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Procedia Engineering 71 (2014) 246 – 252

Experimental and Mechanism Study of Electrically Charged Water Mist

for Controlling Kerosene Fire in a Confined Space
Yong-liang Xua,b , Lan-yun Wanga,b*, Dong-lin Liang a, Ming-gao Yua, Ting-xiang Chua
a
State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for Gas Geology and Gas Control, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454003, China
b
State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

Abstract

Charged water mist has been widely used in industrial dust controlling due to its charged characteristics. But the study for controlling fire
is less. Therefore, in this paper, extinguishing experiments of kerosene fire was carried out with water mist which was charged by a
corona discharge in a small-scale and confined space. Water mists with different charge-to-mass ratios was obtained by changing the
voltage. The effects on extinguishing time, flame temperature and flame image changes were analyzed. The experiments show that the
charged water mist can effectively reduce the extinguishing time, flame temperature and inhibit flame compared with the ordinary water
mist. Additionally, the extinguishing efficiency significantly increases with the increase of charge-to-mass ratio.

©© 2014
2014 The
Published by Published
Authors. Elsevier Ltd. Open access
by Elsevier Ltd.under CC BY-NC-ND
Selection license. under responsibility of the Academic Committee
and peer-review
Peer-review
of under responsibility of School of Engineering of Sun Yat-Sun University
ICPFFPE 2013.
.
Keywords: corona discharge, charged water mist, charge-to-mass ratio

1. Introduction

Water mist extinguishing technique has been widely accepted and has a broad prospect. In recent years, researchers at
home and abroad have made a large number of studies on the methods and theories of water mist fire extinguishing [1-3],
and made a great progress. By the experiments, Acton etc. [4] found that explosion overpressure was significantly reduced
by the use of water mist in the industrial environment of partially closed with geometry similarity and obstacles. But it also
shortens the time of reaching the explosion overpressure peak due to the use of water mist. Catlin etc. [5] carried on the
experiment of water mist suppressing explosive flame effect in the rectangular steel pipe, the results showed that the flame
accelerated in the open pipeline than in the closed environment. The accelerating flame overpressure broke the water mist
droplets, thus explosion overpressure decreased. Thomas etc. [6,7]thought that water mist only by evaporation was not
enough to extinguish the gas explosion flame., The explosion suppression of water mist depended on the increase of heat
transfer and mass transfer as a result of the break of the initial water mist droplets due to the induce flow before the flame
front in combustion zone. In China,Lu etc. [8, 9] showed that water mainly broke the chain carrier as the third body or inert
droplets to reduce the gas explosion reaction capacity through the balance calculation of explosion reaction and
experimental verification. Gu and Wang etc. [10] had studied the explosion suppression of different-concentration methane
by the unsusal volume micro-size sprays, and the critical volume of micro-size spray suppressing methane explosion was
determined preliminarily.
On the applied electric field, M.K. Kim, Eric K. Anderson, Mruthunjaya Uddi, Wookyung Kim, K. CrinerǃM.S. Cha
etc. [11-18] found that electric field affected stability and extinguishing of jet fire through changing the electric pulse field

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +86-391-3986252; fax: +86-391-3986252.

E-mail address: lanyun.wang@gmail.com

1877-7058 © 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Peer-review under responsibility of School of Engineering of Sun Yat-Sun University
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2014.04.035
 Yong-liang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 71 (2014) 246 – 252 247

parameters under applied AC or DC field, which showed that the applied electric field had important influence on
combustion.
The water mist that carries some charges by charging in advance called charged water mist and we realize the specific
purpose according to charge species. R. G. Maghirang, X.D. Xiang, R.Yadav etc. [19-21] conducted smoke suppression in
smoke diffusion process using charged water mist. The similar research indicated that charged water mist is applied to dust,
such as J.McCoy, E. Almuhanna and L.F.Gaunt etc. [22-24] improved the contact ability of water mist and industrial dust
by using the charged water mist which is charged in advance so as to achieve the goal of dedusting.
Therefore, in this article charged water mists charged by corona charging were used to control a kerosene fire. The
mechanisms of flame extinction are analyzed in different forms of charged water mists.

2. The mechanism of water mist corona charged

In the real application, the ways of droplets charged are divided into three types, namely the corona charging, induction
charging and contact charging. In this article water mists were charged by corona charging. In this case, when charged
electrode were applied high voltage direct current (dc),the electrode tip occurred corona discharge, producing a large
number of anion-cation near it. Ions which were in contrast to the electrode polarity absorbed by the electrode turned into
the neutral, and the ions which had the same polarity with electrodes rejected by the electrode formed ions area around it.
Droplets that went through the ions area were charged by ion collisions. Many factors affected the droplets charged, in
which the most important were the electric field intensity, particle concentration and relative dielectric constant of medium.

3. The experimental apparatus and methods

3.1. Experimental device

In this paper, the experimental device consists of the water mist system, temperature testing system and charged system
shown in Fig.1. The charge-to-mass ratio testing system was shown in Fig.2 .

Fig. 1. The principle diagram of corona charging Fig. 2. The principle diagram of charge-mass ratio test
The water mist system is composed of electrical power control board, water tanks, water pumps, steadying pressure-
pump, valves, pressure gauge, sprinklers etc.. The hollow cone nozzle of 1/2 LNN-4-SS type was used in this experiment.
The spray angle is 90 degrees.
Temperature testing system involves four thermocouples, temperature acquisition card and computer. Thermocouples
denoted by1~4 were respectively placed from the bottom of flame to the top every 10cm. Temperature acquisition system
collected a set of data every 4 seconds in this paper.
Charged system is composed of high voltage power supply and electrode. As is shown in Fig.1, the electrode was made
by welding from a polar ring 60 mm in diameter and 8 polar needles 5mm in diameter. Its inner diameter(r2) was 50mm.
The distance between the nozzle and the electrode was 20 mm.

3.2. The testing methods of charge-to-mass ratio

The important index of measuring charging performance of droplets is charge-mass ratio. The greater the charge-mass
ratio is, the better the charging performance of droplets is. The charging results, the measuring methods of charge-to-mass
248 Yong-liang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 71 (2014) 246 – 252

ratio consist of mesh target method, the simulated target and faraday cage method. Mesh target method was selected for this
study, as is shown in Fig.2. The distance between target acquisition barrel and nozzle is 200 mm. When the charged water
mist reached wire mesh in target acquisition barrel, the electric charge in the wire mesh conducts to the earth after passing
the precise microammeter. Therefore the current can be read in the precise microammeter. Electrically neutral water mist
flows to the sampling tube along the barrel wall, then the charge-to-mass ratio can be calculated by measuring time and the
quality of water mist.
The calculation formula of the charge-mass ratio is
Q It I
E (1)
M qmt qm
Q - charge quantities, C; M - quality, kg; I - current, A; T - time, s; qm - mass flow, kg/s.

3.3. The experimental methods

Firstly the testing experiments of charge-to-mass ratio were conducted, as shown in Fig.2. The electric quantity of water
mist will change by changing the high voltage power supply output voltage to change electric field intensity of corona field.
Then different charge-to-mass ratios were calculated by the different currents value and the corresponding output voltage
value was recorded. Contrasting experiments had been carried out by selecting 0mC/kg, 0.5mC/kg, 1.0mC/kg, 1.5mC/kg,
2.0mC/kg five charge-to-mass ratio parameters. The nozzle whose location was constant with the location of water mist was
moved to the top of confined space for the next stage fire extinguishing tests.
Dimension of the confined space is 0.8m×0.8m×1.2m and the inner diameter of oil pan is 140mm. The fuel used was
kerosene, 30g kerosene each time was ignited by 5g alcohol ignition. The time of pre-combustion was 60s and the time of
free burning was 4min. The nozzle pressure of 0.6Mpa and the flow rate of 0.391L/min were used.

4. Experimental results and analysis

4.1. Analysis of fire extinguishing time

In this paper, each experiment was repeated three times under the same conditions and then got an average time of
different charge-to-mass ratios water mist for extinguishing kerosene fire. The experimental results are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Extinguishing time of different charge-to-mass ratio of water mist

Charge-mass
The first time of The second time of The third time of average time of
ratio of water
extinguishing /s extinguishing/s extinguishing/s extinguishing/s
mist/(mC·kg-1)
0 82 83 87 84
0.5 79 82 81 80.7
1.0 77 73 76 75.7
1.5 72 65 71 69.3
2.0 56 66 62 61.3
`
Tab.1 shows that the extinguishing time of charged water mist is shorter than normal water mist. And the greater the
charge-to-mass ratio is, the shorter the extinguishing time of charged water mist becomes. This is because the process of
fuel combustion produces a large number of free radicals, the producing, disappearing and reproducing, disappearing again
of these free radicals which form a chain reaction to maintain the continuation of combustion process until the fuel is burnt
out. Free radicals of fuel combustion are electrically charged as a whole, and the amount of positive and negative charges
were balanced in the combustion field. Charged water mist is electrically charged, so it can prevent or inhibit the effective
combination of free radicals to inhibit flame combustion and accelerate flame extinguishing after approaching the fire. The
greater the charge-to-mass ratio of charged water mist is, the stronger the electrostatic interaction will be and the easier to
enter the fire and combine effectively with free radicals of the flame, and the stronger inhibition of combustion. So, the fire-
extinguishing time is shortened, improving the efficiency of fire fighting.
 Yong-liang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 71 (2014) 246 – 252 249

4.2. Effects of charged water mist on temperature during combustion

The results that effects of charged water mist on temperature during combustion were shown in Figs.3~7. These figures
show that charged water mist is more effective to reduce the flame temperature and shorten the time of fire-extinguishing.
Due to the gas phase cooling effects of water mist, the vaporization of water mist can absorb part of heat released by the
flame. In addition, the water mist can reduce thermal feedback on fuel by decreasing thermal radiation and absorbing part of
thermal radiation. Water mist has electrostatic interaction after applied an electric field and charged. It is easier for charged
water mist to enter into the fire due to electrostatic force of the positive and negative ions in combustion field and the
entrainment of flame. Consequently, there will be more charged water mist entering into the fire. Because charged water
mist is better in atomization effect, smaller in water mist particle size, and more uniform in spray effect than normal water
mist, it is easier to enter into the fire and evaporate after absorbing heat of flame, further declining the flame temperature. So
the cooling effect is further enhanced compared with normal water mist. With the increase of charge-to-mass ratio, charged
water mist can enter into the fire and evaporate more easily. The flame temperature is more effectively reduced and the
efficiency of fire fighting is improved.

Fig. 3. 0 mC/kg temperature curve

Fig. 4. 0.5 mC/kg temperature curve Fig. 5. 1.0 mC/kg temperature curve

Fig. 6. 1.5 mC/kg temperature curve Fig. 7. 2.0 mC/kg temperature curve

4.3. Effects of charged water mist on combustion flame

Effects of charged water mist on combustion flame are shown in Figs.8~12. Figures show that charged water mist is
more effective to inhibit combustion flame and more quickly to extinguish the fire compared to normal water mist. With the
increase of charge-to-mass ratio, the stronger the inhibition of charged water mist on the combustion flame, the shorter the
time of fire extinguishing. Due to the charged water mist can more easily enter into the fire and evaporate, it is more
effective to decrease the flame temperature and reduce the concentration of oxygen in the confined space quickly. As a
250 Yong-liang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 71 (2014) 246 – 252

result, effect of oxygen suffocation is stronger. In addition, due to the charged water mist could more effectively evaporate
and interact with the entrainment of combustion flame. So the stretch and oscillation of flame were strengthened,
combustion flame was weakened to extinguishing more quickly. In addition, due to the charged water mist can neutralize a
part of free radicals and weaken the chain reaction to make flame shrunk more quickly, so the flame extinguishing was
quickened. The larger charge-to-mass ratio is, the stronger weakening effect is, and therefore the shorter the time of
extinguishing is, the more quickly flame will diminish, the higher the efficiency of fire fighting is.

20s 40s 60s 80s

Fig. 8. 0 mC/kg changes of flame

20s 40s 60s 80s

Fig. 9. 0.5 mC/kg changes of flame

20s 40s 60s 80s

Fig. 10. 1.0 mC/kg changes of flame

20s 40s 60s 80s

Fig. 11. 1.5 mC/kg changes of flame
 Yong-liang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 71 (2014) 246 – 252 251

20s 40s 60s 80s

Fig. 12. 2.0 mC/kg changes of flame

4.4. The mechanism of charged water mist fire suppression

The nature of combustion is a redox reaction. Cations and anions from the electron exchange promote the chain reaction
of combustion in redox reaction. Since the most compositions of kerosene are hydrocarbons, the free radicals from
combustion of kerosene produces are H+, O-, OH-, and the chain reactions are as follows:
ˉ ˉ
RH + O2 → H+ + 2O + R ˄decomposition of combustible,endothermic reaction˅
ˉ + ˉ
O + H → OH
ˉ ˉ
2OH → H2O + O ˄exothermic reaction˅
The last step is a strong exothermic reaction The heat output is greater than the absorbed heat of fuel decomposition in
the first step. The O- and OH- decomposed from the combustible make sustained burning. A large number of free radicals,
anions-cations and free electrons are produced due to incomplete combustion and the ionization process in the flame.
Because of the charge of water mist, the coulomb force between the anions-cations causes the redistribution of ions in a
flame and the chain reaction is weakened due to the mutual attraction of droplets and anions-cations to be neutral in flame
and replacing a part of the chain reaction after the charged water mist added. Water mist inhibitting the flame burning
spraying has momentum, and ions of droplets repel ions with the same charged polarity in the flame, the flame even more
deviated from the direction of the charged water mist. Due to the entrainment effect of the combustion flame, a part of
droplets that take the same charged polarity with the flame can enter the fire. The flame moves to the outside by the
repulsive force, thereby the stretch and oscillation of flame was strengthened, combustion flame diminishes rapidly and the
process of the flame extinguishing was accelerated.
Electron plays a strengthening effect on combustion, charged water mist with a strong positive charge had more cations,
the reaction rate of flame chemical ion was effectively reduced by the interattraction of cations and electrons combined into
a neutral to consume large amounts of electrons in this process. With the increase of charge-to-mass ratio, the particle size
of droplets is smaller and entrainment effect is enhanced, thus charged water mist is more likely to enter the fire and to
absorb the flame heat to evaporate, further to reduce the flame temperature. The evaporation of droplets can absorb a lot of
heat and thus effectively reduce the flame temperature making the production rate decline. With the increase of charge-to-
mass ratio results in cations increasing in the droplets, electrons are more likely to be neutralized, so that the flame will
diminish more quickly and is extinguished more easily because there are not enough electrons to keep flame burning.

5. Conclusions

(1)Compared to common water mist, the charged water mist can more quickly extinguish kerosene fire in confined space.
With the increase of charge-to-mass ratio, the fire extinguishing speed becomes faster.
(2)Due to electrostatic interaction, charged water mist can enter the fire evaporating more easily and flame temperature is
lower. With the increase of charge-to-mass ratio, the cooling effect turns more obvious.
(3)Water mist being charged is more likely to enter the fire and neutralize a part of the free radicals to weaken the chain
reaction. It makes the flame smaller quickly, and quickens the flame extinguishing. With the increase of charge-to-mass
ratio, the combustion flame diminishes faster and the time of extinguishing is shorter.

Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the research fund provided by Henan Province in China(Project Nos.
122300413210 and 12B440004) and the Open Projects of State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China
252 Yong-liang Xu et al. / Procedia Engineering 71 (2014) 246 – 252

University of Mining and Technology (Project No. 12KF02). We also wish to thank the reviewers and editors for their
professional and constructive comments, which greatly improved this paper.

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