What is fire-fighting steam used for?

Some materials are not suitable for being extinguished with water directly, so fire-fighting steam is used instead.

It makes it easier for certain materials to evaporate, I guess

Fire suppression steam is suitable for substances in enclosed containers that cannot be extinguished with water, as it extinguishes the fire by isolating air with steam.

Who can give an example of a place where fire-fighting steam was used? It’s the first time I’ve heard of it

Steam can be used to extinguish fires in enclosed spaces, such as reaction vessels, reaction towers, storage tanks, etc.

One can refer to the explanation in the explanatory notes of GB50160 regarding distillation fire extinguishing systems: It is simple and straightforward to install fixed steam fire extinguishing systems in process facilities, and they are effective in extinguishing incipient fires. For example, when a fire broke out in the pump room of a cracking unit at a refinery, fixed firefighting steam was used to extinguish the fire quickly ； For example, a fire in the liquefied petroleum gas pump room of a refinery was also extinguished using steam. When using a steam system, static electricity can be generated when the steam flow rate is too high; this aspect should be taken into account during design and operation to prevent sparks from being produced. The screen pipes of fixed steam fire suppression systems may rust and become clogged if not used for an extended period; therefore, depending on the size of the area, several semi-fixed steam fire suppression connectors can also be installed. For fixed steam sieve tube exhaust holes, the diameter can range from 3 to 5 mm, with a spacing of 30 to 80 mm between the holes; the diameter should increase gradually starting from the steam inlet end. The opening direction should allow the steam to be ejected horizontally. The diameter of the steam curtain exhaust pipe holes can be set between 3 and 5 mm, with a hole spacing of 100 to 150 mm. The cross-sectional area of the steam supply pipes for steam fire suppression and steam curtains should be greater than or equal to the sum of the areas of all openings.

Fire steam extinguishing is quite common; the incinerator in our factory uses fire steam for extinguishing purposes, and it’s the steam generated by the incinerator itself. A pipeline is connected to it, equipped with an emergency shut-off valve, which makes it useful and convenient for putting out fires in critical situations