The present invention includes systems, assemblies, and methodologies for inhibiting combustion within fluid containers, enhancing the safety of such containers. One aspect includes a novel base module from which assemblies of varying shape and size, suitable for disposing within a variety of different fluid containers, are created. In one embodiment, the base module is made from an expanded mesh which is rolled in a novel cylindrical configuration according to a novel methodology. In another embodiment, the base module may be combined with other base modules to form an assembly. The present invention is also directed to an apparatus and method for creating base modules which allows for varying density of the base modules and therefore varying flexural strength and rigidity of the assemblies. As such, the packing density of assemblies within containers may be optimized to produce the desired effect of inhibiting combustion within the container.

The present invention includes systems, assemblies, and methodologies for inhibiting combustion within fluid containers, enhancing the safety of such containers. One aspect includes a novel fuel containers which take advantage of the inventive principles disclosed herein. In one embodiment a fuel drum includes a plurality of base assemblies arranged in a drum cluster, and disposed within the drum. In another embodiment, a portable fuel container includes a plurality of base assemblies arranged in a can cluster and disposed within the portable fuel container. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of base assemblies are arranged in a cell cluster and disposed within a lattice structure.

A flame mitigation device (FMD) contained within the neck of a container and configured to allow the fuel nozzle to pass through the FMD. The FMD forming a barrier in the neck of the fill port and capable of constricting the fuel nozzle upon passing through the FMD to inhibit external debris from entering the interior of the portable container and to inhibit fuel from flowing back out of the fill port.

A safety process for recycling components of a confined space metal container reducing sparking, significantly mitigating worker exposure to fires by forming a first safety water blanket in first compartment, cutting a first top off, cutting off a first side, and a second side if needed. Next, pumping the first safety water blanket into a second compartment of the confined space metal container then cutting first piping out of the first compartment, and removing to a second containment area. Excavating equipment is used to remove portions of hydrocarbons from the first compartment and loading the hydrocarbons for transport; then cutting a bottom off the first compartment, and lifting the bottom onto the second containment area and cutting the bottom into preset mill sizes for recycling. Repeating the steps for additional components.

A portable fuel container includes a fuel reservoir and an access port therefor, and an elongate flame mitigation device in the fuel reservoir behind the access port. The flame mitigation device includes an open mouth sealed around the access port, a closed bottom opposing the mouth, and an intermediate tubular sidewall. In addition, the flame mitigation device has a woven construction. In relation to the woven construction, the flame mitigation device includes inelastically resiliently flexible interwoven warps and wefts. Moreover, the flame mitigation device interstitially defines quenching openings between the warps and the wefts configured to allow liquid fuel therethrough, but prevent air-fuel mixtures ignited as flames from propagating therethrough. Moreover, the flame mitigation device is elastically flexible to hold its shape, but elastically flex under manual manipulation.

Fire suppression system to extinguish fires present within tanks. The system includes a cylindrical suppression unit that contains a cylindrical aerosol generator. The suppression unit prevents the aerosol generator from sliding into the tank and allows a user to removably attach the system to and from the tank. The aerosol generator uses a potassium aerosol to extinguish the fire and may be engaged via a bulb-thermal actuator or heating of the bulk material that composes the aerosol.

A dome-based cyclic inert sealing system for an external floating roof tank includes the external floating roof tank, a dome structure, an inert sealing pipeline, and a gas source servo device; wherein the dome structure is formed by a top portion of a tank wall of the external floating roof tank for sealing; the dome structure together with an internal wall of the external floating roof tank, a floating plate and a sealing device form a gas phase space which is isolated from atmosphere, so as to fill the gas phase space with an inert sealing medium; the inert sealing medium is a gas fire-fighting medium used in a suffocation fire-fighting method; the gas source servo device is connected to the gas phase space through the inert sealing pipeline and communicates through a valve for feedback-controlling states of the inert sealing medium in the gas phase space.

A system is disclosed for inerting a fuel tank. The system includes a fuel tank and an air separator including an air inlet, a membrane with a permeability differential between oxygen and nitrogen, an oxygen-depleted air outlet, and an oxygen-enriched air outlet. A catalytic reactor is arranged to receive oxygen-depleted air from the oxygen-depleted air outlet and fuel, to react the fuel with oxygen in the oxygen-depleted air, and to discharge an inert gas from a reactor outlet. An inert gas flow path is arranged to receive inert gas from the reactor outlet, or from the air separation module oxygen-depleted air outlet, or from the reactor outlet and from the air separation module oxygen-depleted air outlet, and to direct inert gas to the fuel tank.

An inerting system comprises an air separating device having an enclosure (40) having at least one air inlet (46) and one outlet (48) for oxygen-depleted air. The air separating device (18) is configured to generate, from an air inlet flow coming from the air inlet (46) of the enclosure (40), an outlet flow of oxygen-depleted air and to discharge the outlet flow of oxygen-depleted air through the outlet (48) for oxygen-depleted air. The inerting system (14) comprises a heating system (20), outside the enclosure (40), configured to heat at least one region of the enclosure (40).

A method of fire suppression may include injecting a reactive agent into a reaction zone to produce a catalytically active species for fire suppression and conveying the catalytically active species to a fire to catalytically interfere with flame chemistry of the fire. Fire in a fuel tank may be suppressed by injecting the reactive agent into a convective flow of a mixture of fuel and oxidizer in a fuel tank, the reactive agent reacting in the fuel tank to release a species which catalytically interferes with flame chemistry to suppress fire in the fuel tank. Fire at an airplane crash may be suppressed by releasing the reactive agent from the container at the crash site to produce an active species to catalytically interfere with a fire at the crash site.