- Author
-
Marker, T.
- Title
- Widebody Cabin Water Spray Optimization Tests. Technical Note.
- Coporate
- Federal Aviation Administration, Atlantic City International Airport, NJ
- Report
-
DOT/FAA/CT-TN93/29; ACD-240,
August 1993,
46 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
water sprays
|
aircraft compartments
|
large scale fire tests
|
nozzles
|
flow rate
- Identifiers
- full-zone; half-zone; restratify; fractional effective dose
- Abstract
- Nine full-scale tests were conducted in a modified DC-10 test article as part of an aircraft cabin water spray optimization study. The purpose of the study was to test several spray configurations by varying the orientation of the nozzles, the flow rate, and the quantity of water sprayed, while keeping the fire conditions constant, in an attempt to minimize the amount of water required to effectively suppress a postcrash aircraft fire and improve occupant survivability. The tests were used to validate optimization tests previously conducted in the narrowbody 707 test article. The initial test series employed a full-zone spray system, extending across the width of the fuselage, consisting of 7 zones, each containing 12 nozzles. A thermocouple was centrally mounted at ceiling height in each of the 8 foot long zones, allowing for the activation of a particular zone when the temperature reached a pre-determined value. A second series of tests were run in which the original zones were divided in half, producing 5 zones on either side of the fuselage centerline for a total of 10. Each of the 10 zones contained 6 nozzles. The survival time was extended between 41 and 103 seconds, depending on zone configuration, discharge activation temperature, and cabin location.