A brand new fireplace security research by survival expertise options supplier Survitec finds that present fire-fighting strategies used to extinguish equipment area spray and pool fires on conventionally fueled vessels are insufficient when coping with methanol-based fires.
This follows intensive comparative fireplace checks on dual-fuel marine engines utilizing diesel oil and methanol.
“Our tests confirm that traditional water mist fire suppression mechanisms do not perform as expected on methanol pool fires and methanol spray fires. A completely different approach is required if these ships are to remain safe,” stated Michał Sadzyński, Product Manager, Water Mist Systems, Survitec.
Methanol is a methyl alcohol (CH3OH) that has a a lot decrease flashpoint of 12°C (54°F). However, whereas there are established fireplace security rules and testing requirements for diesel fuels, clear take a look at protocols for alcohol-based fuels corresponding to methanol and ethanol have but to be developed.
“We believe this is a high-risk situation that needs immediate action,” careworn Sadzyński. “Methanol fires are far more aggressive than fires involving traditional hydrocarbon fuels. Methanol fires have different physicochemical properties and so they cannot be extinguished as easily or with the same approach.”
The Survitec checks discovered that whereas water mist programs are extremely efficient in absorbing warmth and displacing oxygen on diesel fires, they don’t produce the identical outcomes on methanol fires.
“We had to completely rethink nozzle placement, spacing and other factors to make water mist suppression effective on methanol. For instance, the range for nozzle installation height is much lower than that needed to put out a diesel fire,” he stated.
This discovering signifies that if present vessels are retrofitted to run on methanol, they would want to overtake and redesign their fastened fire-fighting association fully.
For bilge areas, statutory guidelines formulated in IMO MSC.1/Circ.1621 set up a requirement for an authorized alcohol-resistant foam system for ships operating on methanol. For the primary time, a hard and fast, low enlargement foam system is obligatory underneath the foundations relating to defending equipment area bilges.
“Our tests demonstrate that standard discharge devices do not properly extinguish methanol pool fires in the confined bilge space. It is crucial to deliver properly expanded foam on the methanol pool fire and this is not an easy task within such a narrow space where throw length is limited,” stated Maciej Nieścioruk, Product Manager, Foam Systems, Survitec.
He stated: “MSC.1/Circ.1621 provides us with a starting guideline but it is very general and therefore open to interpretation. Moreover, methanol compliance for Local Application Firefighting (LAFF) systems is not yet covered. As an industry, we need to come together and develop comprehensive and robust fire test standards and safety rules tailored to methanol’s unique properties.”
The stark conclusion of the investigation arrives at a time of accelerating orders for methanol-fueled ships. The greener gas is seen as a panacea to assembly the trade’s emissions abatement targets, and forecasts predict accelerated adoption charges.
Orders for methanol-fueled newbuilds elevated by 9% within the final 12 months, 2% greater than these for LNG-fueled ships. Analysts recommend the methanol-fueled fleet will account for 20mgt by 2028.
“We are seeing a significant uptake in orders for methanol-fueled vessels, with 2023 being the breakout year for this alternative marine fuel. With more methanol-powered ships being built every year, the industry must act now to prevent dangerous gaps in fire safety,” stated Nieścioruk. “We encourage all stakeholders to come together to address methanol’s unique fire risks and create clear standards, new testing protocols and updated safety rules for methanol.”
