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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: Messy on March 28, 2015, 09:01:18 AM

Title: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: Messy on March 28, 2015, 09:01:18 AM

Clever stuff and perhaps one to watch

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/27/students-fire-extinguisher-sound-waves

Can you image a VAS where a sound is used to raise the alarm and simultaneously suppress the fire???

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: John Webb on March 29, 2015, 02:50:19 PM

They've only tried it out on small fires, and it seems that the frequency needs some 'fine-tuning' to achieve the required result. I have my doubts about extending the results to larger fires involving several materials and burning irregularly rather than a small and fairly stable liquid fuel fire of the sort they were using. I would imagine the power requirement for larger fires would become much higher, and we might well end up deafening the operator(s) and anyone else in the vicinity. But it's nice to see someone doing a bit of lateral thinking.

Perhaps they could go on to look at 'Containment fields' which isolate the fire from atmospheric oxygen as used in Star Trek?

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: SamFIRT on March 30, 2015, 04:26:12 PM

Or look for a way to interrupt the chemical reaction at the molecular level using an electro magnetic field (rather than halogens which cause holes in ozone layers) .  :D

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: kurnal on March 30, 2015, 05:11:01 PM

Just one hard stare from my Mother in Law should do the trick. It certainly puts my fire out.

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: jasper on April 01, 2015, 02:19:17 PM

Quote from: SamFIRT on March 30, 2015, 04:26:12 PM

Or look for a way to interrupt the chemical reaction at the molecular level using an electro magnetic field (rather than halogens which cause holes in ozone layers) .  :D

Or they hydrate the hydrocarbons

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: jayjay on April 01, 2015, 06:34:14 PM

I've heard H20 works quite well and is free.

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: SamFIRT on April 02, 2015, 07:58:36 AM

Nothing in life is free Jayjay....... and my H2O company charges me quite a lot for mine.......  ;D

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: jayjay on April 02, 2015, 11:42:22 PM

h2o for firefighting is free.

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: Tom Sutton on April 03, 2015, 10:16:17 AM

I am with you Jayjay https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/299993612/Publications/Guidance/Firefighting/national-guidance-document-on-water-for-ffg-final.pdf  ::)

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: SamFIRT on April 03, 2015, 10:39:17 AM

Apart from the cost to the environment Jayjay.  ;D

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: jayjay on April 03, 2015, 10:53:19 PM

Less harmfull than the products of combustion

Title: Re: Extinguishing Fire With Sound
Post by: SamFIRT on April 04, 2015, 11:00:54 AM

Not always. That is a RA that has to be made.