2006 FPTT Awards

Technology Transfer Award

For the transfer and commercialization of a unique compressed air foam system used to fight fires

National Research Council Canada Institute for Research in Construction and FireFlex Systems Inc.

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Fighting fire with water isn't what it used to be.

In 1994, the National Research Council Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC) launched a research project to compare the effectiveness of compressed air foam over traditional firefighting methods using fine water mist and standard sprinklers.

NRC's pursuit of viable alternatives to water systems was based on the changing realities of modern-day life. Fighting fires is often difficult in places such as remote northern areas where water is scarce or in urban high-rises and large buildings that require cumbersome equipment and high-pressure pumps. A mix of heat and water also creates steam that restricts the visibility of firefighting crews and hinders rescue efforts.

It would take a decade to develop and perfect a solution, but by 2004 the NRC team and its commercial partner, FireFlex Systems Inc., produced Integrated Compressed Air Foam (ICAF), a fire suppression technology that not only saves lives but also reduces damage to property and the environment.

The heart of the CAF system is a foamy viscose substance resembling shaving cream, blended in specific proportions of water, foam concentrate and pressurized air and fed through a piping system and an NRC-patented nozzle.

Neither liquid nor gas, CAF presented its own problems. Using foam add composed of micron – sized soap bubbles has proven effective in fighting wild-land fires but had never been used in fixed-pipe or sprinkler systems.

Before NRC researchers could create, transport and distribute CAF in standard piping systems, they needed to develop engineering design methods to compensate for the sensitivity of the bubble structure to pressure differentials in conventional sprinkler systems. To offset the tendency of sprinklers to tear apart the bubble structure and thus destroy CAF, the research team also developed a rotary nozzle that evenly distributed the
foam with high forward momentum.

More than 300 full-scale fire tests conducted by NRC highlighted the advantages of CAF over traditional systems. By extinguishing fires twice as fast and with less water and foam concentrate, CAF greatly reduces costs and environmental impacts. Requiring only a fraction of the pumping energy to elevate the foam, its lightweight material is ideal for use in high-rise towers. In fact, CAF was so unique there were no test programs or industry standards that matched its technical requirements.

At this point, NRC turned to FireFlex, a Montrealbased fire protection company with an established client base and expertise in the manufacture of both gas- and water-based systems. After a year of negotiations and more than 100 additional fire tests, CAF was not only ready for market but also became the source of a new industry standard.

In December 2004, FireFlex sold the first commercial system to Ontario's Hydro One for its Pickering generating station, followed by installations at a Yellowknife aircraft hangar and a flammable liquid storage facility in Shawinigan.

Distribution of the CAF system is expected to double every year for the next five years, with North American sales of as much as $15 million a year and as much as $1 million in annual royalties to NRC.

Team

George Crampton
Andrew Kim
Harris Cunningham (posthumously)
National Research Council Canada
Institute for Research in Construction

Jean-Pierre Asselin
FireFlex Systems Inc.