Certification and Registration
Jet Fire and Pool Fire (HC) – Testing and Certification of Passive Fire Protection Systems
Category:
Oi Tank Oil Pipe
Storing and transporting hydrocarbons and other chemical products using tanks, pipelines, and vessels requires extremely strict fire protection measures. Since these flammable substances are often stored under pressure, even a minor leakage event may result in severe fires with rapidly spreading flames. Therefore, process equipment used in the oil and gas and maritime industries, such as pipelines, valves, and flanges, must be protected with passive fire protection (PFP) systems, which are subjected to specific tests to simulate the extreme conditions encountered during fire exposure.
The purpose of passive fire protection is to provide sufficient protection time during a fire to safeguard critical process equipment and safety systems, allowing the facility to be safely shut down in a controlled manner. Passive fire protection can delay the effects of jet fires and pool fires, reduce the likelihood of equipment failure, and provide additional time for personnel evacuation.
In the oil and gas industry, two primary fire scenarios are commonly considered for testing: hydrocarbon pool fires (HC) and hydrocarbon jet fires (JF).
A hydrocarbon pool fire (HC) involves ignition of a pool of hydrocarbons contained within a test pan. During testing, temperatures may reach approximately 1100 °C, with heat flux levels up to 150 kW/m². Pool fire test scenarios and methods are typically specified in standards such as UL 1709, BS 476, IMO FTP Code Part 3, ISO 834-3, and ISO 1363-2.
Jet fire (JF) testing simulates fire conditions caused by the leakage of pressurized flammable fuels from tanks, pipelines, or other equipment. During testing, temperatures may exceed 1200 °C, and radiant heat flux may reach approximately 250 kW/m².
Currently, only a limited number of laboratories worldwide are capable of conducting jet fire tests. This test method is designed for highly specialized applications and is primarily used for bulkheads and components installed on ships, chemical plants, fuel storage facilities, and oil and gas platforms.
Jet Fire Testing - Fire Resistance Testing When Exposed to Ignited Pressurized Flammable Liquids or Gases
Standards Related to Jet Fire Resistance Testing:
•OTI 95634 Jet Fire Resistance Test of Passive Fire Protection Materials
•ISO 22899-1 Determination of the resistance to jet fires of passive fire protection materials — Part 1: General requirements
•ISO 22899-2 Determination of the resistance to jet fires of passive fire protection — Part 2: Guidance on classification and implementation methods
•EN 13381-4 Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire resistance of structural members -Part 4: Applied passive protection to steel members
•EN 13381-8 Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire resistance of structural members -Part 8: Applied reactive protection to steel members
Jet fires represent a significant fire hazard in pressurized hydrocarbon systems. Depending on different scenarios, jet fires may vary in flame length, heat flux, and velocity. Key influencing factors include fuel type and properties, fuel pressure and quantity, rupture geometry, and surrounding environmental conditions.The geometry of the protected structure may also be an important factor affecting the effectiveness of passive fire protection systems exposed to jet fire conditions.
SATISFY can provide the following JET FIRE testing and related services.
1. Standard Jet Fire Standard-type jet flame
The purpose of the standard jet fire test is to determine the resistance of passive fire protection materials and systems to jet fire exposure. It demonstrates the performance of passive fire protection materials under jet fire conditions.
The test methods specified in ISO 22899-1 and OTI 95634 are applicable to the following materials:
- Tubular components
- Plate materials
- Structural steel
- Pipe and cable penetrations
2. Extended Jet Fire
Extended Jet Fire testing can be used to meet testing requirements beyond those achievable with standard jet fire tests.
- Higher temperatures (1300–1400 °C)
- Higher heat flux (350 kW/m²)
- Larger test specimens (diameter approximately 1 meter)
3. HC-Jet Combination Test Series
For certification of different specifications, interpolation between test results may be performed. This allows multiple specimens to undergo fire resistance testing in a horizontal furnace and enables comparison with results obtained from jet fire exposure tests.
- HC fire (pool fire), horizontal furnace
- Jet fire
- Supplementary jet fire testing
4. Sequential Jet Fire and Pool Fire Test
The enhanced jet fire furnace can be used to simulate HC fire exposure conditions. This allows combined testing of jet fire and simulated pool fire conditions within the same test program.
For example:
- A jet fire (JF) exposure of 350 kW/m² for 15 minutes, followed by a hydrocarbon pool fire (HC) exposure for 2 hours.
5. Pressurized Pipes, Valves, and End Connections
Testing of pressurized pipelines, valves, and end connections in accordance with API requirements is available.
6. Mini Jet Fire
This is a smaller-scale test apparatus primarily developed for product research and development and screening tests.
The mini jet burner uses a premixed air and propane flame to achieve a flame temperature comparable to the standard jet fire specified in ISO 22899-1. However, its erosive effect on test specimens is not equivalent to that of a standard jet fire.
Currently, our Jet Fire testing laboratory has obtained certification from Lloyd’s Register (LR). Lloyd’s Register certification represents a recognized benchmark for fire safety requirements in the oil, gas, and maritime industries.
With this accreditation, jet fire tests conducted at our facility can verify whether products comply with Lloyd’s Register requirements.
Passive Fire Protection
The purpose and design of passive fire protection systems are to delay the heating effects of fire on exposed structural elements.Structural steel can maintain its load-bearing capacity up to a certain temperature, after which its strength gradually decreases. Although steel melts at temperatures above 1300 °C, under full loading conditions its structural integrity begins to decline between 550 °C and 620 °C, and by approximately 400 °C, steel may already lose around 10% of its strength.
The critical temperature of steel and the duration that the steel remains at this temperature during fire exposure are two primary factors considered when designing PFP solutions.However, because real fire scenarios are extremely complex and difficult to accurately predict or reproduce, PFP testing and certification procedures rely on defined temperature curves and test scenarios to represent fire conditions.
Passive fire protection systems shall be tested in accredited laboratories, and test certificates shall be issued by recognized certification bodies such as Lloyd’s Register, SP Fire Research, and ABS.
SATISFY has a dedicated team of fire-resistance experts providing comprehensive one-stop services, including Jet Fire consulting, testing, and certification, for clients worldwide. For more information, please contact SATISFY.
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