AsianScientist (May 2, 2019) – A research team in Japan has developed a fire extinguisher that is optimized for use in space. Their findings are published in the journal Fire Technology.
At present, fire extinguishers used in spacecraft or space stations in the US, Japan, Europe and Russia are mainly carbon dioxide (CO2)-spraying gas extinguishers, although water mist was partially considered as an alternative. The CO2 extinguisher was preferred because it can be used against electric fires, which are the main occurrence in space.
However, the spraying mechanism is not ideal for the space environment because of the limited volume inside the cabin and the increase in cabin CO2 concentration. Astronauts also have to put on an oxygen mask before deploying the spray-type fire extinguisher, which causes a delay in action and allow the fire to grow.
To overcome these challenges, researchers led by Professor Yuji Nakamura of the Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan, devised a fire extinguisher that puts out fires using a vacuum. They called their technique the Vacuum Extinguish Method (VEM).
Instead of spraying CO2, VEM sucks the fire source, the flames, as well as any combustion products into a vacuum chamber, thereby preventing or suppressing the spread of harmful combustion products such as fumes, particulate matter or toxic gases in an enclosed cabin.
“The idea initially emerged through unreserved discussions with US researchers. Though the proof-of-concept was simple to implement and confirm, systematic study to show its performance was arduous, requiring mathematical modeling,” said Nakamura, adding that “we will continue to refine and present the concept.”
The research team expects VEM to be an upcoming technique in future space missions and that the concept would also be applicable to extinguishing certain unusual fires—such as metal powder fires—which cannot be handled by existing fire extinguishers.
The article can be found at: Nakamura et al. (2019) Novel Fire Extinguisher Method Using Vacuuming Force Applicable to Space Habitats.
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Source: Toyohashi University of Technology; Photo: Pexels.
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