Introduction To Combustion And Fire - Assignment Example

Introduction to Combustion and Fire – Assignment 1001 Assignment Course: Professor: Date 1. In 1000 words discuss the different roles of fire professionals that are available within the fire industry and their importance. (20 Marks) The fire industry consists of several professionals with diverse roles. In the United Kingdom, the fire professionals are categorized into; fire fighter, crew manager, watch manager, group manager, station manager, area manager and Brigade manager. These professionals are charged with different roles in the fire fighting service. Firefighter The firefighters are well trained in fire extinguishing and rescuing people from danger. Apart from this, the professionals are also trained in other broader skills which include emergency medical services and other safety rescue. Firefighters is a noble profession as it involves saving of life and properties. To be effective, the fire fighters are taught skills that help them to make sure they are safe while doing their duties. The roles played by the fire fighters includes rescuing people who are trapped or in hazardous environments. The firefighters are also in the front line during fire extinguishing to make sure that they do their best to save the lives and properties. The firefighters can work as volunteers or on a monthly payment based on the type of locality. At the moment, fire fighting service has been dedicated to making sure that there is prevention of the incidence before they occur. This has led to giving talks to the community groups such as schools and factories. The firefighters are supposed to inspect buildings and hotels among other establishments to make sure that there is compliance with fire requirement. The fire fighters are equipped with equipments such as axes, ropes, cutting equipment, ladder and cutting gear. The two types of the firefighters include retained firefighters and full time firefighters. The retained firefighters have to combine their job with firefighting. They are usually involved when there is an emergency service. The role of the firefighters is very vital in the society. This is due to disaster management and safety of the nation (International Fire Service Training Association 2008, 45). Crew commander The position is also known as crew manager and deals with both administrative and dealing with fire incidences. When dealing with management tasks, the fire crew commander deals with office work. This position has a lot of work in managing the fire service response both in the ground and at the administrative level. The crew managers are responsible for the fire fighting equipment management and care in the stations. The role of the crew managers can help a lot in making sure that all the fire fighting gears are in place and in good condition. Having the fire fighting equipment in place and in good condition is important in the fire fighting operations as it ensures success in the ground. This is a noble responsibility in the firefighting service (International Fire Service Training Association 2008, 74). Watch manager The watch manager is responsible for commanding a fire fighting watch. This is in response to emergencies that may occur due to incidences such as aircraft emergencies and other domestic incidents. The main duty of the watch officer in the fire fighting department is saving the life and property. The watch officer has the responsibility to have command and make sure they control any emergency situation that may occur. One of the noblest works of the watch officers is making sure that they prevent fire and make sure that help in protecting and responding to emergency situations. Other roles of the watch officer include making an assessment of fire and unit staff training. Most of the watch officers work must have experience in firefighting to be able to operate well. The role of the watch officer is very vital in the firefighting as it involves the management and protection of fire in establishments. This is through saving life and properties in times of disaster (International Maritime Organization 2000, 56). Group Manager The rank was previously referred to as divisional officer. The main work of the group manager is management of the groups of fire stations. They are also involved in day to day job in any specific area of work making them a vital part of the firefighting profession. As a manger in the firefighting division, the group manager is supposed to make sure that the groups are well coordinated and have the required equipment to tackle emergencies. This is a very important task that requires someone with good managerial and interpersonal skills. The managers have to make sure that there is coordination between different firefighting groups. This is to ensure that there is interdependence among the groups so that teamwork can thrive. Managing a professional group such as firefighting requires making sure that different members in the groups are in harmony with each other. This position is among the senior positions in the firefighting industry and commands great respect. The responsibility held by the group manager to the service and the community is great and hence is very important in the firefighting industry (International Maritime Organization 2000, 60). Area Manager An area manager has the responsibility to lead a directorate in the fire fighting organization. The managers are tasked with an incidence of up to nine pumps. The area managers are supposed to take specialist tasks which can involve supporting a group at an incidence. The work done by the area manager involves a lot of coordination of the firefighters in their area. This is an important role in the industry as it supports team work and coordination (International Fire Service Training Association 2008, 55). Brigade Manager This is the highest rank in the firefighting industry. The manager is responsible commanding the day to day operations of the fire fighting service. The brigade manager role comes with responsibilities to give advice and support that is required in resolving any operational incidence that can occur. Among the many responsibilities that are attached to the Brigade manager, they are responsible for leading the organization and making sure that they meet their strategy through effective decision making. The working relationships in the fire industry are all developed through the Brigade manager. This involves making sure that there is a successful interaction between the members of the team. The brigade managers are involved with establishing the goals in the team and making sure that there is professional development. This serves as the most important role in the fire fighting industry as it is at the top of all the management (Ulrich 2009, 41). 2. Discuss the importance of fire statistics. Analyze and compare the statistics from 2002 and 2012 highlight the main differences. (20 Marks) Fire statistics act as an indicator of how the fire fighting service delivery is performing in the industry. The statistics give insight in the manner in which the fire fighting is gaining strength. Using the data, the trend in which fire occurrences and prevention has been handled can be monitored. The statistics are an important source of evidence on the prevalence of fire incidences and the number of casualties. By looking at the fire statistics of 2002 and 2012, a lot of striking differences are noted. The number of female employees has risen considerably from the low figure in 2002 as compared to 2012. There has also been a reduction in the number of hazards that occurred during this period in a large number. The fire fighters injured during the same period is considerably low. The female firefighters have risen from 2.8 percent in 2002 to 4 percent in 2012. The firefighters injured in the service have significantly reduced. In 2002, the numbers of incidences were higher than 6000 and reduced to around 3,383. 3. Discuss the different mechanisms of fire extinction utilized by the main types of fire extinguishers available. Explain why a water extinguisher would not be used on an electrical fire. (10 marks) Fire extinguishers are made from pressure vessels with the ability to hold a steady pressure. The dry fire extinguishers use dry chemical agent to extinguish fire. Using the dry chemical, it is possible to interrupt the chain reaction that occurs during combustion. Carbon dioxide extinguishers use co2 gas due to fact that it’s heavier than air. The gas displaces the air surrounding the fuel and interrupts the combustion process. The foam extinguisher uses a water concentrate and a certain amount of foam. They produce foam that prevents fire from spreading. The wet chemical extinguishers use a chemical which is applied as water solution. When applied to burning vegetable oil, they form a thick blanket of foam that prevents the fire from reigniting to hot oil. Halogenated extinguishers are made from liquefied gases known as halogens. These gases include bromine, iodine and chlorine. When released to flame they form a mist that consist of vapor and droplets that disrupt the chain reaction that leads to combustion hence extinguishing the fire. Dry powders are a type of extinguishers that are used to extinguish the types of fire from combustible materials. When applied to fire, they release a gas that forms a blanket over the fire and cuts its oxygen (International Maritime Organization 2000, 34). Section B - Answer all 10 questions below, show your workings and include appropriate referencing 1. Convert the following temperatures into Kelvin: (2 Marks) K= C+273 i. 107.5°C 105.7+273=380.5 K ii. 374°F Convert first to Celsius= Tc= 5/9(374 -32) °C K=C=273= 190. 001°C + 273 = 463.001 K iii. 65°C K=C+273= 65+ 273 = 338 K iv. 219°F Tc= 5/9(219-32) °C K=C+273= 103.9°C + 273 = 376.9 K 2. Discuss the term “flame” and identify the different categories of flame. (8 Marks) Flame refers to a hot gas or vapor that is capable of producing a flame. Most of the substances which are gaseous produce a flame when burning. There is also a tendency for the solids and liquids to produce a flame when they are burning. The type of flame is dependent on the type of oxygen that is available. The two types of flames are luminous and non-luminous flame. Non luminous flame occurs when the amount of oxygen available is high and the fuel burns completely. The flame is blue in color. Luminous flame occurs when there is inadequate oxygen. Carbon particles are formed due to incomplete combustion. These particles become hot and glow emitting a yellow flame (International Fire Service Training Association 2008, 33). 3. What are the causes of incomplete combustion? Which is more likely to be found in the products of an incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel, CO (g) or OH? Why? (6 Marks) Lack of sufficient oxygen leads to incomplete combustion in a hydrocarbon incomplete combustion can also be caused by a chilling flame. The products found through incomplete combustion include carbon monoxide (CO) (g), water vapor and soot deposit (C) (g). This is caused by insufficient air (Goodson & Brakhage 2003, 23). 4. Balance the following equations: a) 2H2 + O2→ 2H2O b) 2Al2O3 →4 AL + 3O2 c) Al2(SO4)3 + 3Ca(OH)2 → 2Al(OH)3 + 3CaSO4 d) 3AgNO3 + K3PO4 → Ag3PO4 + 3KNO3 5. Acetylene (C2H2) will burn in the presence of oxygen. The balanced equation for the reaction is: 2 C2H2 (g) + 5 O2 (g) → 4 CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (l) How many grams of water can be produced by the reaction of 4.80mol of C2H2 with 14.8mol of O2? (6 Marks) 2 C2H2 (g) + 5 O2 (g) → 4 CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (l) 4.8 mole C2H2 (502/2C2H2) (g) = 12 mole O2 C2H2 (g) limiting 4.8 mole C2H2 (2H2O/2C2H2) (18g / 1 mole) = 86.4 g H2O (l) 6. Assuming STP, how many liters of oxygen are required to burn 3.86L of carbon monoxide? The equation for the combustion of carbon monoxide is 2 CO (g) + O2 (g) → 2CO2 (g). (4 Marks) 3.86 L CO (g) * 1mol CO (g) / 22.4 L CO (g) = 0.172 mol CO (g) 0.172 CO (g) * 1 mol O2 (g) / 2mol CO (g) = 0.086 mol O2 (g) 0.086 mol O2 (g) * 22.4 O2 (g) / 1 mol O2 (g) = 1.93 L O2 (g) 7. Using the Ideal Gas Law solve the following problems: a) If there are 4 moles of a gas at a pressure of 3.1atm and a volume of 15L, what is the temperature? PV=nRT, T= PV/ nR T= 3.1 * 15 / 4 * 0.0821 = 141. 59 °C b) If there is an unknown quantity of gas at a pressure of 2.2atm, a volume of 46L, and a temperature of 1270C, how many moles of gas are there? (4 Marks) PV= nRT R= 0.0821 L* atm / (mol*K) PV/RT= n (2.2) (46) / (0.0821) (127+273) = 101.2 / 32.84 =3.08161 8. Explain the terms “smouldering” and “flaming” combustion. (8 Marks) Smouldering can be defined as flameless combustion that occurs on a solid fuel. The main difference between smoldering and flaming is the fact that in smouldering, oxidation and heat release occurs on the solid surface. This is in contrast to flaming where oxidation and heat release occur in the gas phase and above the fuel. During smouldering, the heat and spread rate are low as compared to flaming. Smouldering can easily be ignited through weak sources of heat (Jukka & Valtion 2000, 65). 9. Calculate the rate of heat transfer through a 0.32 square meter of a plaster wall 4.2 cm thick. One side of the wall is at 675°C, while the other side is at 32°C. Thermal conductivity of gypsum plaster is 0.48 W/mK. (6 Marks) q= U (T1-T2) / V Where q is rate of heat transfer q= 0.48 (675 °C – 32°C) / (0.32 * 0.042) = 308.64 /0.01344 =22964.28 J/s 10. How many joules of heat are needed to raise the temperature of 1kg of gypsum plaster from 30°C to 180°C? (2 Marks) C= 1.09 (K j / Kg K) Heat = Mc (T2- T1) = 1 * 1.09 * (180°C -30°C) = 163.5 joules References Goodson, C & Brakhage, C 2003, Wildland fire fighting for structural firefighters, Stillwater, OK, Fire Protection Publications, Oklahoma State University. International Fire Service Training Association 2008, Essentials of fire fighting and fire department operations, Upper Saddle River, N.J., Brady/Prentice Hall Health. International Maritime Organization 2000, Fire prevention and fire fighting, London, International Maritime Organization. Jukka, V., Jukka, H & Valtion, T 2000, Smoke ventilation in operational fire fighting. Part 2, Multi-storey buildings, Espoo [Finland]: Technical Research Centre of Finland. Ulrich, K 2009, Fires in silos: hazards, prevention, and fire fighting, Weinheim, Wiley. Read More

The crew managers are responsible for the fire fighting equipment management and care in the stations. The role of the crew managers can help a lot in making sure that all the fire fighting gears are in place and in good condition. Having the fire fighting equipment in place and in good condition is important in the fire fighting operations as it ensures success in the ground. This is a noble responsibility in the firefighting service (International Fire Service Training Association 2008, 74).

Watch manager The watch manager is responsible for commanding a fire fighting watch. This is in response to emergencies that may occur due to incidences such as aircraft emergencies and other domestic incidents. The main duty of the watch officer in the fire fighting department is saving the life and property. The watch officer has the responsibility to have command and make sure they control any emergency situation that may occur. One of the noblest works of the watch officers is making sure that they prevent fire and make sure that help in protecting and responding to emergency situations.

Other roles of the watch officer include making an assessment of fire and unit staff training. Most of the watch officers work must have experience in firefighting to be able to operate well. The role of the watch officer is very vital in the firefighting as it involves the management and protection of fire in establishments. This is through saving life and properties in times of disaster (International Maritime Organization 2000, 56). Group Manager The rank was previously referred to as divisional officer.

The main work of the group manager is management of the groups of fire stations. They are also involved in day to day job in any specific area of work making them a vital part of the firefighting profession. As a manger in the firefighting division, the group manager is supposed to make sure that the groups are well coordinated and have the required equipment to tackle emergencies. This is a very important task that requires someone with good managerial and interpersonal skills. The managers have to make sure that there is coordination between different firefighting groups.

This is to ensure that there is interdependence among the groups so that teamwork can thrive. Managing a professional group such as firefighting requires making sure that different members in the groups are in harmony with each other. This position is among the senior positions in the firefighting industry and commands great respect. The responsibility held by the group manager to the service and the community is great and hence is very important in the firefighting industry (International Maritime Organization 2000, 60).

Area Manager An area manager has the responsibility to lead a directorate in the fire fighting organization. The managers are tasked with an incidence of up to nine pumps. The area managers are supposed to take specialist tasks which can involve supporting a group at an incidence. The work done by the area manager involves a lot of coordination of the firefighters in their area. This is an important role in the industry as it supports team work and coordination (International Fire Service Training Association 2008, 55).

Brigade Manager This is the highest rank in the firefighting industry. The manager is responsible commanding the day to day operations of the fire fighting service. The brigade manager role comes with responsibilities to give advice and support that is required in resolving any operational incidence that can occur. Among the many responsibilities that are attached to the Brigade manager, they are responsible for leading the organization and making sure that they meet their strategy through effective decision making.

The working relationships in the fire industry are all developed through the Brigade manager. This involves making sure that there is a successful interaction between the members of the team. The brigade managers are involved with establishing the goals in the team and making sure that there is professional development.

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