SERIOUS OILFIRE GAS AND SMOKE DANGERS

File: 970313_jun96_decls1_0029.txt
Page: 0029
Total Pages: 35

Subject: SERIOUS OILFIRE GAS AND SMOKE DANGERS                           

Unit: VII CORPS   

Parent Organization: ARCENT      

Box  ID: BX000249

Folder Title: ENGR PLAN INTEL                                                                                 

Document Number:          9

Folder Seq  #:         84





                                               UNCLASSIFIED




                                                                              AST-266OZ-148-90
                                                           5USC552(b)(1)       9 January 1991














             2. Estimated Burn Time (U)
                 4    -          How long a fire trench will burn is very difficult to deter-
             mine because one has a heterogeneous fuel composed of light, middle, and heavy
             fractions; a changing fuel composition during combustion; varying burn rates;
             and changing conditions for allowing oxygen to enter the surface of the burning
             oil. Based on Soviet data, associated oil surface fires used against the Germans
             in World War 11, with a constant burn rate of 1 kg of light oil/ra2 (0.2 lb/ft2)
             of surface per minute, it is calculated that the fire trench will burn for 2
             days. If the fire trenches are fed crude oil from nearby pipelines or storage
             areas, they will burn continuously with no decrease in intensity.
               iLl@R 4nigROM4 In reality, however, the fire-trench burn rate and intensity'
             will over time decrease as the oil level falls within the trench and the oil
             composition gets heavier as light ends are burned off. As the level of oil in
             the trench declines, it will become more difficult to maintain an optimum flow
             of oxygen (air) to the fire. Once the light ends are burned off, fire intensity
             will decrease because the heavy hydrocarbons burn at a lower rate. Thus, it may
             take an additional 2 days to burn itself out. Four days is a very rough estimate
             of the real burn time.


               C.








                                                                                    5USC552(b)(1)



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CLASSIFIED

Document 35 f:/Week-24/BX000249/ENGR PLAN INTEL/serious oilfire gas and smoke dangers:0128971851472
Control Fields 17
File Room = jun96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-24
Box ID = BX000249
Unit = VII CORPS
Parent Organization = ARCENT
Folder Title = ENGR PLAN INTEL
Folder Seq # = 84
Subject = SERIOUS OILFIRE GAS AND SMOKE DANGERS
Document Seq # = 9
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 13-FEB-1997