FireDOC Search

Author
Hamins, A. | Gmurczyk, G. W. | Grosshandler, W. L. | Rehwoldt, R. G. | Vazquez, I. | Cleary, T. G. | Presser, C. | Seshadri, K.
Title
Flame Suppression Effectiveness.
Coporate
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD University of California at San Diego, La Jolla
Report
NIST SP 861, April 1994,
Distribution
Available from Government Printing Office
Book or Conf
Evaluation of Alternative In-Flight Fire Suppressants for Full-Scale Testing in Simulated Aircraft Engine Nacelles and Dry Bays. Section 4, Grosshandler, W. L.; Gann, R. G.; Pitts, W. M., Editors, 345-465 p., 1994
Keywords
halons | fire suppression | effectiveness | diffusion flames | turbulent flames | premixed flames | detonation | chain reactions
Identifiers
opposed flow diffusion flames; coflowing; nonpremixed flames; turbulent spray flames; high speed premixed flames and quasi-detonations
Abstract
A flame will be extinguished when the time required for the chain reaction which sustains combustion exceeds the time it takes to replenish the necessary heat and reactants. A characteristic time for reaction can be estimated from the inverse of a global kinetic rate coefficient expressed in Arrhenius form as [equation] where B is a molecular collision frequency factor, Eo is a global activation energy, R is the ideal gas constant, and T is the gas temperature. Assuming reactant species and heat are transported at about the same rate (i.e., unity Lewis number), a characteristic time for replenishing both can be estimated from a convective flow velocity and a length scale by [equation].