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Anecdotes
Engines morphed into
fire extinguishers
The turbo extinguisher of the fire brigade of
Ludwigshafen-based BASF Aktiengesellschaft
has a pair of Alpha Jet engines producing
water vapor that completely removes
the soluble ammonia gas from the atmosphere.
Moreover, it is only under the protection
of the artificial drizzle that the task force
34 REPORT
By Andreas Park
Worms Rhine Harbor: During the unloading of a chemical tanker, large amounts of ammonia
gas escape. Soon, an ammonia cloud forms and drifts towards the city. Luckily, Germany’s
most powerful fire truck, the “turbo extinguisher” operated by BASF’s fire department, quickly
arrives on the scene. Forming the heart of the truck are twin Alpha Jet Larzac04 engines.
can go near the tanker to fix the leak. This
would have been impossible using conventional
fire fighting equipment, no other system
providing such formidable dousing
power. The truck can tackle 3,500 square
meters of fire site at once. With their exhaust
jet, its engines atomize huge volumes of
water and catapult a bank of fog up to 140
meters wide directly into the seat of fire.
Actually, the working principle of the turbo
extinguisher is as simple as it is brilliant:
Aero engines, contrary to their original purpose,
are mounted on a truck. On the latest
generation of the BASF turbo extinguishers,
the turbo extinguisher II, variable water nozzles
are used to feed up to 8,000 liters a
minute of water or water-foam mix into the
exhaust jet of the Alpha Jet engines. The
resulting fog extinguishes fires as far away
as 150 meters, removes or dilutes harmful
gases from the air and is alternatively used
also for cooling industrial equipment. The
versatile extinguishing system delivers
unequalled effectivity. The truck, for instance,
takes a mere minute to douse liquid
fires spreading over an area of 300 square
meters. Amazingly, it is the only vehicle of its
kind in Germany. “Actually, the idea isn’t new
at all, we merely improved on it a lot,” explains
Rolf Haselhorst, who heads the BASF
fire department.
The system was originally developed in the
former Soviet Union, where armored vehicles
were fitted with a MiG engine and deployed
not only for fire fighting but even for plowing
snow. It was when Hungarian turbo extinguishers
in the aftermath of the first Gulf War
were successfully used to fight burning oil
wells in Kuwait that the system attracted
worldwide attention. It still failed to catch on,
however, because for commercial use, the
MiG engines used at the time were too
heavy, sluggish, damage-prone and expensive
in fuel consumption and maintenance.
“We were nevertheless convinced of the
potential and usefulness of the engine-powered
extinguishers,” says Haselhorst and
goes on to explain: “That’s why starting in
the mid-nineties we took to analyzing various
engines, looking for a suitable solution.” In
its effort, the BASF fire brigade was sponsored
by the Federal Ministry of Education
and Research. Successfully so, because by
1998 the first truck was operational.
But rather than using one big engine, the
engineers opted for a pair of the smaller but
capable and robust Larzac04 engine designed
for the Alpha Jet. The two-shaft turbofan
engine was manufactured, beginning
in 1975, by MTU Aero Engines in concert
with Snecma (SAFRAN Group), Turbomeca
Second generation BASF turbo extinguisher
Engines: 2 Larzac04-C6
Thrust: 13,100 N
Fuel consumption: 1,000 l/h
Swivel range: +/- 90° horizontally,
+ 45°/- 10° vertically
Fuel tank capacity: 3,000 l
and KHD. MTU’s manufacturing and support
stake included notably the engine’s hot section
from the combustor inlet to the turbine
exit. Until the Alpha Jet was retired in 1997,
engines had been built to equip over 500 of
the fighter/trainer aircraft. After that, MTU
has only been supplying spare parts for the
engine. “Luckily we bought a dozen Alpha Jet
engines at the time,” Haselhorst says, “even
if that means a lot of hassle and strict security
constraints, considering the engines are
coming under the War Weapons Control
Act.” In 2005, BASF had already commissioned
the second, upgraded turbo extinguisher
and appreciably expanded its usage
spectrum. The system is suitable also for
tunnel venting, having successfully been
tested for tunnel lengths up to 1,000 meters.
It enables the helpers to safely approach the
scene of accident. It has engendered growing
interest among operators of industrial
facilities and tunnel operating companies.
For additional information, contact
Sabine Biesenberger
+49 89 1489-2760
Further information is available on the
Internet at: www.mtu.de/report
Supplying the turbo extinguisher with water is a challenge, standard street hydrants failing to supply the
enormous amounts of water needed. Use is therefore made of special tank trucks.
REPORT 35