Browse Topic: Fire prevention

Items (79)
Hydrogen-electric vertical takeoff and landing (H2eVTOL) (or fuel cell-electric VTOL) aircraft technologies are poised to emerge in the next coming decades and start operating from existing heliports and new vertiports. This paper assesses how key H2eVTOL design features interact with the ground infrastructure and how facility designers can address H2eVTOL specific facility requirements–especially the supply of hydrogen to the aircraft. Vertiport design should maximize compatibility are important to facilitate the accommodation of hydrogen technologies, minimize the need for extensive capital investments, and promote safety and operational efficiency. Considerations should be given to factors such as general aircraft configuration, electric and hybrid propulsion systems, and refueling infrastructure. The definition of notional aircraft concepts representing the evolution of critical VTOL aircraft over the next coming decades can help aviation facility planners and designers understand the type of vehicles they need to account for and also evaluate the future hydrogen demand. The lack of aviation-specific standards, especially when it comes to fire prevention, might adversely impact vertiports. Strategies are proposed for mitigating the effects of hydrogen operations at space-constrained facilities.
Le Bris, GaëlNguyen, Loup-Giang
This document applies to off-road forestry work machines defined in SAE J1116 or ISO 6814.
MTC4, Forestry and Logging Equipment
This SAE Standard details procedures for testing lead-acid SLI (starting, lighting, and ignition), heavy-duty, EV (electric vehicle), and RV (recreational vehicle) batteries, to determine the effectiveness of the battery venting system to retard the propagation of an externally ignited flame of battery gas into the interior of the battery under sustained overcharge conditions. NOTE: At this time, 2018, there is no known comparable ISO Standard.
Starter Battery Standards Committee
This SAE Informational report applies to tires used on off-road, rubber-tired work machines as identified in SAE J1116. This SAE document provides general guidelines for proper handling of potential and actual off-road tire fires and possible related explosions.
MTC8, Tire and Rim
Flammability of Human Hair in Exploration Atmospheres2009-01-25127/12/2009
To investigate the flammability of human hair, a series of normal and microgravity flame spread tests over human hair were performed in a low-speed flow tunnel to simulate spacecraft ventilation flows (∼20 cm/s). The tunnel atmosphere pressure and oxygen concentration was varied over the range of anticipated exploration atmospheres (21–34% O2 in N2, 8–14.7 psia). While hair is marginally flammable in air, spreading upward but not downward, it burns extremely well at or above 30% O2 in any direction or g-level. The spread is characterized by a quick spread over the surface ‘nap’ or ‘frizz’, followed by continued bulk burning. Two hair ‘styles’ were tested — short hair and long hair — and style does not seem to affect initial nap spread significantly. Opposed and concurrent nap spread rates are similar in 0g under comparable conditions. Oxygen concentration has a strong effect on flame spread rates. Concurrent spread rates are more than an order of magnitude faster in 30% O2 compared to 21% O2. Gravity also affects flame spread, with 1g concurrent (upward) being the fastest spread. For concurrent spread, 1g spread is faster than 0g spread, so it is reasonable to assume Lunar and Martian environments would also support faster concurrent flame spread. Surprisingly, however, for opposed flow, 0g spread is faster than 1g (downward) spread, so the generalization to Martian and Lunar environments cannot be made for opposed flow. Pressure has little effect on tip spread rate. Subsequent bulk burning appears weaker at lower pressure.
Olson, Sandra L.Griffin, DeVon W.Urban, David L.Ruff, Gary A.Smith, Elizabeth A.
Fundamentals of Fire Suppression in Reduced Gravity Environments2008-01-20876/29/2008
This paper discusses the unique aspects of fire suppression in reduced (micro- and Lunar/martian) gravity environments. It builds on a trade study conducted by the Fire Prevention Detection and Suppression group at the NASA Glenn Research Center that examined the efficacy of fire suppressants in reduced gravity. The first part of the present paper reviews the differences in flame characteristics between terrestrial and extraterrestrial fires and how these characteristics change the action of a fire suppressant. Special emphasis is placed on enriched oxygen ambient environments, a condition that will routinely exist on future spacecraft and extraterrestrial habitats. The most important difference between normal gravity and reduced gravity fires is the increase in the minimum suppressant concentration (for gaseous agents in a total flooding application) required to extinguish a fire in reduced gravity compared to normal gravity. The impact of this observation is that suppressant system design guidelines based on terrestrial standards will either not be adequate or will not offer the same factor of safety in reduced gravity. The paper discussion focusses on inert gas (most suitable for total flooding applications) and water mist systems (suitable for total flooding and streaming applications), with some results for chemically active systems (e.g. Halon 1301) included for reference. Finally, the paper presents recommendations on proposed tests and standards to evaluate candidate suppressant technologies.
Dietrich, D. L.Ruff, G. A.Urban, D. L.
Microgravity Flame Spread in Exploration Atmospheres: Pressure, Oxygen, and Velocity Effects on Opposed and Concurrent Flame Spread2008-01-20556/29/2008
Microgravity tests of flammability and flame spread were performed in a low-speed flow tunnel to simulate spacecraft ventilation flows. Three thin fuels were tested for flammability (Ultem 1000®, 10 mil film, Nomex HT90-40, and Mylar G® and one fuel for flame spread testing (Kimwipes®). The 1g Upward Limiting Oyxgen Index (ULOI) and 1g Maximum Oxygen Concentration (MOC) are found to be greater than those in 0g, by up to 4% oxygen mole fraction, meaning that the fuels burned in 0g at lower oxygen concentrations than they did using the NASA Standard 6001 Test 1 protocol. Flame spread tests with Kimwipes® were used to develop correlations that capture the effects of flow velocity, oxygen concentration, and pressure on flame spread rate. These correlations were used to determine that over virtually the entire range of spacecraft atmospheres and flow conditions, the opposed spread is faster, especially for normoxic atmospheres. The correlations were also compared with 1g MOC for various materials as a function of pressure and oxygen. The lines of constant opposed flow agreed best with the 1g MOC trends, which indicates that Test 1 limits are essentially dictated by the critical heat flux for ignition. Further evaluation of these and other materials is continuing to better understand the 0g flammability of materials and its effect on the oxygen margin of safety.
Olson, Sandra L.Ruff, Gary A.Miller, Fletcher J.
This document applies to off-road forestry work machines defined in SAE J1116 or ISO 6814.
MTC4, Forestry and Logging Equipment
Fire Protection on Airplanes2005-01-342910/3/2005
Airplane fire protection demands a very high level of reliability. In flight there is no escape from a fire and with an abundance of fuel and ignition sources, the threat of a fire onboard an airplane is ever present. Today's airplanes comply with existing fire protection regulations. The regulations affecting fire protection change with the advent of new technologies and experiences. This paper addresses methods for fire protection in the design of new airplanes. Prevention of a fire is the best method of fire protection, for it is best to prevent a fire than to have to deal with a fire in flight, but dealing with a fire in flight may become inevitable at one point or another. This is why fire protection methods such as passive methods and active methods are addressed. This paper addresses various fire protection methods from eliminating fuels and ignition sources to reducing flammability, from zoning and compartmentation to material selection and ventilation, from temperature control to fire detection and fire extinguishing or fire suppression systems. In addition the fire protection design basis for all areas of the airplane, from radome to the tail that include the flight deck, engines, auxiliary power unit (APU), cabin, cargo compartments, fuel tanks, lavatories, crew compartments, electrical and electronics compartment, accessory compartments and the tail compartment are discussed.
Hariram, Sham S.
An Approach to Evaluate Precision and Inter-Laboratory Variability of Flammability Test Methods for Aerospace Materials2005-01-30007/11/2005
Materials selection for spacecraft is based on conventional flammability or ignition sensitivity acceptance tests. Current procedures for determining the inter-laboratory repeatability and reproducibility of aerospace materials flammability tests are not considering the dependence of data variability on test conditions and consequently attempts to characterize the precision of these methods were not successful. The inter-laboratory data variability is determined with tests conducted under arbitrary conditions, which consequently may not provide sufficient information to enable adequate determination of a method’s precision. This paper evaluates the feasibility of a method used to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of a test method by conducting a limited number of tests following a rigorous statistical approach. For evaluating the precision of NASA’s flammability test methods, the protocol recommended includes selecting critical parameters and determining the 50% failure point by considering the specific failure criteria of each method using the critical parameter as a variable. Upon performing inter-laboratory round robin testing using this approach, the laboratories’ performance could be evaluated by comparing the repeatability of the 50% failure point and/or the repeatability of critical conditions where the probabilities of passing and failing are unity, i.e., the transition zone repeatability. When a sufficient amount of data has been acquired with this method, an adequate estimation of precision of aerospace materials flammability test methods will be possible.
Hirsch, DavidBeeson, Harold
Thermophysical and Fire Properties of Engine Compartment Fluids2005-01-15604/11/2005
Ignition and combustion behaviors of the engine compartment fluids are presented based on their thermophysical and fire properties. The thermophysical properties considered are flash point (Tflash), autoignition temperature (Ta), hot metal surface ignition temperature (Thot), initial boiling point (Tib) and the final boiling point (Tfb). The fire properties considered are the heat release parameter, HRP (ratio of the chemical heat of combustion, ΔHch, to heat of vaporization, ΔHv) and product release parameter, PRP (ratio of the yield of the product, yj to ΔHv). In operating vehicles, the temperatures of metal surfaces in the engine compartment exceed the Tflash, Ta, Thot, Tib and Tfb values for most of the engine compartment fluids. Thus, in vehicle crashes, the fluids are capable of starting engine compartment fires as they encounter the hot surfaces, as was observed in the crash and vehicle burn tests in the GM studies. The fire properties of the engine compartment fluids (HRP and PRP) indicate that hydrocarbon-based fluids would burn with intensity comparable to or higher than gasoline and release large amounts of CO and smoke. However, the non-hydrocarbon based fluids would burn with lower intensity than gasoline and release lower amounts of CO and smoke. Fire retardation of the engine compartment fluids is generally not practical, however, providing fire suppression system in the engine compartment and fire barriers between the engine and passenger compartments would be effective in enhancing the passenger survivability. The Tflash, Ta, Thot, Tib and Tfb values of the fluids are interrelated and thus a regulatory standard could be developed for the engine compartment fluids, where limits for only Tib, Tfb and HRP could be specified for the acceptance of the fluids.
Tewarson, Archibald
Principles, Testing and In-Field Experience for the FIRE Panel Fuel Tank Protection Device2005-01-17904/11/2005
A technology has been devised and recently deployed in highway vehicle transportation to protect vehicle fuel tanks from impact-induced fires. The technology is currently employed in the FIRE Panel product, which exhibits an improved design based upon powder panel technology used for decades to protect military aircraft from ballistic-induced fuel tank-fed fires. The device comprises a shallow shell, filled with a powder fire extinguishing agent, which is mounted on or near a fuel tank or other flammable fluid reservoir. In the event of an impact to the fuel tank or reservoir, such as due to a collision, which might rupture the tank and spill fuel to be ignited, the adjacent FIRE Panel also impacted shatters as designed, discharging a plume of extinguishing powder to inert the space around the leaking fuel tank or other reservoir, even if the vehicle travels some distance after impact. The simplicity and low cost of the device make it practical for most transportation applications. The science of inerting fuel vapor/air spaces with previously released dry chemical, and the notably low concentrations required for the application, as demonstrated by the Bureau of Mines in addition to military evaluations, will also be discussed. The pedigree of full-scale crash tests, using rocket sled facilities and actual gasoline and live ignition sources to provide a significant threat of fire, will be addressed. The various in-field applications of the device will also be discussed, including motorsports use in the Trans Am racing series, and most recently NASCAR, as used in actual competition. Military transportation applications now being evaluated for the product, including Tactical Wheeled Vehicle fuel tank protection, and their resultant test data will also be discussed. Highway vehicle applications, including its deployment by the thousands on Crown Victoria police cars, and real-world activations while in service will be reviewed.
Bennett, J. Michael
The United States Coast Guard is the United States' chief maritime safety regulatory authority, and the Marine Technical and Hazardous Materials Division of the Office of Merchant Marine Safety, among other Coast Guard units, is charged with protecting the merchant fleet and merchant marine personnel from harm. In recent years the Coast Guard has become more involved with the harmful effects of ships' atmospheres, including both acute and chronic effects. Unlike shore workers, the marine worker can not escape his workplace after eight hours, and so occupational problems can be more severe. This paper discusses the work of the Division in several areas of marine worker safety, including asbestos, fire extinguishing gases, cargo vapors, cargo tank atmospheres, noise, radiation, smoke, and human factors. Our goal is to improve the level of safety of the marine worker.
Schneider, Alan L.
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