- Author
- Crawford, A. B.
- Title
- Simulation of an Aircraft Dry Bay Fuel Fire Caused by a 23 Millimeter High-Explosive Incendiary Projectile.
- Coporate
- Air Force Institute of Technology, WPAFB, OH
- Report
- AFIT/GOR/ENS/92M-01, March 1992, 168 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- fuel fires | projectiles | aircraft fires | simulation | survivability | explosions | fuel systems | aircraft fuel tanks | equations
- Identifiers
- high explosive projectiles; dry bay
- Abstract
- This thesis developed a continuous simulation model to predict fuel fire ignition in an aircraft dry bay and fuel tank caused by a 23 millimeter high explosive incendiary (HEI) projectile. The model was developed based on the experimental setup of the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory's (WL/FIVS) halon replacement test program. This thesis effort fills a void in existing fire models by combining an HEI threat with continuously modeled dry bay and fuel tank environments. The model, written in the SLAMM II simulation language, continuously predicts temperature and pressure conditions in the dry bay and fuel tank over a .02 second time frame by integrating a set of four simultaneous equations. The matrix of equations is based on the ideal gas law and conservation of mass, energy, and species equations. The model was validated against empirical data from WL/FIVS as well as literature results. Two experimental designs were run using the model to test the effect of changes in variables on the whole system and the fuel tank, respectively. The validation and analyses showed the model accurately predicts fire ignition. This model was designed to be a part of an overall fire suppression model. The fragmentation and fire suppression modules are being developed under other AFIT theses.