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Author
Poole, B. A. | Wheeler, J. A.
Title
Halon Replacement Program for Aviation Dry Bay Application. Phase 1. Operational Parameters Study. Final Report. October 1992-September 1993.
Coporate
WL/FIVS, Wright Patterson AFB, OH Booz, Allen and Hamilton, Inc., Dayton, OH
Sponsor
Aeronautical Systems Center/ENF, 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-95-3039; SURVIAC TR-95-010, September 1995, 62 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 parameters; 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. 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). The NIST testing was conducted concurrently with Phase 1 of the full-scale testing at Wright Laboratory. This final report documents the work performed under Phase 1 - Operational Parameters Study - of the Halon Replacement Program for Aviation. This joint program was designed to find a replacement chemical agent for halon as a fire-extinguishing agent 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 void volumes 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 tie examples bf common dry bay areas. Dry bays-frequently contain fluid lines (fuel, hydraulic, coolant), bleed air ducts, and electrical cables and may contain avionics, 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 locate within the bays. If an ignition source and sufficient dxygen are present, combustion is possible. An analogous series of tests is also being conducted to determine a halon replacement for the engine nacelle application. This work is being documented in a similar series of reports.