AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

AF3 - Advanced Forest Fire Fighting

NUB-E Capsules Fire Fighting System

Testing Methodology AF3 Spanish Trials

Pyro Fire Extinction S.L. (PYRO)

AF3 Summer School

Istituto Superiore Antincendi - Rome

21st September 2016

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

WP74: Preventive Intervention Means (Capsules)

2

2014-2016

System development

Patent pending (P-201630310)

Beta prototype (D742 - Spring 2016)

Tests with real fire in Spain and Greece

Effectiveness demonstrated

2016-2017

Prepare AF3 trials in Spain and Israel

Continue tests with Spanish firefighters

Final Capsule Subsystem Development Report (D743)

Promote additional pilot implementations with Fire Brigades in Italy, Greece and Spain

Nub-e in AF3 Project

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

Testing Methodology

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• Test plot is defined according to the terrain, fuel model and fire behaviour a priori characteristics

• Visual references are required in order to calculate ROS and FL parameters

• Capsules are deployed on the field, either previously or at the moment

• Fire behaviour is analysed before and after entering the preventive layer

• Results are obtained by image processing after the trial

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

Defensive line

Recommended width with handtools (to mineral soil)

Testing Methodology

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

5

Defensive line

Nub-e without prior manual intervention

Testing Methodology

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

Testing Methodology

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• Greek trials were executed on a Fuel Model 11, deploying 7 capsules.

• A flame of 2,5 m length was stopped using just two capsules

• Spanish Trials will take place not on a prepared plot, but in real terrain

• Control plot has to be defined before the trial

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

Barrier Deployment

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AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

Control Plot

8

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

Trial Evaluation Fiche

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Trial Fiche

Each test is registered:

• In video, for analysis and image processing

• By means of an Evaluation Fiche, which includes:

• Environmental and Terrain Conditions

• Fire Behaviour Conditions

• How Capsules have been deployed

• Capsules configuration used in the Trial

• Fire Parameters Obtained from the image processing

• Collected data allows to run a fire simulator (Behave) to obtain power, rate of

spread and behaviour in absence of fire breaks.

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

Trial Evaluation Fiche

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION

ID 04 Date 24/05/2016 Time 11:00 – 17:00

Location Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real, Spain)

Partners: Castilla-La Mancha Forest fires Agency, GEACAM, PYRO

PRESCRIBED FIRE CONDITIONS

Clasification: Forestry Patron Wind and slope favourable

FIRE CONDITIONS AND CONTROL PLOT

Plot Size >1 ha Slope (%) 20 Orientation South

Vegetation (Fuel)

Fuel Model 9 Behave Simulation bed has been adjusted from 0.06 to 0.08 m.

Characteristics

Pinus pinaster; 90% Fcc; Fuel bed depth (long needle) among 0.1-0.15 m Cistus sp: 5-10 % Fcc (stands); 1,5 m Woodpiles: < 5 % Fcc; 1 m

Hummidity

Low- Moderate

Dead Fuel 1-h 7 10-h 8 100-h 9

Live Fuel Moisture Grass 70 Woody 100

Environment Conditions Temperature (Cº) 29

Wind

Speed (km/h) 20 (Max > 25)

Hummidity (%) 24 Direction South

CHEMICAL FIRE BREAK COMPARISON

Nub-e

Attack Indirect. Capsules deployed each 2.5 m

Retardant Agent Product FR CROS 161 T Mix Ratio 1:9 [P2O5] 30.8

Wet Area Width (m) 6 Dose (l/m2) 0.5 Gr P2O5/m2 15.4

Teorethical

Retardant

Agent Product FR CROS 134 T Mix ratio 1:4 [P2O5] 92.4

Wet Area

Author Width (m) Dose (l/m2) Gr P2O5/m2

Arnaldos et al. 2004 2-3 0.5 46.2

Velez (2009) 2.6 2 184.8

Lacuey and Carrera (2011) - - - George (1981) 2.6 0.81 74.8

FIRE BEHAVIOUR

FL (m) I (kw/m) ROS (m/min) Before Preventive Layer 1.6 715 9

Inside Preventive Layer 0 0 0

Past Preventive Layer (Behave) 2.2 1464 17.4

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) FL reduction (%) I reduction (%) ROS reduction (%) 100 100 100

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

Expected Results

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• Tests performed in prescribed fires in April – May 2016 clearly show that retardant application improves bibliography recommended values in more than 50%

• By using NUB-E supporting a road or other defensive line, the line width can be significantly reduced

• Flame lengths of 3 meters can be controlled and extinguished autonomously

• Results should be extended to other fuel models

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

Bibliography

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References • George C.W. and Fuchs F.A., 1991. Improving Airtanker Delivery Performance. In Fire

Management Notes Volumen 52 No 2, 30-39. USDA Forest Service

• Lacuey A., Carrera M., 2011. Dispositivo mecánico para la lucha contra incendios forestales: “barras de pulverización”. PFC. EUITI de Zaragoza

• Arnaldos Viger J., Navalón Nonell X., Pastor Ferrer E., Planas Cuchi E., Zárate López L., 2004. Manual de ingeniería básica para la prevención y extinción de incendios forestales. Mundi prensa. 414 pp.

• Vélez Muñoz R. (coord.), 2009. La defensa contra Incendios Forestales. Fundamentos y experiencias. 2ª ed. Mc Graw Hill, 1320 pp.

• Liz Graña J.L, Català Lloret J., Escrig Del Valle A., Molina Lázaro M. 2016 Eficacia y usos del nuevo sistema de prevención y extinción de incendios forestales NUB-E. SINIF 2016.

• Videos on the AF3 Trials and more materials are available from: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQudyMFHYrPpLTKT1E_jtQ/videos

AF3 Summer School – Rome 2016

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