- Author
-
Sasson, E.
- Title
- Thermal Response of Balsa Wood in a Simulated Fuel Fire Environment.
- Coporate
- Army Armament Research Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ
- Report
-
ARFSD-TR-9017
October 1922
122 p.
- Distribution
- AVAILABLE FROM National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000; Fax: 703-605-6900; Rush Service (Telephone Orders Only) 800-553-6847; Website: http://www.ntis.gov
- Keywords
-
wood
|
JP-4 jet fuel
|
fuel fires
|
fire retardant treatments
- Identifiers
- balsa wood smolder; transportation safety container; copper barrier; alumina trihydrate; simulated JP-4 fuel fire
- Abstract
- The Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC) has been tasked by the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) to develop a transportation safety container (TSC) to preclude a detonation of the Army's tactical nuclear weapons in the event of a severe accident during a logistical movement. Development test revealed a deficiency in the fire protection capability of the balsa wood which will either continue to smolder or burn when exposed to air after the fuel fire. Since the thermal response characteristics of balsa were not fully understood, a material thermal evaluation was taken to provide design data and direction for full-scale development hardware. Various balsa wood specimens were evaluated under simulated JP-4 pool fuel fire environments using the Radiant Heat Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuqueruq, MN. Thermal histories were obtained as well as post test examination which provided char/degradation information. Specimens evaluated included untreated balsa fire retardant treated balsa, and air thermal barriers of copper and alumina trihydrate (ATH). The fire retardant treated balsa offers the most effective approach to a balsa wood after burning/smoldering condition. The thermal response of balsa wood used in TSC-V container under simulated JP-4 pool fuel fire environments (1850 deg F, 90 minutes duration) were investigated. The objective was to determine the materials thermal gradient data and their degradation characteristics under radiant heat simulating fuel fire environment. Thermal response and burning of virgin balsa was compared against fire retardant impregnated balso and the effectiveness of other thermal barriers such as copper and alumina trihydrate was evaluated.