- Author
-
Bennett, J. M.
|
Caggianelli, G. M.
|
Kolleck, M. L.
|
Wheeler, J. A.
- Title
- Halon Replacement Program for Aviation Dry Bay Application. Phase 2. Operational Comparison of Selected Extinguishants. Final Report. October 1993-September 1994.
- Coporate
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson AFB, OH
Booz, Allen and Hamilton, Inc., Dayton, OH
- Sponsor
- Air Force Material Command, Wright Patterson AFB, OH
Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center, Atlantic City, NJ
Army Aviation and Troop Cmmnd., St. Louis, MO
Naval Air, Arlington, VA
- Report
-
WL-TR-97-3075
December 1996
67 p.
- Distribution
- LIMITED DISTRIBUTION AVAILABLE FROM: WL/FIVS, Attn: Halon Replacement Program, Bldg. 63, 1901 Tenth St., Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7605
- Keywords
-
halon alternatives
|
halon 1301
- Identifiers
- aircraft dry bay; operational comparison of selected extinguishants; Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
- Abstract
- The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990 and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules limit U.S. production of ozone depleting substances (ODS). These actions carry out the United States' obligations under the "Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer," an international treaty ratified by the Senate in December 1988, limiting global production of such chemicals. Subsequent international and national legislation has dictated the phase-out of the production of these chemicals. A Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) effort funded by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base investigated a total of 600 chemicals with a configuration similar to the halons as potential replacements. These potential replacement chemicals were investigated for toxicity, physical traits, and fire-fighting effectiveness to determine which had the potential to meet aviation requirements. It was determined that ten chemicals had characteristics acceptable for aircraft use and the capability to generate the necessary supplemental data within the required program timelines. To these ten, the Air Force added two, which were suggested from other data sources. A screening program to reduce this list of 12 to the three best for full-scale testing was conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Concurrently with this NIST testing, Phase 1 of the Halon Replacement Program for Aviation was conducted at Wright Laboratory. This report documents the work performed under Phase 2 - Operational Comparison of Selected Extinguishants - of the Halon Replacement Program for Aviation. This joint program was designed to find a replacement chemical extinguishant for halon as a total-flood fire extinguishant on-board military and commercial aircraft. There are two applications considered under this program--dry bays and engine nacelles. This report deals with the dry bay application. Dry bays are defined as voided bays within the mold line of an airplane, excluding air inlets, engine compartments, and exhaust nozzles. Wing leading edge bays, landing gear wheel wells, avionics equipment bays, and weapons bays are examples of common dry bay areas. Dry bays frequently. contain fluid lines (fuel, hydraulic, coolant), bleed air ducts, electrical cables, and may also contain avionics boxes, flight control actuators, hydraulic accumulators, and liquid oxygen dewars. During normal operation, dry bays are free of flammable liquids and vapors. However, as a result of combat damage or equipment failure, flammable liquids may be released into these spaces from adjacent fuel tanks or fluid lines located within the bays. If an ignition source and sufficient oxygen are present, combustion is possible. An analogous series of tests was also conducted to determine a halon replacement for the engine nacelle application. That work was documented in a similar series of reports.