Fine Water Mist Fire Suppression for Oxidizer Fires

Fine water mist has been shown to be an effective fire suppression option in a number of applications, including oxidizer fires, such as could result from an incident with hydrogen peroxide. ADA Technologies, Inc. and the Colorado School of Mines collaborated in Phase I to design , build and demonstrate the ability of a novel fine water mist system to extinguish target fires enhanced with the addition of an oxidizer. The Modular Effervescent Atomizer System (MEAS) features a patented atomizer designed to generate droplets in the size range found to be most effective for fire suppression, about 30 microns in diameter. The system is modular, and configured for easy maintenance and recharge. In Phase I we successfully extinguished test fires at Tyndall AFB in a proof-of-concept test event. In Phase II we plan to upgrade and improve the performance of the system, demonstrating its fire suppression capabilities in a mock-up of the Airborne Laser aircraft cabin. We have improved the project team with the addition of a commercial supplier of aircraft fire suppression systems to provide technical insight into the operating environment. Advanced prototypes will be built and tested at Tyndall AFB under the Phase II project. ADA will also develop a plan to take this novel technology into the commercial fire suppression market to protect flammable liquid storage spaces and chemical plants.