HH

1
HH
HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT PUMP OPERATOR PROGRAM VAL
JAHNKE FIRE TRAINING FACILITY
2
Egineer/Operator Program
Pump Operations
3
Pump Equipment

• Centrifugal Pump
• Pressure Relief Valve/Governor
• Intake Relief Valve
• Transfer Valve
• Positive Displacement Primers
• Manual Pump Shift
• Gauges
• Auxiliary Cooler

4
Centrifugal Pump

• Non-positive displacement pump
• Three factors influence pump discharge pressure
• 1) Incoming pressure, 2) Speed of the impeller,
  and 3) The amount of water being discharged
• Single or multi-stage
• NOT self-priming
• Cavitation

5
Pressure Relief Valve/Governor

• Most common devices
• Set while discharging at operating pressure
• Set for highest operating pressure
• Pressure relief valve - diverts water
• Pressure governor - controls rpm

6
Intake Relief Valve

• Also known as dump valve
• Protects pump from water hammer and excessive
  intake pressure
• Possibly capped during high pressure operations
• Piston intake relief valve

7
Transfer Valve

• Multi-stage pump only
• Pressure (series) vs. Volume (parallel)
• Most operations in pressure mode
• 50 rule
• Change over _at_ 50 psi net pump pressure

8
Positive Displacement Primers

• Required for drafting
• Most common - rotary vane
• Operate for no more than 45 seconds
• Priming oil
• Environmentally safe primers

9
Manual Pump Shift

• Provides back-up
• Usually located on pump panel
• Often require two persons to operate
• Back-up throttle may have to be used
• Exercise manual shift often

10
Gauges

• Compound gauge
• Master intake gauge (compound)
• Master discharge gauge
• Individual discharge gauge
• Engine gauges

11
Auxiliary Cooler

• Allows water from pump to cool engine
• Use when temperature exceeds normal level
• Close when temperature returns to normal
• Keep in closed position

12
Valves

• Main intake valve (suction)-keystone, piston, MIV
• Auxiliary intake valve ( 2 ½ )
• Tank-to-pump valve
• Tank fill valve
• Discharge valves
• Pump drain valve
• Discharge drain valve
• Intake drain valve

13
Water Supply
14
Booster Tank

• Sizes
• Tank-to-pump valve
• Use only one handline
• Obtaining positive source
• Refill as soon as possible

15
Hydrant Operations

• Two types of hydrants
• Steamer should face street
• Blue reflectors assist in locating
• Color coded to main size
• MUD Districts may not color code
• Private hydrants - Apartments, Businesses

16
Water System Consumption

• Peak use hours
• Morning - residential areas
• Mid day - downtown areas
• Evening - residential areas
• May contact Water Department to divert water to
  fire area

17
Drafting

• Primary source for rural fire protection
• Portable water supplies
• Static water supplies

18
Hydraulics
19
Theory of Pressure

• Force measure of weight
• Pressure measure of force per unit area

20
Pressure and Fluids

• Pressure acts on fluids according to six basic
  principles
• Fluid pressure is perpendicular to any surface on
  which it acts.
• Fluid pressure at a point in a fluid at rest is
  of the same intensity in all directions.
• Pressure applied to a confined fluid from without
  is transmitted equally in all directions.
• The pressure of a liquid in an open vessel is
  proportional to its depth.
• The pressure of a liquid in an open vessel is
  proportional to the density of the liquid.
• The pressure of a liquid on the bottom of a
  vessel is independent of the shape of the vessel.

21
Hydraulic Calculations

• Engine Pressure nozzle pressure friction loss
  in the hose friction loss in appliances
  pressure due to elevation
• Nozzle Pressure - The amount of pressure required
  at the nozzle to produce an effective fire
  stream.

22
Nozzle Pressures

• Fog nozzle 100 psi
• Low pressure fog nozzle 75 psi
• Vindicator nozzle (minimum) 50 psi
• Solid stream handline 50 psi
• Solid stream master 80 psi

23
Friction Loss

• The part of the total pressure lost while
  forcing water through pipe, fire hose, fittings,
  adapters, and appliances. The basis for fire hose
  friction loss calculations are the size of the
  hose, the amount of water flowing, the length of
  the hose lay, the age of the hose, and the
  condition of the lining.
• These factors give rise to the formula for
  computing friction loss FL C Q? L

24
FL C Q? L

• FL friction loss in psi
• C coefficient ( constant )
• Q flow rate in GPM/100
• L hose length in feet/100

25
Friction Loss Coefficients

• 1¾ - 15.5
• 2½ - 2.0
• 3 - .80
• 4 - .20

26
Example

• If 200 gpm is flowing from a nozzle, what is the
  friction loss in 200 ft. of 2½ hose?
• FL C Q? L
• C 2
• Q gpm/100 200/100 2
• L length/100 200/100 2
• FL (2) (2)? (2) (2) (4) (2) 16 psi

27
GPM Formula

• It is possible to determine water flow from any
  solid stream nozzle when the nozzle pressure and
  tip diameters are known. The following formula is
  used to determine the GPM flow of solid stream
  nozzles GPM 29.7 d2
  ?NP

28
GPM 29.7 d2 ?NP

• GPM Discharge in gallons per minute
• 29.7 A constant
• d Diameter of the tip (inches)
• NP Nozzle pressure in psi (square root)

29
Example

• Determine the water flow from a 2 tip operating
  at 80 psi.
• GPM (29.7) (d)2 (?NP)
• (29.7) (2)2 (?80) (use 81)
• (29.7) (4) (9)
• (118.8) (9)
• 1069.2 GPM (1070)

30
Solid Stream Handline _at_ 50 psi
31
Solid Master Stream _at_ 80 psi
32
Appliances

• Reducers
• Gates
• Wyes
• Manifolds
• Heavy Stream Piping

33
Appliance Friction Loss

• Small appliances
• Less than 350 GPM - no friction loss
• More than 350 GPM - 10 psi friction loss
• Master streams
• 25 psi friction loss

34
Standpipes

• No friction loss for piping
• Allow for elevation only
• 5 psi per floor for elevation
• Can be negative number
• pumping to basement

35
Total Engine Pressure

• EP NP FL Appliance Elevation

36
Example

• What is the engine pressure for 200 ft. of 1¾
  hose flowing 200 gpm, with a low pressure fog
  nozzle, on the third floor?
• EP NP FL Appliance Elevation
• EP 75 125 0 15
• EP 215 psi

37
Wyed Hoselines

• Complex pumping situation
• Common with apartment lay
• Same size and type
• Different size
• Communication with crews

38
Pressure vs. Volume

• Common misconception
• Maximum capacity at draft
• Maximum capacity with positive pressure
• Net pump pressure

39
Calculating Additional Water Available

• Static pressure
• Residual pressure
• Percentage drop static -residual
• Formula
• Percentage Drop (Static - Residual) (100)
• Static

40
Water Available Table

• Percent Decrease Water Available
• 0 - 10 3 x amount
• 11 - 15 2 x amount
• 16 - 25 same amount
• Over 25 less than being delivered

41
Specialized Pump Operations
42
Multiple Discharges

• Different Pressures
• Different Friction Loss Calculations
• Gating Back Discharges
• Set Pressure Relief Device/Governor

43
Master Streams

• Most Common - Deck Gun, Ladder Pipe
• Nozzle Tips Flowing 400-1500 GPM
• Solid Bore - 80 psi Nozzle Pressure
• Fog Nozzle - 100 psi Nozzle Pressure
• 25 psi Friction Loss

44
Standpipes and Sprinklers

• Usually have a 2 ½ connection
• Hook up with 3 high pressure hose or 4 hose
  with adapter
• Reverse lay
• DO NOT PUMP UNLESS ORDERED

45
Non-PRV Systems

• Standpipe
• Fog Nozzle 150 psi 5 psi per floor
• Solid Stream 65 psi 5 psi per floor
• Sprinkler
• 150 psi 5 psi per floor
• Elevation loss is calculated to the fire floor

46
PRV Systems

• Pump the designed pressure if known
• If the designed system pressure is unknown
• 100 psi 6 psi per floor to the top floor of the
  zone
• When pumping into a PRV system, the standpipe
  outlet pressure cannot be raised above its
  designed pressure

47
Relay Pumping

• Necessary when the required GPM flow of the
  attack pumper cannot be met because of friction
  loss in the supply line
• Pump pressure is based on GPM needed and distance
  between pumpers
• 20-50 psi residual in addition to friction loss
• Relay initiated by pumper at water source

48
Relay Pumping

• Intermediate pumpers - close pump to tank valve,
  open 2½ discharge until water discharges, close
  discharge, place in pump gear and open supply to
  next pumper
• Discharge pressures should not exceed 200 psi, if
  pressure required to supply water is greater than
  200 psi, another pumper or additional lines are
  needed

49
Relay Pumping

• Relay is designed to deliver volume not pressure
• Relay is terminated by attack pumper by
  decreasing pressure, followed by next pumper in
  relay, etc.

50
Foam OperationsPortable Eductors

• Do not start foam operations unless incident can
  be terminated with resources available
• Portable eductors require 200 psi _at_ eductor
• Emulsifiers can be educted _at_ 1/2 or 1
• Nozzle setting must be _at_ 95 gpm
• Apparatus will carry 6 - 5 gallon containers of
  foam and 2 - 5 gallon containers of cold clean

51
Foam Operations

• Portable eductors must be flushed with clean
  water to prevent gumming of the pick-up tube.
  Flush the entire hoseline for approximately 5
  minutes.
• Rotate the proportioning valve while flushing
• Maximum length from eductor to nozzle is 300 ft
  of 1 3/4 hose or a combination of 1 3/4
  and 2 1/2 hose not exceeding 450 ft

52
Permanently Mounted Eductor

• Similar to portable eductor
• Require same pressure _at_ eductor
• Maximum hose length from eductor to nozzle - 300
  ft of 1 3/4 hose or a combination of 1 3/4 and
  2 1/2 hose not exceeding 450 ft
• Proportioning valve located on pump panel

53
Direct Injection Foam System

• Uses a pump to inject the emulsifier/foam into a
  discharge pipe that connects the fire pump and
  designated foam discharges
• Controlled by electronic keypad
• Two tanks - 40 gallons foam, 10 gallons
  emulsifier
• System is self adjusting, regulated by flow meter

54
Direct Injection Foam System

• Intake pressure kept below 50 psi
• Minimum pump pressure is intake pressure plus 100
  psi
• Maximum pump pressure 250 psi
• Set engine pressure according to hoselay and
  nozzle
• Foam and emulsifier flows only through designated
  discharges

55
Direct Injection Foam System

• Can flow water through non-foam discharges
  simultaneously
• To flush system, decrease pump pressure to 100
  psi and place toggle switch in flush position -
  flush system for 20 seconds
• Turn foam system off and flush hoseline for 5
  minutes

56
Drafting

• 3 primary considerations for selecting a site
• 1) Amount of water available
• 2) Type of water available
• 3) Location accessibility
• Source should have 24 inches of water above and
  below the strainer
• Maximum lift is 20 feet

57
Drafting

• Use side intakes
• Close pump to tank valve
• Remove keystone or piston intake
• Connect hard suction
• Can prime either in or out of pump gear
• When in pump gear, increase rpms to 1200 and
  pull primer for not more than 45 sec.

58
Drafting

• Priming typically requires 15-20 seconds
• Most common problem is air leak
• After pump has been primed, increase pump
  pressure to 50-100 psi prior to opening any
  discharge
• Open discharge valve SLOWLY
• If pressure drops, momentarily engage primer

59
Drafting

• Do not engage pressure governor until flowing
  water
• If pressure governor is on prior to obtaining
  prime and apparatus is in pump gear, will sense
  increase in rpm without corresponding increase in
  pressure and return engine to idle.
• Flush pump with clean water ASAP

60
HH
HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT PUMP OPERATOR PROGRAM VAL
JAHNKE FIRE TRAINING FACILITY