Hazard Control Technologies’ (HCT) Piercing Rod Systems were designed specifically for controlling combustible powder and granular bulk storage fires in silos, bunkers and piles. HCT has gained a reputation as the leader in handling volatile PRB coal fires within the power industry that has lead to experience with other combustibles including wood chips, rubber crumb, ground recyclables and others. The Piercing Rod System allows you to locate and accurately inject F-500 Encapsulator Agent into a hot spot to safely reduce the temperature and extinguish the fire. This method allows a minimal amount of water to be used that could cause clumping and flow restrictions within a storage vessel.
- Sub-bituminuos coal
- Sugar
- Grain
- Wood chips
- Cotton
- Hay bales
- Rubber crumb
- Landfills
- Sawdust
- Dry chemicals
- Metal flakes
- Plastics
Hot spots can occur from spontaneous combustion or from outside influences, such as an overheated bearing or electrical short. Deep inside a pile or silo, the hot spot gets hotter and hotter until eventually the area collapses, creating a dangerous, combustible dust cloud that results in an explosion.
Generally, there are warnings well before it gets to this stage, such as visible smoke, burning smell, discoloration on silo walls or an increase in carbon monoxide. The hot spot can be located and extinguished with F-500 EA and a piercing rod.