Behavior of Fuel

(Incident Command & Control)

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Types of Fuels
Solid fuels
Liquid fuels
Flammable liquids (Boiling Point < 37.8 oC)
Combustible liquids (Boiling Point >= 37.8 oC)

Gaseous fuels

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Emergency Incidents
Fire
Release
Toxic
Flammable / Combustible

Explosion

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Emergency Incident - Fire

Fire or combustion: is a chemical process caused

by the combination of one or more substances with

oxygen. In order to start this process, normally an initial
source of heat is required. During this process fuel and
oxygen is consumed and as a result heat, light, smoke
and toxic gases are produced.

Classification of Fire:
Class A
Class B
Class C
Class D

: Solid combustible materials

: Flammable liquid
: Flammable gas
: Metal

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Stages of Fire
Start
Growth
Decay

Fuel

Heating

Vapors + Oxygen
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Vapors
Heating
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(at surface)

Fire
5

Initial stage of fire

The quantity of heat required to produce vapour at the surface

totally depends on the particular combustible substance (e.g..
Wood, Coal, Fuel Oil etc).
Oxygen is freely available in the atmosphere (about 21 %)
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Fully grown Fire

Liquid Fuel Can Still Burn When O2 Level Drop to 15%, But
Ceases to Burn When it Reaches at 10%.
Solid materials continue to burn or at least glowing until the
oxygen content in the air is reduced to 6%
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Decay & death of Fire

Fire gets extinguished or dies by

Starving for fuel
Reduction in oxygen
Removal or reduction in heat

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Solid fuels
Classification of Solid Fuels.
Flammable solids (those which tend to loose valence shell
electrons quite readily). E.g. Magnesium, Aluminium
Spontaneously combustible materials (pyrophoric or self
heating materials). E.g. Titanium tri-chloride, phosphorous
Water reactive materials (dangerous when wet materials).
E.g. Sodium, Potassium, Calcium
Self reactive materials (those which undergo exothermic
decomposition at normal or elevated temperature). E.g.
hydrides, nitirdes, phosphides & boronides.

Sub categories
Metallic solids
Non-metallic solids
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Solid fuels on combustion

Molecules are bounded together by bonds.
Bonds gets agitated when heat is applied.
Some molecules break apart and combines
with oxygen.
Results in exothermic reaction leading to
chain reaction.
A few materials contain sufficient oxygen to
support combustion, hence can burn in the
absence of air.
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Liquid fuels
Categories of Liquid Fuels
Hydrocarbons (Alkanes, Alkenes, Alkynes, Cyclic HCs)
Non hydrocarbon (Pyrophoric & Hypergolic)

Classification

of

Petroleum

(Any liquid
hydrocarbon or mixture of hydrocarbons and any inflammable
mixture containing liquid hydrocarbon)
Class A : FP < 23oC
Class B : FP >= 23oC < 65oC
Class C : FP >= 65oC < 93oC

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Liquid Fuel

(Properties Influencing Combustion)

Vapour pressure
Flash point
Boiling point
Specific gravity
Volatility
Vapour density
Ignition temperature (Auto ignition temp.)
Flammability limits / Explosive range
Water Solubility

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Liquid Fuel on Combustion

Fire catches only within the flammable
limits.
Temperature of liquid increases only till its
Boiling point. Further heating results in
more vaporization only.
For products with multiple boiling point
(E.g. Crude Oil), the temperature rises up
to the Boiling point of the lightest point
before it catches fire.

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Gaseous Fuel
Classification of Gaseous fuel
Liquefied gases (which can be liquefied at 21oC by
increasing pressure to vapour pressure)
Non liquefied Compressed gases (which exists solely in the
gaseous state under pressure at normal temperature. E.g.
Hydrogen, Helium)
Cryogenic liquids (those made from gases liquefied by
cooling to very low temperatures, E.g. LNG )

Classification by usage
Fuel gases (for heating, cooking. E.g. LPG)
Industrial gases (for welding, cutting, chemical processing)

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Gaseous Fuel on combustion

Ignite in one single stage without preliminary
warming up.
Some gases heavier than air accumulates at lower
level. The lighter ones will rise to the atmosphere
Behavior of gas depends on chemical, physical
properties and the conditions under which it is
handled like Temperature, pressure and volume.
Pressure is arguably the most important aspect of a
closed gas container. (Gauge pressure & Absolute
pressure)

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Fire Give The Test

Just Ahead Of The Lesson

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