Experimental Study of Suppression of Obstructed Gas Well Blowout Fires Using Water Sprays

摘要

The effect of obstructions in the gas flow on the ability of water sprays to extinguish simulated gas well blowout fires was examined using test fires with natural gas flow rates up to 35 MMSCF/D. The series of tests extends previous measurements of water spray extinguishment of simulated un-obstructed natural gas blowout fires adding obstructions that would almost certainly be present during accidents on actual platforms. It was found that the presence of obstructions in the gas flow increased the amount of water needed to extinguish the fire compared to an un-obstructed blowout fire. It is believed that an obstruction increases air/gas mixing while at the same time it decreases water/gas mixing.