Abstract To reduce the fire risk when flammable liquids are stored in bulk, the surface of the liquid is completely occupied by closely packed hollow buoyant spheres formed of moulded plastics. Preferably a sufficient number of said spheres is provided to form a blanket on the surface of the liquid consisting of several layers, for example four layers. Depending on the nature of the liquid and on the storage conditions within the container no special additional precautions may be necessary but in some cases means may be included for supplying an inert gas to a point above the liquid level, or means may be provided for supplying a firefighting foam on to the blanket formed by the hollow spheres so that the foam is caused to spread over the surface of the stored liquid. The hollow spheres may contain within them fireextinguishing media and the spheres may be arranged for ready fracture or bursting under fire conditions. Further the plastics material from which the spheres are made may include fireretarding media.
A liquid container for flammable liquids, comprising at least one complete layer of buoyant spheres floating on the surface of the liquid the layer of spheres so formed being confined solely by the walls of the container to form a protective blanket on the whole of said surface to reduce emission of flammable vapor from the liquid, and external means for delivering a fire suppressant medium to the upper part of the container to rest on said layer to suppress fire above said surface, said layer minimizing mixing of the fire suppressant medium and the liquid to maintain effectiveness of said medium, said means for delivering a fire suppressant medium to the upper part of the container comprising a ring-shaped delivery pipe disposed circumferentially of the upper portion of the container for feeding foam-producing substances to a plurality of circumferentially distributed delivery nozzles which deliver foamed products toward the inner surface of the wall of the container along which such products flow onto the layer of buoyant spheres and then spread over the liquid surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
175 words
A liquid container for flammable liquids, comprising at least one complete layer of buoyant spheres floating on the surface of the liquid the layer of spheres so formed being confined solely by the walls of the container to form a protective blanket on the whole of said surface to reduce emission of flammable vapor from the liquid, and external means for delivering a fire suppressant medium to the upper part of the container to rest on said layer to suppress fire above said surface, said layer minimizing mixing of the fire suppressant medium and the liquid to maintain effectiveness of said medium, said means for delivering a fire suppressant medium to the upper part of the container comprising a ring-shaped delivery pipe disposed circumferentially of the upper portion of the container for feeding foam-producing substances to a plurality of circumferentially distributed delivery nozzles which deliver foamed products toward the inner surface of the wall of the container along which such products flow onto the layer of buoyant spheres and then spread over the liquid surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the buoyant spheres consist of thermoplastic material formed with an equatorial welt to limit free rotation in the liquid and in which the thermoplastic material is capable of fusing under fire conditions at the points of contact between adjacent spheres to form coherent networks of spheres at the surface of the liquid.