Split stack fire-fighting apparatus and process of use
OwnerRobert E. Taylorinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an apparatus and process for extinguishing the fire of an escaping flow of fossil fuel, such as from an oil or gas well, the preferred apparatus comprises a boom-held, open-ended, split stack equipped with quench fluid outlets on its inside and structure for spreading the stack and closing it around the flame to confine and operate on the flame front. The process involves closing such stack around the flame, preferably with the quench fluid flowing from the opened-up stack as it approaches the fire, then continuing such flow until the fire goes out and the fuel vapors and equipment in the former flame zone are below autoignition temperature.
Claims17
A process for extinguishing a fire of an escaping flow of fossil fuel which is burning with a generally upwardly-extending flame front around said flow, the process comprising:
- disposing an open-ended stack comprising two vertically hinged sections near said flame front, said stack having inside walls,
- pivoting said two sections about a vertical hinge therebetween thereby closing said two sections of said stack around said fuel flow, thereby forming a confined zone that surrounds said flame front laterally,
- injecting a flux of quench fluid throughout said zone from a plurality of apertures that are disposed in said inside walls around the flame front laterally, and
- establishing and maintaining the flux of the quench fluid at a rate sufficiently high to extinguish the fire.
Apparatus for extinguishing a fire of an escaping flow of fossil fuel which is burning with a generally upwardly-extending flame front around the flow, the apparatus comprising:
- a stack comprising at least two vertical sections that are vertically hinged for opening and closing said sections, wherein said two sections can be spread apart, then closed to surround and confine laterally the flame front of the fire,
- the stack having an open top, an open bottom, an interior and quench fluid inlet means,
- the stack interior being equipped with a plurality of quench fluid outlets disposed for blanketing the confined flame front;
- means for spreading open the stack and closing the stack around said flame front;
- and
- a boom for disposing the stack near the flame front of the fire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.