ADVANCE FIRE

FIGHTING
FIXED FOAM SYSTEM
IMPORTANCE OF FOAM SYATEM
 Foam system is one of the main
fire fighting system on board specially
for deck fire on tankers.
 It is important that the foam system is

kept in a state of readiness at all

times. For doing so, Crew must know
how they are supposed to maintain
these equipment and what tests we
must perform.
HOW FOAM SYSTEM WORK
Fire fighting foam used on
ships has three elements.
 Foam concentrate
 water
 air
WORKING OF FOAM SYSTEM
Foam concentrate is mixed
with water in a correct
proportion to form a foam
solution. This foam solution
when agitated with air
produces foam.
HOW FOAM EXTINGUISH FIRE
 Itforms a blanket and thus removing
the supply of oxygen to the fuel, the
effect called smothering.
 The foam blanket does not allow the

fuel vapours to generate, thus

cutting the fuel supply to the fire.
 Since foam has water, it cools the

fuel surface
 Separate the flame from the fuel

surface
TERMS USED IN DEFINING THE
FOAM
 Expansion ratio

The form concentrate is mixed with the sea
water and air at the foam monitor causes this
foam solution to generate foam. Different
foam concentrate has different capacity of
how much foam these can generate from a
fixed quantity of foam concentrate The ratio
of the volume of foam generated (finished
foam) to the foam concentrate used in that is
called expansion ratio of the foam.
.
RATIO OF FOAM EXPANSION
 The foam with expansion ratio
between 1:2 and 1:20 is called
low expansion foam.
 Foam with expansion ratio

between 1:20 and 1:200 is called

medium expansion foam.
 Foam with expansion ratio above

1:200 is called high expansion

foam.
DRAINAGE TIME
 Drainage time is the measure of
how quickly a foam solution can
move over a surface. Foam
solution that has lesser drainage
time move faster over a surface.
 Drainage time is measured for

25% solution and 50% solution.

This is called 25% drainage time
and 50% drainage time.
PROPORTIONING RATE
 Foam is generated by mixing foam
concentrate with water. For the effective
generation of foam that can be effective
in fire fighting, a correct amount of water
need to be mixed with foam concentrate.
 This ratio is called proportioning rate. It is

also called mixing ratio or dilution rate.

6% foam concentrate means that the ideal
foam solution from this foam needs to
have 6 parts of the foam concentrate and
94 parts of water.
KNOCKDOWN SPEED AND FLOW
 Knockdown speed and flow is
the ability of the foam to flow
on the fuel and around the
obstacles.
 Good knockdown speed would

mean that the foam is able to

flow past the obstacles on the
fuel surface.
FOAM SOLUTION USED ON BOARD
SHIP
 Broadly all foams fall under one of
these two categories
 CHEMICAL FOAM

 Chemicalfoam produces the foam by

chemical reaction of two chemicals,
one being alkali and second an acid.
FOAM SOLUTION USED ON BOARD
SHIP
MECHANICAL FOAM
 Mechanical foam uses physical
agitation of the foam concentrate to
produce foam.
 On board ships, the mechanical foam

is mostly used. There are

different types of mechanical foams
used on board depending upon the
expected source of the fire.
AQUEOUS FILM FORMING FOAM
(AFFF)
 This is the very common type of foam used
on board ship specially on tankers.
 As the name suggests, apart from the foam

bubbles, this foam makes an aqueous film

over the surface that spreads across the
surface of hydrocarbon to extinguish the fire.
 These type of foam works on the fires

generated from burning of hydrocarbons as

it has a mixture of hydrocarbon and fluorinat
ed surface active agents
.
ALCOHOL RESISTANT AQUEOUS FILM
FORMING CONCENTRATE (AR-AFFF)
 foam has water in it. All the solvents like
alcohols are miscible in water. So if we use
normal foam on alcohol fires, alcohol will
dissolve the water and foam will break up
easily.
 So for extinguishing the fires involving

solvents like alcohol, normal foam

concentrate will not do.
 For fighting the fires involving alcohols and

other solvents, Alcohol resistant foamis

required.
ALCOHOL RESISTANT AQUEOUS FILM
FORMING CONCENTRATE (AR-AFFF)
 On chemical tankers, that have
foam as fixed fire fighting
system for cargo fires, alcohol
resistant foam is a must. This
is because these ships carry
alcohols (like Methanol,
ethanol) as cargo.
FOAMS BASED UPON THE EXPANSION

High expansion foams

Medium expansion foams
Low expansion foams
USE OF FOAM ON BOARD SHIP
 Deck fires low expansion foam is
used. On tankers, it will always
be low expansion foam for fires of
the cargo area.
 High expansion foams are used

for compartments such as holds

and even machinery spaces where
the space need to be filled with
foam for fire fighting.
FUNCTIONING OF FIXED FOAM
SYSTEM
FUNCTIONING OF FIXED FOAM
SYSTEM
The foam pump takes the
foam concentrate from foam
tank and injects it in desired
ratio into the water. The
proportioner controls the
quantity of foam solution to
inject.
FUNCTIONING OF FIXED FOAM
SYSTEM (PROPORTIONER)
FUNCTIONING OF FIXED FOAM
SYSTEM (PROPORTIONER
 The common type of proportioner is of ejector
type. The more the fire line pressure, more
foam it will inject. Ship staff are not supposed
to touch the proportioner.
 When the foam solution reaches foam nozzle
on deck, the air is injected into the foam
solution to create the fire fighting foam.
 The foam so generated creates a layer over the
fire and cuts the oxygen supply, the process
called smothering to extinguish the fire.
COMPONENTS OF FOAM SYSTEM
 Foam line
 Foam monitor
 Foam isolation valves
 Fire pumps
 foam concentrate (foam solution)
 Foam pump

 Foam proportioner
TESTING OF FOAM SYSTEM
COMPONENTS
 Ifthe foam line is leaking, or the foam
monitors cannot be turn around to
aim the foam at the fire, we would not
be able to use the foam system.
 Every year the foam line need to be

pressure tested at least to

the maximum working pressure. We
must check the SMS manuals of the
ship for any special testing
requirements from the company.
TESTING PROCEDURE
 Close all the valves of the fire line
and foam line
 Open the foam monitor on the

forward most part of the ship

 Start the fire pump at maximum

pressure
 Slowly close the foam-monitor

that was kept open

 Check for any leakage
TESTING FOAM PUMP
 Test the foam pump during the
fire drill involving fire on deck.
The foam pump is run on
recirculation. Make sure that the
part of the foam line involved
during re-circulation is
effectively drained and empty
after testing
TESTING FIRE PUMP
 Fire pump is an important part of the
foam system. It delivers the foam
solution to the foam monitors. While
testing the fire pumps for foam
system, we run the fire pump at full
pressure.
 We then open the two foam monitors

and directs the jets overboard. The

jets from these two should be able to
cross each other.
FOAM CONCENTRATE
 The main element from which the foam is
generated is Foam concentrate stored in the
foam tank. We have to check two things for
foam concentrate
 Quantity of the foam concentrate
 Quality of the foam concentrate
 For the vessels fitted with inert gas system,

there need to sufficient foam concentrate

for running for 20 minutes at maximum flow
rate.
FOAM CONCENTRATE
 For vessels not fitted with inert gas system,
there should be sufficient quantity of foam
concentrate for running for 30 minutes at
maximum flow rate of the fire system The
required quantity is usually marked on the
foam tank gauge. We must ensure that this
quantity is never below the mark.
 With regard to quality of the foam, there is

only one way we can know. By

analysis of a sample of the foam.
ANALYSIS OF FOAM CONCENTRATE

 SOLAS requires the foam sample

to be tested after 3 years from the
date it was placed onboard and
there after every year.
 Various tests are carried out on

the foam sample to ensure that

the foam is fit for the purpose it is
supposed to do. The tests include
SEDIMENTATION TEST
 Sediments should be less than
0.25%
 pH value test: The pH of the

foam concentrate should not

be less than 6 and not more
than 9.5 at 20 Deg C
CHEMICAL STABILITY TEST FOR
ALCOHOL RESISTANT FOAM
 The alcohol resistant foams are
different from other type of foams.
Water content from normal foam will
dissolve in the solvent and so these
forms are not suitable for solvents.
Additives in the alcohol resistant
foam form a membrane that
separates the solvent and foam
which avoids the breaking up of the
foam blanket.
SMALL FIRE TEST
 In 2009, IMO revised the foam testing
requirements on discovering that for protein
based alcohol resistant Foam concentrate,
even after all satisfactory test, with age it may
not extinguish the fire as desired.
 Following this discovery, a test called “

Small scale fire test” is required for protein

based foam concentrates.
 In simple words this test is performed by

actually extinguishing a sample of a small fire

with the foam being tested.
BURN BACK TIME
 Extinction time is the time taken for
extinguishing the sample fire with the foam
being tested. The extinction time should
not be more than 5 minutes
 Burn back time is the time in which the fire

reignites if a sample of fire is place in the

center of the foam.
 Allowed Burn back time to cover 25% of the

sample is 15 minutes.
FOAM PROPROTIONER
 Proportioner injects right quantity of the
foam into the fire water to form foam
solution. If the the proportioner is not set
correctly, it either will inject more foam or
less foam. In both cases, the system will be
less effective.
 If it injects more foam concentrate, the foam

will not run for the time it is supposed to run.

If it injects less foam concentrate, the foam
generated may not be effective in
extinguishing the fire.
FOAM PROPROTIONER
 SOLAS requires that foam proportioner must
be tested by external agency once every five
years.
 The test is carried out to confirm that the

proportioners are able to inject the foam

concentrate in correct proportion.
 The allowed variation from the designed

value is +30% to -10%.

 Ship should have the certificate for 5 yearly

testing of Foam system on board.

PROCEDURE & PRECAUTION
 Never enter a place soon after extinguishing
of fire, especially pump room, engine room
etc. due to high temperature. Allow time to
cool down
 Ensure breathing apparatus, explosion proof

lights and gas analyzers are present for

making an entry
 Once it is confirmed that the fire has

extinguished, remove all chances of re-

ignition and ensure the room is cool enough.
Exchange air inside the room by using forced
air blowers
PROCEDURE & PRECAUTION
 Keep checking the level of oxygen and other
gases when working/ assessing inside the
room
 The oxygen analyzer and gas detectors

should be of explosion proof type

 When entering the room, enter as a team (of

2 people). A stand by team needs to be ready

for evacuation with breathing apparatus (BA)
and other safety equipment if something
goes wrong