Scientists offer ways to protect Arctic energy facilities from fires
Russia does not have a unified standard for protection of industrial facilities in the Arctic
ST. PETERSBURG, October 23. /TASS/. Scientists of the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University together with specialists of the Fire Protection Research Institute (the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Orenburg) identified the most effective ways to protect in low Arctic temperatures gas and oil facilities against dangerous jet fires. Experimental and theoretical developments may improve safety of Arctic infrastructures, as well as create a national standard for protection of industrial facilities in the Arctic, the university's press service told TASS.
"The current global market of fire protection offers various flame retardant materials. However, there is no scientifically sound protocol for the protection of industrial facilities in the Arctic. A number of flame retardant materials' manufacturers have studied their products only. In order to plan fire-retardant protection line around facilities in the Arctic, it is necessary to calculate the operation of materials in extremely low temperatures, and also to take into account complex and expensive logistics and equipment installation," the press service said.
This is the task scientists from St. Petersburg and Orenburg were facing. Russia does not have a unified standard for protection of industrial facilities in the Arctic. Its development requires a comprehensive study of main factors in a fire. The experts focused on one of the most dangerous types of fires at infrastructure facilities. A jet fire results from a leakage from pipelines and high-pressure tanks, the jet temperature may reach several thousand degrees and it may melt load-bearing steel structures. This is additionally dangerous given the dense industrial facilities in the Arctic.
The researchers made a large experimental installation simulating a jet fire to evaluate resistance in Arctic conditions of various types of refractory plates, fire-resistant plasters, paints, and so on. They analyzed comprehensively a variety of parameters - the object's temperature at various stages, the time of first destructions in the protective layer, in the structures, and the properties they managed to preserve after the fire was eliminated.
The most effective materials
The most effective were various gypsum compositions, as well as cement slabs, while epoxy compositions turned out to be less fire-resistant in Arctic conditions of low temperatures. However, cement slabs are difficult to apply in the Arctic, so gypsum compounds are the most promising materials. The experts assessed the relationship between the types of protection scenarios for fire occurrence and development at different industrial facilities. Results of those tests will be used to develop a national protection standard for the Arctic.
"The main task in developing the protection protocol is, of course, the protection of people. In case of fire, there are just a few minutes to evacuate the staff. And after that the fire protection needs to ensure the protection of load-bearing structures from deformation and destruction under the influence of high temperatures, as well as to reduce the risk of progressive fire effects on neighboring facilities," said Marina Gravit, Associate Professor at the university's Institute of Civil Engineering.