Methodology for the Application of Fire Extinguishers at Water Transport Facilities

The purpose of this study is to develop a scientifically based methodology for equipping ships with dry powder fire extinguishers, taking into account the heat release rate during a fire, the extinguisher delivery time, and its heat absorption capacity. The work employs a comprehensive approach including the analysis of current regulations, full-scale experiments to determine the speed of people carrying fire extinguishers of various sizes, simulation modeling in Pathfinder software to calculate delivery time, numerical fire dynamics modeling in the PyroSim software package to determine the heat release rate in ship compartments considering actual fire loads, as well as analytical calculation of the heat absorption capacity of fire extinguishers using standard methods. The scientific novelty of this work lies in the transition from a static regulatory approach (based solely on room area and functional purpose) to a dynamic physico-mathematical model that considers the actual fire load, ergonomic characteristics of a person carrying an extinguisher, and the thermophysical parameters of extinguishing agents. Implementation of the proposed methodology increases the probability of successful fire suppression at an early stage by the crew, allows reasonable optimization of the placement of primary fire extinguishing equipment, and reduces risks to human life and the environment.