3 Engineering specifications

  3.1.1 Quantity of medium

  3.1.1.1 Each powder or carbon dioxide extinguisher shall have a capacity of at least 5 kg and each foam extinguisher shall have a capacity of at least 9 l. The mass of all portable fire extinguishers shall not exceed 23 kg and they shall have a fire-extinguishing capability at least equivalent to that of a 9 l fluid extinguisher.

  3.1.1.2 The Administration shall determine the equivalents of fire extinguishers.

  3.1.2 Recharging

Only refills approved for the fire extinguisher in question shall be used for recharging.

  3.2.1 A portable foam applicator unit shall consist of a foam nozzle/branch pipe, either of a self-inducing type or in combination with a separate inductor, capable of being connected to the fire main by a fire hose, together with a portable tank containing at least 20 l of foam concentrate and at least one spare tank of foam concentrate of the same capacity.

  3.2.2 System performance

  3.2.2.1 The nozzle/branch pipe and inductor shall be capable of producing effective foam suitable for extinguishing an oil fire, at a foam solution flow rate of at least 200 l/min at the nominal pressure in the fire main.

  3.2.2.2 The foam concentrate shall be approved by the Administration based on guidelines developed by the Organization^footnote.

  3.2.2.3 The values of the foam expansion and drainage time of the foam produced by the portable foam applicator unit shall not differ more than ± 10% of that determined in 3.2.2.2.

  3.2.2.4 The portable foam applicator unit shall be designed to withstand clogging, ambient temperature changes, vibration, humidity, shock, impact and corrosion normally encountered on ships.