reak
Member
Does anybody know how this fire extinguisher works (or doesn’t) or have any real world data? Opinions?
https://elementfire.com/
https://elementfire.com/
I just watched the video and it is impressive. Im not sure you could see out of the canopy because it would fill up but it looks like it could be pretty good on a fire. If I have a fire in flight I do not care about the airframe. Agree an on ground fire you should pick a different extinguisher but I would use anything I had to get on the ground. Im going to order one now.
After watching there videos I got one for the boat specifically because it would be less corrosive than the ABC type “or so the advertisement states”. If any chemists care to chime in on just how corrosive the element extinguisher could be to aluminum I know I would be interested. Otherwise, will likely stick with the really expensive but proven halon extinguishers for the cockpit.
Too bad it is so corrosive. Having an agent that attacks the center of the fire triangle like Halon did that and isn't an OZone depleter would be fantastic.
Anyone else find it ironic that the extinguishant appears to be a product of combustion? New meaning to "fighting fire with fire"? Obviously I'm easily amused.
This is a great discussion. I’m NOT a chemist or material guy but the website states the product is Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) and from the chart given by 1001001, potassium nitrate has an aluminum compatibility listed as; “class B=Good, Minor Effect, slight corrosion or discoloration”. This seems not too bad, so I bought the product and will put it in the plane. In the end all I really care about is not dying. If the plane is reusable, great, if not, that’s not great but it is okay. Maybe I’ll buy another for the hangar.
When it reacts
(inside the body of the extinguisher) it breaks down and the aerosol that is formed is
made up primarily of free radicals of Potassium K+, of Nitrogen N (an inert gas), and
water vapor.
This is a great discussion. I’m NOT a chemist or material guy but the website states the product is Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) and from the chart given by 1001001, potassium nitrate has an aluminum compatibility listed as; “class B=Good, Minor Effect, slight corrosion or discoloration”. This seems not too bad, so I bought the product and will put it in the plane. In the end all I really care about is not dying. If the plane is reusable, great, if not, that’s not great but it is okay. Maybe I’ll buy another for the hangar.
So here’s the thing….once you light it off, its going to keep putting out fog until it is finished - even if you put the fire out right away. It’ll just keep fogging up the cockpit, and there’s nothing you can do about it. And the cockpit is a very enclosed space - unlike the back yard where the video was being shot.
In flight, in the cockpit, your fire extinguisher is primarily to put out electrical fires. On the ground, outside the airplane, you are more likely to be working on a fuel fire under the cowling. Fore the cockpit case, nothing I have ever used is efficient and quick as Halon - and you can use it in short bursts, stopping when the fire is out.
On the ground, if you have a fuel fed fire, you need a large volume of extinguishing agent that will shoot in through a cowl opening and then flood the space - Halon, Dry Chem (call your insurance agent - they own the airplane now), CO2 - they are all proven to work.
Yup - this option is a lot cheaper than a Halon extinguisher, but I just filled up my RV-8 after a two hour trip and spent over $100 on Avgas….so how exorbitant is that extinguisher in “airplane money”…really? And Halon extinguishers are easily maintained and filled by a competent shop - completely different than the average Dry Chem you will find everywhere.
I spent a career operating manned spacecraft, and Halon was the only thing we used because, well - you can’t open a window. And I spent 25 years as a volunteer firefighter and firefighting instructor. I’ve discharged countless fire extinguishers of all types. For my airplanes, Halon is the only thing I carry in the cockpit - it works, it won’t kill you, and it won’t blind you.
Paul