and carbon dioxide are different each other, the methane flammability areas for both cases in the methane/suppressant coordinate are almost the same. Numerical analysis using a CHEMKIN program shows the same results which certifies both experimental and numerical results. Three suppressants, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and halon, are compared to clarify their suppression effects on methane/air premixed flame. From this good agreement with experiments, the CHEMKIN calculation is worth doing to see the flammability limit, even probably for higher hydrocarbon flames and many suppressants. This result enables water to be a good suppressant for fire.