United States Department of Agriculture Fire Retardant Forest Service Standard Technology & Development Program Mixing System 5100 Fire Management August 1999 9951 1204—SDTDC EST SERVI FOR CE D E E R P U A RTMENT OF AGRICULT Fire Retardant Standard Mixing System Fred Cammack, P.E.—Mechanical Engineer San Dimas Technology & Development Center August 1999 Information contained in this document has been developed for the guidance of employees of the Forest Service, USDA, its contractors, and cooperating Federal and State agencies. The Department of Agriculture assumes no responsibility for the interpretation or use of this information by other than its own employees. The use of trade, firm, or corporation names is for the information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not constitute an official evaluation, conclusion, recommendation, endorsement, or approval of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, or call 1-800-245-630 (voice) or 202- 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity employer. FIRE RETARDANT STANDARD MIXING SYSTEM 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789TABLE OF CONTENTS 0 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 MIXING ISSUES AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Properties of Dry Powder Fire Retardants ................................. 2 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Properties of Liquid Fire Retardants .......................................... 3 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 TEST MIXER SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 General Requirements ............................................................... 3 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Special Requirements ................................................................ 4 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Primary Requirements............................................................... 6 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 MIXER SYSTEM ACCEPTANCE TESTING 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Test Cooperators ..................................................................... 12 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 General Information ................................................................. 12 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Test Responsibilities ................................................................ 12 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Test Procedure......................................................................... 14 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Data Collection......................................................................... 15 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Physical Inspection.................................................................. 16 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 TEST RESULTS 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Hemet-Ryan Test ..................................................................... 16 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Redding Test............................................................................ 17 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 MIXER OPERATIONAL TESTING AT WEST YELLOWSTONE .............. 18 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................... 20 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 APPENDIX A 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 MIXING SYSTEM FINAL SPECIFICATIONS AND PROCUREMENT 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 INFORMATION 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 A.1. Mixer System Specifications ............................................ 22 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ............................................................. 22 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 SPECIFIC DESIGN REQUIREMENTS ................................................ 22 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 SYSTEM ASSEMBLY, ACCEPTANCE TESTING AND DELIVERY 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 A.2. Mixer System Procurement Information .......................... 24 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 APPENDIX B 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 MIXER SYSTEM TEST DATA AND ANALYSIS 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Hemet-Ryan Test Data ............................................................. 34 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 Redding test Data .................................................................... 36 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 FIRE RETARDANT STANDARD MIXING SYSTEM 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 INTRODUCTION 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 The current Government fire retardant program requires that retardant 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 suppliers develop complete systems, consisting of fire retardant chemicals 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 and compatible mixing and handling equipment developed and sized 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 specifically for their chemical. As a result, these proprietary systems and 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 hardware are often incompatible between suppliers, and require costly and 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 time consuming changeover of equipment each time a supplier changes at a 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 base. Prior to the fire chemical companies developing proprietary mixers, 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 the Forest Service used, without modification, mixers that were commercially 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 available and commonly used by the fertilizer, chemical, and petroleum 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890 industries. The goal of this project was to define a properly sized, low 123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890