Understanding Overpressure in the FAA Aerosol Can Test by C3H2F3Br (2-BTP)

Published

March 18, 2016

Author(s)

Gregory T. Linteris, Valeri I. Babushok, John L. Pagliaro, Jeffrey A. Manion, Donald R. Burgess Jr., Fumiaki Takahashi, Viswanath R. Katta, Patrick T. Baker

Abstract

Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, as well as perfectly-stirred reactor (PSR) simulations with detailed reaction kinetics, are performed for a potential halon replacement, C3H2F3Br (2-BTP, C3H2F3Br, 2-Bromo-3,3,3-trifluoropropene), to understand the reasons for the unexpected enhanced combustion rather than suppression in a mandated FAA test (which occurred with added C3H2F3Br, as well as C2HF5, and C6F12O). The high pressure rise with added agent is shown to depend on the amount of agent, and is well-predicted by an equilibrium model corresponding to stoichiometric reaction of fuel, oxygen, and agent. A kinetic model for the reaction of C3H2F3Br in hydrocarbon-air flames has been applied to understand differences in the chemical suppression behavior of C3H2F3Br vs. CF3Br in the FAA test. Stirred-reactor simulations predict that in the conditions of the FAA test, the inhibition effectiveness of C3H2F3Br at high agent loadings is relatively insensitive to the overall stoichiometry (for fuel-lean conditions), and the marginal inhibitory effect of the agent is greatly reduced, so that the mixture remains flammable over a wide range of conditions. Most important, the flammability of the agent-air mixtures themselves (when compressively preheated), can support low-strain flames which are much more difficult to extinguish than the easy-to extinguish, high-strain primary fireball from the impulsively released fuel mixture. The present findings supplement earlier analyses for C2HF5, C6F12O, and CF3Br, which were also evaluated in the FAA test.

Citation

Combustion and Flame

Volume

167

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2015.10.0

Keywords

C3H2F3Br, C3H2F3Br, 2-BTP, Cargo Bay Fire Suppression, Halon Replacements, CF3Br, Clean Agent Fire Suppression

Citation

Linteris, G. , Babushok, V. , Pagliaro, J. , Manion, J. , Burgess, D. , Takahashi, F. , Katta, V. and Baker, P. (2016), Understanding Overpressure in the FAA Aerosol Can Test by C3H2F3Br (2-BTP), Combustion and Flame, [online], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2015.10.0 (Accessed April 19, 2024)