Arguments have repeatly made from general point of view by various circles on the subject of how to maintain safety at oil refineries. Therefore, here today I should like to speak about the fire of crude oil, especially.
Crude oil usually contains water, sometimes, we pour water intentionally into the bo-ttom of crude oil tank. Crude oil is viscous, and has wide boiling point ranges and foam forming powers. It is the mixture of various hydro-carbons.
Therefore, when it once catches fire, water contained in it inflates and over flows the tank (the phenomenon konwn as slop over), or the water at the bottom of the tank boils up (boil over). The so-called “slop over”, and “boil over” are special features in the burning of oils, which cause “Heat wave front layer” to exist on the surface front in of liquid. It is certainly effective in controlling the fire to study why the heat wave case of crude oil or fuel oil fire, cooling, agitation, drawing off of oil etc. are effective. However, these means are not practicable at the scene of a fire where oil and water are violently boiling up with burning flames.
We have to resort, to some extent, to the auxiliary means such as fire walls, drainage, etc by which we can prevent the spreading of fire.
I wish to talk on how to control fire by practicable methods by conducting experime-nts and quoting examples.
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