Fire Protection Engineer - Essay Example

Combustion Assignment Student’s Name Instructor’s Name Course Date of Submission Section A Question 1 a) Fire Protection Engineer Fire protection engineer (FPE) assumes a vital role in the design process of a building. The FPE facilitates the fire and life safety features of the design disciplines including electrical, mechanical, civil, structural, and architectural disciplines. The FPE concentrates on the attention of the design team on fathoming suitable fire and life safety problems[Soc07]. An FPE achieve this by helping formulate goals and objectives with an understanding that designs should reduce the danger to life safety for everyone and limiting potential property loss[Soc07]. The FPE interprets a number of applicable codes and standards with an understanding of how the building and its parts work as an integrated fire and life safety system and this helps the FPE to suggest low cost solutions that offer safety from fire to the general design. The FPE may produce a number of fire protection design documents that previse the details of a fire protection installation, being founded on an integrated systems strategy. The FPE may also formulate a plan to warrant and accept fire and life safety systems[Soc07]. b) Fire Chief A fire chief is the individual who is in the long run responsible to the authority that appointed him or her for the delivery of fire protection services. In other words, he or she is head of the institution he is leading. He or she provides leadership to the fire department, sets up and executes departmental planning, and ensures the development of personnel. He or she is also responsible for ensuring that bylaws, legislation and codes are appropriately interpreted, serves as the incidents commander at major emergency incidents, contributed to the general senior management of region he or she is leading, and promotes fire education and prevention[Mat13]. Fire chief is also designated as chief fire officer. He or she is also referred to as the brigade manager. c) Deputy Fire Chief The deputy fire chief takes up all the roles and obligations of the fire chief when the fire chief is absent. He or she has vital obligation regarding directorates. In addition, he or she guarantees compliance with health and safety legislation, can oversee divisions and personnel, serves as the incident commander at emergencies, assesses emergency operations, and any other obligation as assigned by the fire chief[Mat13]. He or she can assume the title of a brigade manager. d) Senior Officer The senior officer is a general title that may include the positions of division chief, platoon chief, district chief, or assistant chief. In general, the main role of a senior officer is to facilitate and control fire ground operations, emergency response operation, and oversee divisions, platoons, and districts. A senior officer might also be in charge of carrying out managerial responsibilities, helping in investigations and perform public relations[Mat13]. e) Company Officer The company officer is a general title for a fire line officer. The fire line officer may include persons with the position of lieutenant, captain or individuals serving in those positions such as station manager and watch manager. The main role of the company officer is that of a supervisor or manager[Int09]. He or she is an administrator who controls and steers a small number of personnel at the training or emergency scenes. The company officer may have responsibilities concerning fire education and prevention in additional to vehicle and station maintenance[Mat13] f) Firefighter The fire fighter performs the daily firefighting and fire safety work. He or she is the front line emergency fire service worker. The firefighter is operational in nature and provides the manual work needed to respond to and mitigate emergencies. The firefighter is commonly placed directly in the way of danger and usually under the direct supervision of department officers[Mat13]. He or she is actively engaged in training and can have responsibilities for fire education and prevention activities. The leading firefighter is referred to as the crew manager. The crew manager is responsible for the crew of a fire appliance at a number of stations. He or she performs the daily firefighting and fire safety work, but may take control of incidents involving up to three pumping appliances. g) Fire Department Instructors Fire department instructors are often referred to as the training officers, and they can be operational staff or non-operational staff. In general, fire department instructors have comprehensive knowledge in training methods and procedures. Their main responsibility is to verify that the fire department workforce have the required knowledge and skills to carry out their duties[Mat13]. Fire department instructors who are operational staff of the fire department can have roles as safety officers at emergency incidents. h) Fire Prevention Personnel In general, fire prevention personnel are in charge of ensuring that all the tasks of the fire department are consistent with codes and regulations. They are also responsible for public education and fire prevention activities. Some of the fire prevention personnel may be operational personnel and thus they will be required to carry out duties related to emergency response and investigation. Duties of the fire prevention personnel normally includes public displays, station tours, public education, fire inspections, pre-planning, plan reviews, and be members of special teams like smoke alarm teams[Mat13]. i) Equipment and Apparatus Maintenance Personnel These staff of the fire department may be either operational or non-operational members. The main responsibility of the equipment and apparatus maintenance personnel is to ensure that all the fire equipment and apparatus are maintained in complete operational state[Mat13]. Other duties may involve and not limited to formulating and performing maintenance programs, station maintenance, accident investigation, and reviewing and providing advice on specification for new apparatus and equipment[Int09]. j) Photographers Fire department photographers are allocated duties such as helping in creating public displays, events photographing, staff photos, and emergency scene photographs. Fire department photographers might likewise be relegated to help with investigations and compiling materials for archives, newsletters and web pages[Mat13]. Question 2 A flame is the result of a chemical reaction between an oxidizer and fuel that combine in the presence of adequate heat. It is described as the visible, gaseous section of a fir[Jon13]e. Exothermic chemical reactions are the main causes of flames. This reaction produces heat, light, steam, carbon dioxide, among other products[Jon13]. In a very hot flame, the gases are ionised and become plasma. There are two main types of flames namely premixed flame and diffusion flame. Diffusion flame is the most common type of flame that we come across, for instance, when we light a candle or match. In diffusion flame, the fuel and oxidizer diffuse into each other progressively[Jon13]. The orange or red colours we see in a diffusion flame reflect the blackbody emission of heated soot particles. A luminous flame is an example of a diffusion flame and it is produced when there are inadequate supplies of oxygen and hydrogen[Jon13]. Uncompleted combustion of the flammable substance leads to soot formation, which is an air polluting agent. Nevertheless, diffusion flames have a complete dissimilar appearance in a microgravity environment. The flame does not have a typical yellow flame and produces very little soot as there is no convection to move the products of the hot combustion away from the fuel source[Jon13]. Since the speed of diffusion flames is restricted by the diffusion rate, they burn very slowly as compared to premixed flames[Jon13]. In some cases, they may produce a lot of soot because they may be insufficient oxidizer to enable the completion of the reaction. These flames normally have a less-localized flame front as compared to the premixed flames. A Premixed flame refers to a flame in which the fuel and oxidizer are mixed before combustion or ignition occurs[Jon13]. This kind of flame is usually hotter and shorter as compared to diffusion flame. It is normally very dangerous as it is a very high temperature. The colour of the premixed flame varies from green to yellow, reflecting the emission spectrum of the component being burnt. A good example of this kind of flame is the non-luminous flame produced by a Bunsen burner[Jon13]. Premixed flames do not produce any soot; thus, they do not cause any form of pollution. For the premixed flame process to take place, some conditions and circumstances must be met when mixing the oxidizer and fuel. For any fuel to burn, there have to be suitable mix of oxidizer and fuel. Particularly, the fuel has to be within its flammable limits. The flammable limit range of a fuel may be increased or decreased by the changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature. Hence, understanding the flammable limits of any form of fuel plays a crucial role in safely managing an incident caused by premixed flames[Jon13]. Question 3 Explosions and fires are commonly considered to be one thing but this is a mistake as they are very different though they share some similarities. An explosion refers to a rapid expansion of gases as a result of a rapidly moving shock or pressure wave, while fire refers to a chemical reaction where an element merges with an oxidizing agent and expels energy[Dav132]. The main distinction between explosions and fire is the rate at which energy is released. Explosions release energy at a high rate while fires release energy at a very low rate. Both fires and explosions can result from one another. An explosion may occur in a fire if explosive compounds are present at the place fire is occurring. On the other hand, fire occurs at an explosion as a result of the heat and gas produced by the explosion. The similarities between explosions and fires include: both will normally destroy the environment in which they take place; both require oxygen; both create heat and light as well; and they both require a source of fuel[Dav132]. Differences between explosions and fires include: explosions are detonated while fires can never be detonated; explosions generate shock waves because of the quick reaction while fires do not; and combustible hydrocarbons normally have high potential energy as compared to explosive, but explosives release energy very rapidly causing a greater blast pressure[Dav132]. The reason why explosives can be detonated while fires cannot is because explosions occur after compounds are exposed to shock or heat; on the other hand, fires are started after being exposed to a source of heat only[Dav132]. Question 4 The essential elements that cause a fire are an ignition source, oxidizer, and fuel[Fur07]. These elements can be illustrated using a fire triangle as shown in Figure 1. A fire cannot occur if the three elements are not present. Ignition sources refer to the sources of heat that may become hot enough to ignite substances nearby. Some of the most common ignition sources include hot surfaces, heat, static electricity, flames, arcs and sparks, vehicle ignition, among others[Fur07]. Some forms of tasks may produce enough heat from spark, flame or other ignition source, with adequate energy to ignite flammable dust, gases, or vapours. Soldering, drilling, riveting, air gouging, chipping, flaming, brazing, grinding, cutting, cooking, heating appliance, the use of industrial ovens, and welding are some of the tasks that may create high temperatures and sparks[Smo09]. Such tasks are referred to as hot work. Open flame fire or heaters are also common sources of ignition as they may ignite a fire very easily. If the static electricity process is not properly grounded, it can build up to a level where it will discharge with a static arc, which may create an ignition source to close mixture of fuel air and vapour. Figure 2 shows the static charge development. There are many ways to generate static electricity. Figure 1: The Fire Triangle Figure 2: Static Charge Development Surfaces that go beyond the least possible auto-ignition temperature of a hydrocarbon have the potential of igniting hydrocarbon vapours. These surfaces are generally referred to as hot surfaces. Sparks refer to the discharge of electrons that may totally consume all of the energy in a single discharge or consume some of the energy. On the other hand, an arc refers to a continuous stream of electrons that reduce a gap between two conductive surfaces that are close in proximity. As a result of high resistively of air, a spark or an arc may dissipate enough energy to ignite a flammable vapour. Common examples of sparks and arcs as ignition source include arching between switches and relays (contacts); sparking of generators, electric motors or other electric rotating equipment; lightning strikes; arcs as a result of failed, inadequate, or broken insulation; discharge of a charged capacitor through a gas; arcs deliberately generated during electric welding; and poor contacts between conductors[Fur07]. Friction and mechanical sparks are also common sources of ignition. Mechanical sparks are normally caused by excessive friction between extremely hard surfaces or metals. There are number of common causes of fires which can be classified as either accidental or natural causes. Examples of accidental causes include cooking, heating equipment, smoking materials, and electricity. Lack of maintenance, inappropriate attire, poor housekeeping, inattentiveness, and unsafe practices are some of the issues that may lead to fires related to cooking equipment. Human error is the main cause of fires related to cooking as the equipment rarely causes it[Smo09]. Heating equipment cause fires when they get close to combustible materials, are improperly maintained or installed, or misused. Smoking and improperly discarding the smoking materials may also cause fire. In fact, fires related to smoking materials are very fatal as they normally occur when they are least expected or during night when people are asleep. When electricity is used correctly it is very safe, but it may cause fire damage if not used properly. Some causes of electricity fires include misuse of electrical appliances, faulty wiring, faulty electric blanket, etc. Natural causes of fire include lighting, human-related activities, lava, and autoignition or spontaneous combustion[Smo09]. Section B Question 1 a) 0 + 273K = 273 K b) -150 + 273 = 123 K c) 640 + 273 = 913 K d) -20 + 273 = 253 K Question 2 Moles = mass/molar mass Molar mass of carbon = 12.01g Moles = 150.0g x 1 mole C/12.01g C = 12.49 mol Question 3 a) = 2H3PO4 + 6NH4OH → 6H2O + 2(NH4)3PO4 b) = V2O5 + 5Ca → 5CaO + 2V c) = 2BN + 3F2 → 2BF3 + N2 d) = 2C15H26 + 43O2→ 30CO2 + 26H2O e) = 3Ca + N2 → Ca3N2 Question 4 a) Moles of O2 required = 8.0 moles NH3 x (3 moles O2/ 4 moles NH3) = 6 moles O2 Mass = molecular mass x moles = 32 x 6 = 192 g b) = 6.50 g O2 x (1 mole O2 / 32.0 g O2) x (2 moles N2 / 3 moles O2) x (28.02 g N2 / 1 mole N2) = 6.50 x 1/32 x 2/3 x 28.02 = 3.79 g c) = 34 g NH3 x (1 mole NH3 / 17.04 g NH3) x (6 moles H2O / 4 moles NH3) x (18.02 g H2O / 1 mole H2O) = 34 x 1/17.04 x 6/4 x 18.02 = 53.93 g Question 5 a) PV = nRT Therefore, V = nRT / P = ((3.34g/44.01 gmol-1) x (0.08206 L atm mol¯1 K¯1) x (273K))/1.00 atm = 1.70 L b) n = PV / RT = (1.00 atm x 46.2 L) / (0.08206 L atm mol¯1 K¯1 x 273K) = 2.06 mol Mass = moles x molar mass = 2.06 mol x 39.948 gmol-1 = 82.29 g c) T = PV / nR = (1.95 atm x 12.30 L) / (0.654 mol x 0.08206 L atm mol¯1 K¯1) = 446.92 K d) n = PV / RT = (1.00 atm x 22.414 L) / (0.08206 L atm mol¯1 K¯1 x 273K) = 1.00 moles Molecular weight = mass / n = 30.6 g / 1.00 mol = 30.6 gmol-1 Question 6 ΔQ = m c Δt = 10.0g x 0.90 Jg-1°C-1 x (55°C – 22°C) = 297 J Question 7 Figure 1: Pan set up a) Aluminium A = πr2 = 3.142 x 0.1m x 0.1m = 0.03142m2 Q = kA (T1 – T2)/L 645 = 240 x 0.03142 (T1 - 150)/0.0075 645 = 1005.44 (T1 - 150) 645 = 1005.44 T1 – 150816 T1 = (645 + 150816)/1005.44 = 150.64 °C b) Copper Q = kA (T1 – T2)/L 645 = 390 x 0.03142 (T1 - 150)/0.0075 645 = 1633.84 (T1 - 150) 645 = 1633.84 T1 – 245076 T1 = (645 + 245076)/ 1633.84 = 150.39 °C Reference List Soc07: , (Society of Fire Protection Engineers, 2007), Mat13: , (Matachewan Fire Department, 2013), Int09: , (International Associaltion of Fire Chiefs & National Fire Protection Association, 2009), Mat13: , (Matachewan Fire Department, 2013; International Associaltion of Fire Chiefs & National Fire Protection Association, 2009), Jon13: , (Jones, 2013), Dav132: , (Davletshina & Cheremisinoff, 2013), Fur07: , (Furness & Muckett, 2007), Smo09: , (Smoke, et al., 2009), Read More