- Author
- Williams, F. W. | Back, G. G., III | DiNenno, P. J. | Darwin, R. L. | Hill, S. A. | Havlovick, B. J. | Toomey, T. A. | Farley, J. P. | Hill, J. M.
- Title
- Full-Scale Machinery Space Water Mist Tests: Final Design Validation. Final Report, 1996-1998.
- Coporate
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC Hughes Associates, Inc., Baltimore, MD Havlovick Engineering Services Inc., Idaho Falls, ID Toomey Consultants, Inc. GEO-Centers, Inc., Rockville, MD M. Rosenblat and Sons, Inc.
- Report
- NRL/MR/6180-99-8380, June 12, 1999, 436 p.
- Keywords
- water mist | ships | machinery | validation | damage control | shipboard fires | scenarios | nozzles | temperature measurements | heat flux | water flow
- Abstract
- The U.S. Navy is conducting an ongoing investigation into the use of water mist as a replacement for Halon 1301 total flooding systems which are currently installed in shipboard machinery spaces. The initial design and development of the machinery space water mist system was determined during two, previously conducted, full-scale test series. These two series were conducted in a simulated machinery space located onboard the ex-USS SHADWELL in Mobile, AL. The initial investigations were conducted in both an empty machinery space and a machinery space fitted with mockups of equipment typically installed in these spaces (i.e., combustion engines, reduction gears and ductwork). The fire threats consisted of combinations of fIreI spray and pan fires positioned at various locations throughout the space. The estimated total heat release rates of these fire scenarios ranged from 2.5 to 7.5 MW. Initially, the water mist system consisted of nozzles installed at one level in the overhead of the space. To improve system performance, the nozzles were installed on two levels as is the current practice with the Halon 1301 total flooding systems. The system exhibiting superior firefighting capabilities was a system developed using commercially available off-the-shelf industrial spray nozzles produced by Spraying Systems Company. The system developed using these nozzles was capable of extinguishing all of the unventilated fire scenarios in less than twenty five seconds of system activation and used less than 100 L (25 gal) of water. Based on these results, this nozzle was selected to be incorporated in the design and development of a water mist system for future Navy machinery space applications. During a recent investigation, the nozzle was redesigned to increase its durability and potentially increase its firefighting capabilities. Based on the results of the initial full-scale test programs and scoping tests conducted at the Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Chesapeak Beach Detachment (CBD), a preliminary water mist system design was developed. during this investigation, the fire fighting capabilities of the new system and system design parameters were validated. The design validation tests, discussed in this report, were conducted on the ex-USS SHADWELL during November 1996 in accordance with the approved test plan.