Flammable Liquids Flashcards
Additives in bulk petroleum storage facilities are similar in combustibility to_______but way pose greater health hazards?
Diesel
Synthetic foam with the basic elements being fluorochemical surfactants, hydrocarbon surfactants, and solvents.
Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)
The most commonly used foams available today
AFFF and AR-AFFF
What makes AR-AFFF alcohol resistant?
The addition of a polymer
Self-contained fire engine that has been specifically designed to respond to flammable liquid incidents in the Nova region. May have pump and roll compatibility
AR foam unit
A self-contained unit specifically designed to have a pump and roll capability. probably a minimum of 100 gallons of foam concentrate, may have dual agent application
ARFF unit
How large is a barrel?
42 gallons
Liquid having a flashpoint between 100°F and 200°F
combustible liquid
What is primary containment at a fixed facility?
Includes tanks and piping where the product is contained under normal circumstances
What is secondary containment at a fixed facility?
The direct area around the tanks where product will be contained in the initial stages of an incident
What is tertiary containment at a fixed facility?
Additional area where product will be contained in the event of a catastrophic incident
Complete foam delivery system that includes a water supply and foam supply for a set duration
fixed foam system
Foam delivery system consisting of pipe and foam discharge outlets but has no supply of foam or water connected to it. Requires action by the fire department
semi fixed foam system
Designed to deliver finished foam from above the surface of the contents of the tank
subsurface foam system
Used on some floating roof thanks where protection is provided to the rim of the roof only by use of a foam dam
rim protection foam system
Liquid with a flashpoint below 100°F and vapor pressure not exceeding 40 psi absolute
flammable liquid
Protein foam with Fluorocarbon surfactant added. No alcohol tolerance
fluoro-protein foam
types of foam application methods
Type I:no longer used, was intended to deliver finished foam gently to the surface.
Type II: fixed foam outlet design to deliver foam to the burning surface with restricted agitation.
Type III: use of master streams or hand line nozzles to deliver foam, results in some agitation to the surface
What does a foam task force consist of?
two AR foam units,
one pump-and-roll unit,
two engines,
one battalion chief,
one hazardous materials asset (if not already dispatched).
Substance having a strong affinity for water
hydrophilic
What is a loading rack at a fixed facility?
Area where tank vehicles are loaded with product
Combustible liquids including diesel, heating oil, and jet fuel
petroleum distillate
What are the two primary DOT regulated pipelines in northern Virginia?
Colonial and plantation
Piping that incorporates control valves to deliver product from the pipeline to storage tanks
pipeline manifold (fixed facility)
Flammable liquids that mix readily with water
polar solvent
Where are pump and roll units typically found?
Airports
Gas that has additives to reduce automotive emissions, typically oxygenates ether or ethanol
reformulated gasoline
A spill approximately 55 gallons or less, a small cylinder, or a small leak from a large container with a minimum flow
small spill
spill exceeding 55 gallons or multiple spills from multiple small
packages or containers. Large spill responses include any incident at or involving pipelines, horizontal tanks, tank farms, or flammable liquid tanker trucks or rail cars.
large spill
Product that is outside primary containment as a result of a leak. may be further defined as contained or uncontained.
spills
A system of corrosion protection that uses a small electrical current
What is cathodic protection?
A large tank with a fixed steel roof with an exposed product surface within the tank
What is a cone roof?
A bulk storage tank that has an external steel roof and an internal floating roof
What is the covered floating roof?
A feature of large tanks designed to prevent environmental
contamination from a leak at the bottom of the tank. Leak detection equipment is typically provided within the space between the double tank bottoms.
Double bottom
A hooded metal structure attached the exterior top edge of a fixed roof to provide weather protection over the vent ports for an internal floating roof tank
eyebrow vent
Typically not more than 30,000 gallons with single or double wall construction
horizontal tank
Large tank that is open at the top that has a roof that floats on top of the product within the tank
Open floating roof or external floating roof?
A weld that is less strong allowing the roof to blow away in the event of an explosion
weak roof to shell seem
When should a non intervention mode be considered?
When dealing with ethanol fires or large scale incidents such as a rail car fire
The weight of a vapor compared to the weight of dry air. Substances lighter than air are said to have vapor densities less than 1.0 and those heavier than air have a vapor density greater than 1.0.
Vapor Density
The ratio of the density of a liquid to the density of water.
Specific Gravity
What is the rule of thumb for water supply for foam?
Should be able to flow at least 1000 GPM a finish product per unit flowing product
What are the two types of flammable liquid?
Hydrocarbons and Polar solvents
What are the three common ethanol blended fuels?
E-10, E-5, E-85. E-15 is being introduced
What is ethanol motor fuel blend generally denatured with?
Up to 5% gasoline or a similar hydrocarbon
What is the flashpoint and vapor density of pure ethanol?
55°F with a vapor density of 1.59
What is the LEL and UEL of ethanol?
3.3% to 19%
At what ratio will ethanol mixed with water still burn?
20%, five parts water to one part ethanol will still burn
What is the general rule for smoke color and flame color for ethanol?
The higher concentration of ethanol, the less black smoke and decreased visible flame color
What burns off first in a gasoline/ethanol blend fuel?
The gasoline, eventually leaving the less volatile ethanol/water solution which may have no visible flame or smoke
How’s the majority of fuel ethanol (E - 95) transported from the production facilities to storage depot’s?
By rail. Road tanker if no rail access is available
What is the loading of fuel from rail tanks directly to road tankers?
Trans-loading
What is the AFFF foam solution flow rate for fuels?
Hydrocarbons1gpm/10sf.
Ethanol blending fuel not in depth: 2gpm/10sf.
Ethanol blended fuel in depth: 3gpm/10sf
What is the resource response for a small spill(<55gal)?
1 engine company with atmospheric monitoring capabilities.
What resources are required for large spills?
4 engines
2 specialty units – one must be an aerial device
2 EMS units
1 battalion chief
1 command aide
1 EMS supervisor
1 Foam Task Force (FTF) (two AR foam units, one pump-and-roll unit, two engines, one
battalion chief, and one hazardous materials asset if not already dispatched)
A hazardous material response (based on jurisdictional requirements
What distance should you stay back while doing a size up for a tanker incident?
500ft
What rail car will most flammable liquids be carried in?
DOT 111, general service tank car (<100psi, 30,000 gallon capacity). Some may be carried in high pressure rail cars (100-600psi)
What is the leading hazardous material transported by rail?
E-95
What is the capacity of the diesel fuel tanks on the underbelly of a locomotive?
Several thousand gallons.
What distance should flaggers be set up forward if a rail incident?
2 miles
_______ are located on either side of the locomotive, and should be hit in the absence of a train official to perform the task
Emergency fuel stop
What is MWAA’s jurisdiction?
Airport property, and will automatically respond to any known event within five miles of Dulles or Reagan
What resources are required for pipeline events?
The same as a large spill response (see card 55)
How far apart are pumping stations and shut off valves for pipelines?
Often miles apart
What is the most effective appliance for generating expansion foam?
Air aspirating foam nozzle
How are tank trucks usually loaded at the loading rack?
From the top or bottom, bottom is more prevalent
What does an electronic interlock at the loading rack do?
Grounds the tank vehicle and electronically acknowledges the proper operation of other components
When should a fixed foam system located at the loading rack structure be used?
Only if it is the only resource available. It should be left to serve as an immediate suppression to save the loading rack system
What are tanks greater than 50 feet in diameter required to have?
e a weak roof-to-shell seam.
What are the most common fires on a cone roof tank?
Vent fires
What is type III foam application also referred to as?
Over-the-top or footprint method
What is an internal floating roof also known as?
Covered floating roof tank. Will be distinguishable by the exterior vents under the roof line
What are the common methods of application of foam?
Roll-on or bounce method,
bank down method or deflect,
and rain down/raindrop method
_______ and ________ indicate the vapor/air mixture within the tank is within the flammable range.
Snapping blue-red and nearly smokeless flames
What does a yellow-orange flame emitting black smoke indicate on a bulk storage tank vent fire?
The vapor/air mixture is above the flammable range.
Simultaneous application of water via hose stream and dry chemical extinguishment
hydro chem
What are the time duration requirements for applying finished foam to a flammable liquid spill?
60 min for tanks, 20 min for ground spills
What is the minimum application rate gpm for a flammable liquid spill/fire?
Area x .10 = gpm solution
What is the minimum application rate gpm for hydrocarbon tank diameters 1’-150’, 151’-200’, and 201’-250’ ?
1’-150’ - Area x .16 = gpm solution
151’-200’ - Area x.18 = gpm solution
201’-250’- Area x .20= gpm solution
What is the minimum application rate gpm for a polar solvent spill/fire?
Area x .2= gpm solution
The distance a foam blanket has to travel across a burning fuel
Foam run
