Basic Fire Equipment Flashcards
What fuel is characterized by its higher energy density and flash point compared to gasoline?
diesel
During an inspection of a spark plug you find a brown deposit, what does this indicate:
proper fuel mix and combustion
examples of internal combustion engine
Apparatus and vehicle engines, electrical generators, portable fire pumps, chainsaws, hydraulic power packs.
how many strokes of the piston to make up one power stroke
4
what does the number of cylinders mean
the more cylinders the more power (displacement is in litres ex. 2.7L displacement)
what is displacement?
it measures the total amount of fuel/air mixture that is displaced by all cylinders on the compression stroke.
what does stroke refer to
the piston travelling up or down within the cylinder.
what do glow plugs do
help diesel engines start up during cold starts.
examples of coolant
antifreeze, glycol or radiator fluid
what is a catalytic converter
for emissions and turns exhaust into less harmful substances
whats the driveline made up of
engine, driveshaft, transmission, axle
what is a split shaft pump drive
common on large pumpers, these drives “split” the drive shaft, transferring power to the fire pump instead of the rear axle
Power take off
provides auxiliary power off the side of transmission.
while opperating properly how many volts should an alternator produce
14.5 volts
toe adjustment
angle o the wheels in relation to the center line of the vehicle
camber adjustment
angle of the wheels in relation to the vertical axis of the vehicle
caster adjustment
the angle of the steering axis in relation to the ground
thrust angle adjustment
refers to the angle of the rear wheels in relation to the vehicle’s centerline.
what is toe in
toe-in is for rear-wheel drive vehicles and helps with body role
what is toe out
toe out is for front-wheel drive vehicles, which helps when accelerating and turning a corner.
what is the NFPA 1963 and 1961 standard?
The standard on Fire Hose Couplings, and the standard of Fire Hose.
what is a supply hose?
it transports water from a hydrant to the engine as well as engine to engine.
what is an attack hose?
it transports water/solutions at increased pressure: from the engine to nozzle, from the engine to FDC, and from building standpipe connection to the nozzle.
what are the common hose sizes?
38mm, 44mm, 65mm, 77mm, 100mm, 125mm, 150mm.
which couplings can bind if not properly aligned?
Storzs couplings
what types of damage can happen to fire hose
thermal damage, organic damage, mechanical, chemical damage, corrosion, age deterioration
when should fire hose be tested?
annually, after being frozen while in use, after the attachment of new couplings.
what does a Wye do?
it splits the hose, has a single female and two male couplings. Has one 2 1/2 inch inlet and two 1 1/2 outlets
what is a siamese connection
it has a single male inlet and two female outlets may come with or without a clapper valve. (used commonly to overcome friction loss in long hose lays)
what is a water theif
a large wye but it normally has one of the discharges the same size as the inlet (lower right)
scavenging
fresh fuel traveling straight through the cylinder to the exhaust without being burnt, making 2-stroke engines less efficient.
allison transmission retarder
creates back pressure inside transmission thereby putting drag on the drive train.
jacobs engine brake
air is allowed in but no fuel
exhaust valves opened at top of the compression stroke
no power stroke
what is atmospheric pressure?
14.7PSI or 100KPA
where is the oil in. a 2-stroke engine?
mixed with the fuel.
where is the oil in a 4 stroke engine?
at the bottom on the crankshaft, piston moves it up and down with each stroke
crankshafts’ role in transmissions
crankshaft delivers power to the transmission gears.
low vs high gear in the transmission
low = tork (hills)
high = speed (going fast)
what is NFPA 1901
the standard of how the fire apparatus is manufactured.
what is elevation pressure?
10H
what type of pump was early and able to build high pressure?
piston pump
large scale fire problems require which pump, and how do they work?
centrifugal pumps. (think poy balls and planets in space) water starts at the center, the impeller is spinning, as it rotates the water travels to the outside of the impeller. size of impeller changes force that can be applied to water.
what does a bigger impeller do?
the bigger impeller is the bigger the force that can be delivered.
what is an impeller?
rotating part of the pump that imports water. water is drawn into the center of it, spun around the outside, and then flung out?
what are centrifugal pumps more efficient for, air or water?
Water
what gets rid of air in the pump?
positive displacement pump (powered off of vehicle battery) also: needs to be at 70KPA or less to be able to move water? (prime) ex; gear pump
decreased pressure needs?
more heat, ie: increased pressure needs less heat. (water boils quicker at a higher altitude ex. mountain)
what do positive displacement pumps do
PDPs remove the air trapped in the centrifugal pump. They draw water into the pump casing by
decreasing the air pressure in the pump casing and allowing atmospheric pressure to push the
water in. (priming pump for main fire pump and injection pump for foam system)
when running primer what should the engine rpm be at?
at least 2000rpm
rotary vane pump
moveable elements that compensate for wear and maintain a tighter fit with close clearances as the pump is used. rotary gear pumps used as primers.
oil less primers
environmentally friendly, Teflon.
impeller
transmits energy to the water
casing (pumps)
houses impeller
volute (pump)
shaping that the casing takes, wedge pattern formed by housing.
packing rings (pump)
prevents water from coming out of the pump along the shaft, some pumps have mechanical seals to replace the packing. ex. graphite coated rope
mounting positions of fire pumps. (front)
front - affected by wind blocks airflow, loud, (would freeze) not popular anymore
front mount pump capacities as high as 5000l per minute (larger capacity than normal) could pump and roll.
midship pumps
pump centered on frame, low center of gravity, supplied power through a split shaft gear case, in the drive line, between the transmission and rear axle. driveline goes through gearbox which stops giving power to rear wheels and sends it all to the pump. most speedometers will read between 26-24km/h with engine idling. may be driven off of power take off, may have air shift or electric shift, pto allows pump and roll to occur. driveline is usually lighter which is a disadvantage. 4th gear.
rear mount pump
gaining popularity, weight is good, keeps narrow profile on-road emergency, complicated drivelines, and may have their own engine.
auxiliary engine-driven pumps
some powered by special fuels, seen on arff vehicles wildland fire apparatus, mobile pumps, portable fire pumps, powered on different gas engines than the one used to drive the vehicle.
master pressure compound gauge
measures both positive pressure and negative pressure. (intake and discharge)
engine temp
190-200 degrees is normal, alarm at 210.
primer control (pump)
do not operate for longer than 30 seconds.
testing ladders, when and what are the types.
test when: it falls, exposed to heat, when its been overloaded, not sure if good.
types of testing: destructive: load testing, and none destructive: magnetic, conductivity, liquid penetrant, ultrasonic inspection, radiographic, hardness testing, and acoustic emission inspection.
ladder testing procedures
horizontal bend test, visual inspection.
preload ladder with 350lbs, 500lbs for final load test.
if the difference between the measurements is greater than 1/2inch for ladders up to 25 ft
1 inch for 26-34ft
1-1/2inch for 35ft
what is NFPA 1971?
structural firefighting gear/wear
three ways that you can check fluids
dip sticks, sight gauges and translucent containers
what are the four strokes involved in internal combustion engines
intake, compression, power and exhaust
what are the two basic types of belts?
V belts and serpentine belts
define carburation
air mixes with fuel and makes an explosion happen in the cylinder
oils weights (what does heavier vs lighter do better in)
heavier oil does better in warmer conditions, lighter does better in cooler conditions.
examples of air cooled engines
power saws, generators, hydraulic power packs, portable pumps, aircrafts, motorcycles and atvs
how do liquid cooled engines work and what are they?
larger vehicles and apparatus’s. the radiator cooling fluid takes heat from engine and processes it out to the atmosphere. (contains a radiator)
what does PTO do?
it drives off of the flywheel and makes it so that you can move the truck while pumping water.
which end of a coupling brings you back to the truck?
the male end of the coupling will always bring you back towards the apparatus.
what is a higbee cut?
the thread that helps put together the couplings
what is a rocker lug?
ridges on the outside of couplings that you can feel that make it easy to put the ends together. (on the male end)
what is the measurement of a length of hose?
15m or 50ft
what are four types of valves?
gate valve, ball valve, clapper valve and butterfly valve.
three types of nozzle control valves
slide valve, ball valve, and rotary valve
what does a hydrant kit typically contain?
wrench, gate valve, spanners, flashlight, utility rope
