SBIR Phase I: Fire Suppression With Enviromentally-Friendly Water Additives

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将确定显著增强灭火的可行性，包括通过应用含水屈服应力流体涂层来灭火和防火，即在剪切力的影响下经历固体(凝胶)到液体转变的流体。在水的可获得性不断减少，以及人们对现有水添加剂的负面环境后果的认识日益增强的情况下，需要对环境影响较小的抑制剂，其中可能包括含水的屈服应力流体。第一阶段研究计划的主要成果是提供证据，证明灭火和阻燃是涂层厚度的函数，并证明涂层厚度是可控和可交付流变性的函数。这项研究将包括候选屈服应力流体的流变特性、大规模泵送和喷雾的验证、喷洒屈服应力流体的灭火测量以及涂层可燃基材的阻燃测量。预期的技术成果包括通过实际可行的方法展示沉积可接受的厚度和均匀的涂层，并展示这样沉积的涂层显示出有效的灭火和/或防火水平。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是，以可接受的成本实现有效的灭火水平可能不再与化学添加剂的负面环境影响相互排斥。火灾是世界范围内对生命和财产的持续威胁。2010年，美国火灾的总成本估计为3280亿美元，相当于GDP的2.2%，报告的平民火灾死亡人数为3120人。更有效的抑制可以与其他方法一起提供一个重要的额外工具来抵消这种损失。到目前为止，科学文献中对复杂非牛顿流体的动态流变特性，特别是关于屈服应力流体和过程，如泵送、喷涂和涂层沉积的论述很少。该项目的要求将要求在这一领域取得重大进展。就市场机会而言，预计该项目的商业影响将达到数亿美元的抑制剂销售额，从而减少数十亿美元的火灾损失。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will determine the feasibility of significantly enhanced fire suppression including extinguishment and ignition prevention by applying coatings of aqueous yield stress fluids, that is, fluids which undergo a solid (gel) to liquid transition under the influence of shear stress. In the situation of diminishing availability of water and increased recognition of the negative environmental consequences of incumbent water additives such as aquatic toxicity, extreme environmental persistence, and bioaccumulation, there is a need for environmentally less impactful suppressants which potentially may include aqueous yield stress fluids. The main deliverables of the Phase I Research Plan are providing evidence that fire extinguishment and retardation are functions of applied coating thickness and demonstrating that the applied coating thickness is a function of controllable and deliverable rheological properties. The research will consist of rheological characterization of candidate yield stress fluids, verification of large scale pumping and spraying, measurement of extinguishment with sprayed yield stress fluids, and measurement of ignition retardation of coated combustible substrates. The anticipated technical results include demonstrating deposition of acceptably thick and uniform coatings by practically implementable methods and demonstrating that coatings so deposited exhibit useful levels of extinguishment and/or ignition prevention.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that achievement of effective levels of fire suppression at an acceptable cost may no longer be mutually exclusive with negative environmental effects of chemical additives. Fire is a continuing danger to life and property worldwide. The total cost estimate of fire in the US in 2010 was $328 billion, equivalent to 2.2% of the GDP, with 3,120 reported civilian fire deaths. More effective suppression can provide an important additional tool along with other methods to offset such losses. The dynamic rheological properties of complex non-Newtonian fluids especially as regards yield stress fluids and processes such as pumping, spraying, and coating deposition have heretofore been minimally treated in the scientific literature. The requirements of this project will require significant advances in this area. The estimated commercial impact of this project in terms of market opportunity is expected to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars in sales of suppressants, translating to billions of dollars reductions in losses due to fire.