LNG and LPG fire protection

At LNG and LPG facilities, Dryfoam is pre-placed in boil-off pits, impoundments, trenches and sumps. A layer of engineered beads on the spill surface suppresses vapor and reduces the rate of energy release if a pool ignites, without water or foam. The beads are rated for working temperatures down to −260°F (−160°C).

What does Dryfoam do in a boil-off pit?

Spilled LNG or LPG boils off into vapor, and it's the vapor that burns. A bead layer on the pool surface slows that vapor release, so a fire burns smaller and releases its energy more slowly. In a side-by-side LNG boil-off test, the pit with Dryfoam beads on the surface produced small flames, while the pit without them produced a towering fire.

Side-by-side LNG boil-off fires: small flames with Dryfoam beads on the surface, a towering fire without them.

Where does it go?

LNG/LPG boil-off pits
LNG impoundment areas
LNG/LPG trenches
Sumps
Containment dikes at process facilities

Does it work at cryogenic temperatures?

Dryfoam's working temperature range is −260°F to +140°F (−160°C to +60°C), and it works on both LNG and LPG. Because it needs no water, it's also suited to arctic and arid sites.

Bulk or outdoor bags?

Outdoor bags, UV-resistant polyester mesh bags of beads placed by hand, suit exterior pits and trenches. Bulk beads pour from a supersack (1 m³, or 35 ft³, each). The Dryfoam coverage calculator sizes either, and takes the liquid's vapor pressure into account.