Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION: Traditional fog streams disrupt the thermal balance and thus make the area untenable or can lead to steam burns. How does this high pressure ‘steam’ overcome this? At what point does a room/area become too large for this principal to work? Can the ‘stream’ be played into an existing opening with the same effect?
ANSWER: The use of "water fog" as you know is an integral part of the fire service as a whole. The "application" of "water fog" is an entirely different matter.
- "Water fog" can be applied using your typical automatic nozzle, which typically will flow "fog" in droplet sizes between 300-400 microns at a velocity of approx 40 MPH at pressures around 100-150 PSI.
- During the mid 70’s, John Bean’s company briefly introduced a "high pressure fog" gun that was capable of pressures around 1000 PSI with a droplet size around 250 microns and a velocity of approximately 100 MPH.
- Using the Pyrolance, we are flowing "ultra high pressure fog" at a velocity of 450 MPH with a droplet size of 150 microns at pressures around 4400 PSI.
What is important about the above information is that the efficiency
of "water fog" is dependent on two distinct factors; 1- The velocity
of the droplet. ( The higher the velocity the greater the capacity
of the water droplet to absorb heat from the surrounding atmosphere
due to "entrainment"). 2 - The size of the droplet has a direct
affect on the ability of the efficiency of the water droplet. ( The
smaller the droplet the greater the capacity ).
During the last few years much progress has been made in the application methodology of water fog into the thermal layer. Currently, 3D fire fighting practices are teaching fire fighters to apply high pressure fog straight into the thermal layer in controlled short bursts, in order not to upset the thermal layer (www.firetactics.com). With Pyrolance, we do not rely on steam generation to control the thermal layer; but instead, We introduce ultra high pressure water fog straight into the thermal layer thereby absorbing much of the heat out of the products of combustion and inerting the overhead. We are typically seeing temperature drops of 1200F to 200F within a few seconds. Once you see a demonstration, you will be able to witness the suspension of the water fog in the atmosphere.
QUESTION: How much fire can a single Lance handle?
ANSWER: The Pyrolance has a heat absorption capacity of
approx 10 MW or 9800 BTU/s. If you consider that a typical fire, in
a 20 foot training simulator, generates between 1-2 MW it gives a pretty good idea of the capacity of just a single Lance. Two
important things to consider: With the Pyrolance, we are not
generally attempting to extinguish the fire but rather to "control"
the overhead to assist in aggressive interior fire fighting
operations. This prevents such catastrophes’, such as what recently
happened in the SC mattress warehouse fire and the San Pablo, CA
house fire where unwary fire fighters were caught in flash-over's or
rapid fire growth phenomena. When utilized in this fashion, its
ability to "control" dangerous fire conditions are much enhanced and
the tool is highly effective. The second issue is also true. As much
as we will not pull one 1 3/4 inch attack line at a warehouse fire
and hope to achieve fire suppression a similar situation is true
with using the Lance. There will definitely come a point where the
"volume" of the fire body will be too great to handle with a single
tool. Add the ability of the Pyrolance to not only inert the
overhead, but to virtually "punch" thru almost any structural
material in quick time, and we are surely talking about a never
before option now available to ensure fire fighter safety.
