GB2254552A - Oil well fire extinguisher - Google Patents

Abstract

An extinguisher made up of six sections is placed over an in-shore burning well-head. The flame is starved of air at the tapered base section (1), pushed through the second section (2) which houses an oil flow direction valve, through the third section (3), into the fourth section (4) which has a tapered funnel and gives directional value to the oil, through the fifth section (5) which has air inlets and into the top section (6) which has a flame nozzle. Once the flame is at the top the lower sections are shielded from the heat of the flame by a heat deflector and cool sufficiently to prevent re-ignition. The valve in the section is then operated by a ram in the discharge pipe to divert the oil from the extinguisher, thereby starving the flame at the top of fuel and extinguishing it. <IMAGE>

Description

OIL WELL FIRE EXTINGUISHER FLAME CONTROL SYSTEM This invention relates to the extinguishing of in-shore oil well fires.

Conventional methe for extinguishing oil well fires consist of holding a steel tube over z well head then pumping non-combustible substances, e.g. water, into ti tube to extinguish the fire. It is not always possible to get sufficient supplies of water to in-shore wells and because the flame is at the base of the steel tube it does not cool and re-ignition is a major factor.

This invention is designed, through a series of sections, to starve the flame of air at the base and raise it to a higher level. Once the flame has been raised to the top section there is a heat deflector which shields the lower sections from the heat of the flame. When the sections below the heat shield have reduced to a temperature cool enough to prevent re-ignition , a valve is used to divert the oil to a discharge pipe thus terminating the volume of oil to the flame nozzle and the flame will be extinguished.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the six sections of the extinguisher fully assembled.

Figure 2 is an aerial view of the first section 1 and the flange 7.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the first section 1 Figure 4 shows an external view of the second section 2, vision panel 8, position of heat sensor 9 and the discharge pipe 10.

Figure 5 is an inside view of the second section with the valve door 11 in closed position, convexed both sides, and door operating ram 12 in retracted position.

Figure 6 is as figure 5 with the valve door 11 in open position, door operating ram 12 extended and door seating shoulder 13.

Figure 7 is an aerial view of the second section 2 showing the seating shoulder 13 and the flange 7.

Figure 8 is an aerial view of the third and fifty sections and also illustrates the heat resisting gasket.

Figure 9 shows a side view of the third section with position of the heat sensor 14.

Figure 10 is an inside view of the fourth section showing the funnel 15 and anti blow-back valve 16 in closed position.

Figure 11 is as figure 10 with the anti blow-back valve 16 in open position.

Figure 12 is an aerial view of figure 10.

Figure 13 shows the fifth section with air inlets 17.

Figure 14 is an inside view of the sixth section showing the flame nozzle 18 and heat deflector fixing point 19.

Figure 15 is an aerial view of figure 14.

Figure 16 shows a side view of the heat deflector 20 and stabilizing brackets 23.

Figure 17 is an aerial view of the heat deflector 20.

Referring to the drawings, these show the workings of the six main sections that, when assembled, make up the extinguisher and are numbered 1,2,3,4,5,6, as shown in Fig. 1. By having the extinguisher in six seperate sections it allows the use of heat resisting gaskets to eliminate heat transference via the casing. The sections are held together by a flange 7, as shown in Fig. 2 & 8, and secured by eight bolts, with a heat resisting gasket between each section. Having seperate sections also allows easier manufacturing and transportation.

Section 1 is tapered as shown in Fig. 3. This reduces the inward air pressure to the extinguisher by means of greater base area and, once seated firmly over the well-head, will make sealing easier.

Section 2 has a valve door 11 that when closed over the discharge pipe 10, as shown in Fig. 5, enables the flame to pass through this section, through section 3, which is merely a distance piece, Figs. 8 & 9, and into section 4, shown in Fig. 4.

Section 4 houses a tapered funnel 15, Fig. 11, which directs the flame through section 5, Fig. 13, by condensing the flow through the funnel 15 which gives directional value to the oil. The flame then enters section 6 which houses the flame nozzle 18, Fig. 14.

After the flame has passed through the flame nozzle 18 and the base 1 is adequately sealed to prevent any intake of air, it will then draw its air through the inlets 17, Fig. 13, in section 5. The flame will then be pushed up through sections 1,2,3,4, by natural pressure. To eliminate the possibility of any back pressure, the outlet from the funnel 15 in section 4 must be smaller than the outlet from the flame nozzle 18 in section 6. Once the flame is contained above section 5 there is a heat deflector 20, Fig. 16, which shields the lower section from the flame. The heat deflector 20 is in two halves so that it can be fitted around section 6 and has four stabilizing brackets 23, Fig. 16. The heat resisting gaskets between the sections will eliminate heat transference via the casing to the sections below the shield.

When the temperature of the lower sections has sufficiently reduced to prevent the possibility of re-ignition, which can be determined by two heat sensors 9 & 14, the door operating ram 12, Fig. 5, will push the valve door 11 from the mouth of the discharge pipe 10 to the door seating shoulder 13 which will then divert the oil from sections 3,4,5,6 into the dischargepipe 10. When the valve door 11 is closing onto the door seating shoulder 13 it will reduce the upward pressure to the flame which could cause the flame to enter section 4. To prevent this happening there is a blow-back valve 16 in the funnel 15 of section 4, shown open in Fig. 11 and closed in Fig. 10.

After the valve door 11 is fully closed the oil from the well-head will flow through the discharge pipe 10 to a safe area. The flame is then starved of oil and will be extinguised.

Once the extinguisher is cool and the flame is out it can be removed and the capping of the well-head can take place.

Claims (7)

1. An extinguisher which comprises six sections assembled together and placed over a burning well-head, starved of air at the base, will push the flame through a tapered funnel, an air chamber and a flame nozzle to a point above a heat deflector shield, allowing the extinguisher to cool sufficiently to prevent re-ignition, and by means of an oil flow direction valve the oil from the well-head can be diverted to a safe area, thus terminating the fuel for the flame.

2. A section, as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a tapered funnel giving directional value through an air chamber.

3. A section, as claimed in claim 1, introducing air and mixing with the oil will lift the flame above a flame nozzle.

4. By using a heat deflector shield, as claimed in claim 1, at the top of the extinguisher it will allow the lower sections to cool below a re-ignition temperature of the oil.

5. By using heat resisting gaskets between the sections it prevents heat transference via the casing.

6. By using an anti blow-back valve in the tapered funnel, as claimed in claim 2, it will stop the flame re-entering the lower sections.

7. By use of an oil flow direction valve, as claimed in claim 1, the oil can be diverted from the well-head, which is the source of the flame, to a safe area.