Fire Testing

Interim Jet Fire Test

Standard Fire Test OTI95 634
An indoor facility is available to test passive fire protective systems on pipes, plates or structures in accordance with the HSE standard OTI 95 634. This facility is fully accredited by Lloyds Register to BS 7501 (EN45001).

Full Scale Jet Fire Testing

Facilities include high pressure gas storage (up to 40 tonnes and pressures up to 165bar) and a network of above and below ground pipework with valves and pressure and flow control systems to enable a wide range of pressurized gas releases to be undertaken under controlled conditions. Two facilities are available for horizontal pressurized jet fires. Typical projects have included studying the performance of vessel deluge systems to protect against jet fire attack, and testing the performance of passive fire protection at full scale.

This latter test involves subjecting a specimen to a jet fire for a period of 2 hours (at up to 3kg/s and 60bar) in a test widely accepted by the oil and gas industry and regulatory authorities. Liquid hydrocarbons including LNG, LPG and oils can be released under pressure to form jet fires either alone or mixed with gases.

Liquid Pool Fire Testing

Liquid hydrocarbons can be formed into pools and ignited, either alone or mixed. The engineers and technicians at Spadeadam have extensive experience of pool fires involving LNG, LPG, methanol, condensate, kerosene, oil etc. Spadeadam has a wide range of instrumentation available for studying fires.

Typical scientific measurements would include:

• Mass flow rate/burning rate of fuel
• Incident thermal radiation using radiometers
• Temperatures on objects and structures
• Heat fluxes to objects and structures using calorimeters
• Emissive power or temperatures of flames using Infra Red Imaging
• Effect of mitigation techniques
• Smoke evolution
• Ignitability
• Meteorological conditions

Water Deluge in Pool or Jet Fires

Two facilities are available for horizontal pressurized jet fires. Typical projects have included studying the performance of vessel deluge systems to protect against jet fire attack, and testing the performance of passive fire protection at full scale.

As well as dedicated vessel deluge systems, Spadeadam has a test rig with a roof measuring 20m by 20m incorporating an area deluge system capable of delivering up to 16,000 litres/min. The roof can be positioned from 2 to 8m above the concrete surface below where pressurised jet or pool fires can be undertaken and studied with water deluge operating.

The effect of fire on materials or structures can be studied to suit customers needs. Typical examples include the response of an LPG storage vessel to fire attack, which can result in a BLEVE or NGV fuel tanks, which may vent in a controlled manner or fail catastrophically.

Test rigs and programmes will be designed to suit the customers requirements or existing facilities may be suitable providing a cost effective approach to testing.