Pozhneftehim on GOST R edition “fire technology. Ejection type foam generators "

GOST R "Firefighting equipment. Ejection type foam generators. General technical requirements. Test Methods” was developed by the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters taking into account the norms of international standards NFPA 11 and ISO 7076-2: 2012. The document has been submitted for approval by TS 274 “Fire Safety” and the revision of the standard is currently being finalized before its entry into force.

In October 2018, Pozhneftehim proposed to clarify certain provisions of the revision of GOST “Firefighting equipment. Ejection type foam generators. General technical requirements. Test Methods." The comments relate to items associated with the technical parameters of foam generators and terminology  clarification.

“Today, key manufacturers are involved in the process of developing new standards for technical facilities and equipment. Pozhneftehim works with supervisory institutions to improve this and other standards. It is extremely important to create relevant regulatory documents that will not limit competition in the market and the development of new types of equipment,” said Sergey Panov, Technical Director of Pozhneftehim.

Pozhneftehim, a developer and manufacturer of fire equipment since 2004, suggests clarifying certain terms in the working edition of GOST R "Firefighting equipment. Ejection-type foam generators." The official letter of Pozhneftehim provides explanations on the terms “fire extinguishing air-mechanical foam”, “height of foam spread ”, “aqueous solution” and “premix”, sprayers and nozzles for producing solid or sprayed jets.

The paragraph of the working edition of GOST on the parameters of foam generators requires revision. It is not permissible to set a rigid framework for technical data. Customers and manufacturers must determine the technical parameters of products depending on the tasks and requirements of the project. Low expansion foam generators can be produced to work at a pressure of 0.1 MPa, if it’s possible and if there is a need in the market. The nominal value of 0.4 MPa instead of 0.6 can be taken if the consumer uses exactly value of 0.4 MPa.

“The product line of Pozhneftehim includes low, medium and high expansion foam generators. The company is engaged not only in the production of equipment and foam concentrates, but also in the design of systems, the development of Special Technical Conditions. In the process of developing prototypes of equipment, we study Russian and international standards. Our equipment is tested at an accredited hydraulic test bench. Our company can produce products according to the technical specifications of the customer, customize it for specific tasks of the design solution. Flexibility in solving problems is a confirmation of the company's experience and the qualifications of employees” - notes Sergey Panov.

In order to achieve the goal of standardizing quality indicators and the possibility of their assessment, it is necessary to establish the main parameters that the manufacturer should indicate and by which the consumer or expert should verify compliance with the declared characteristics, namely:

• operational pressure range  at the inlet to the generator;
• operational flow range with reference to the values of operational pressures;
• the expansion of foam in the declared ranges of flow and pressure;
• range of foam supply with reference to the declared flow rates and pressures (for foam generators of low and medium expansion, except for reservoir ones, if this indicator is indicated by the manufacturer).

The same approach should be taken in the paragraph that relates to the determination of the flow rate of the foam concentrate solution and the coefficient of productivity of the generator. It is important to calculate the parameters not only at the operational pressure of 0.6 MPa, but also at a different operational pressure requested by the customer. In an official review, Pozhneftehim proposes to determine the flow rate of the foam concentrate solution and the K-factor at the minimum, average and maximum operational pressures declared by the manufacturer.

Also, in our opinion, attention should be paid to clauses on the leakproofness of the safety membranes (screens), fire tests of the generators, as well as to the wording of the working edition regarding the material of manufacture, deviations of the expansion values ​​from the values ​​declared by the manufacturer downward, etc.

“The Pozhneftehim team does not just produce and sell firefighting products of various modifications (more than 14 types with different intended use). We organize annual Advanced training courses for specialists of design organizations and operating customer services. We discuss the development of foam fire extinguishing technologies and the specifics of the work of different types of systems. Course participants are present during equipment testing and during fire tests. We believe that the experience of our team can be taken into account when finalizing the working version of this GOST, as well as in developing its subsequent editions” - says Sergey Panov.