Foam path

Foam carpet is from the fire department several decimetres to a meter high, closed layer of foam extinguishing called, which is applied to a surface. The use of a foam film can be carried out under both the defensive and preventive fire protection.

Preventive use at leaking liquids

Leaking and not burning liquids begin to evaporate in the rule. This can create an air - vapor mixture that is flammable or even explosive. In this case, extinguishing foam is used for prophylaxis and the liquid covered with a carpet of foam as " vapor lock ". Hazardous material inserts in case of unclear or missing hazardous substance marking cause fire departments also included in this measure, thus not yet existing fires by chemical reaction ( self-ignition ) can be prevented.

Repelling use in liquid and solid fires

The foam carpet is used here because of its two main quenching effects. The water in the foam cut off the fire energy, the foam blanket itself separates the fuel and oxygen from one another and so smothered the fire.

Preventive use in emergency landings

Airport fire departments use a foam carpet from heavy foam to secure an emergency landing at their non-extended or unstable landing gear of an aircraft.

A foam carpet is to prevent dangerous fires can occur during a landing. When a foam blanket must be used foam is applied to the start and runway of the airport of special vehicles, the airport fire brigade. A portion of the runway is covered with heavy foam. The process of foam carpet on the runway but no longer used at all German airports, because the benefits of a foam film is controversial. This is due, inter alia, the fact that the foam blanket reduces the static friction, leading to significantly poorer braking performance of an airplane landing leads and also an agreement on the runway can cause.

Other reasons are the relatively long time required for the land application of a foam film, the cost of foaming agent and the subsequent effort of web cleaning, by maintaining special Beschäumungsfahrzeuge and last but not least the environment. Therefore will not be the spreading of a foam film, even with a retractable landing gear not at airports in Germany generally. Instead, one has several airport fire engines in tactically sensible positions on the runway to cover after the standstill with foam the emergency landing aircraft.

For the prevention of post- fire outbreak after emergency landing at possibly damaged fuel tank, a foam carpet is also used, but then from airport fire vehicles.