Optimization of System Discharge (NIST SP 890)

Published

November 1, 1995

Author(s)

Jiann C. Yang, Thomas G. Cleary, I Vazquez, C I. Boyer, M D. King, B D. Breuel, C A. Womeldorf, William L. Grosshandler, Marcia L. Huber, L Weber, G. Gmurczyk

Abstract

Current aircraft fire suppression bottles for dry bay and engine nacelle applications, which are designed to meet Military Specification MIL-C-22284A (proof pressure of 9.62 MPa and minimum burst pressure of 12.37 MPa), are normally filled with liquid halon 1301 (CF3Br) to about half of the bottle volume, and the bottle is then pressurized with nitrogen to a specified equilibrium pressure (typically 4.1 MPa) at room temperature. The purpose of using the pressurization gas is to expedite the discharge of the agent and to facilitate the dispersion of the agent. Without nitrogen pressurization, the bottle pressure, which is simply the vapor pressure of the agent, can be so low (even sub-atmospheric) at extremely cold ambience that there is virtually no driving force to expel the agent from the bottle in case of a fire, thus hindering a rapid release of the mixture. From the above description, three important issues have emerged and need be considered when using a halon alternative as an in-flight fire suppressant: (1) the system hardware, (2) the thermophysical properties of the agent/nitrogen mixture, and (3) the agent/nitrogen mixture behavior during a discharge. The results obtained from this study provide important technical information on bottle design and agent discharge for new generation aircraft that may use the halon alternatives, for the existing aircraft that may undergo retrofitting, or simply for possible "drop-in" replacements.

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 890

Report Number

890

Volume

1

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

fire suppression, aircraft engines, nacelle fires, simulation, thermophysical properties, nitrogen, discharge rate, computer simulation, halon 1301, halon alternatives

Citation

Yang, J. , Cleary, T. , Vazquez, I. , Boyer, C. , King, M. , Breuel, B. , Womeldorf, C. , Grosshandler, W. , Huber, M. , Weber, L. and Gmurczyk, G. (1995), Optimization of System Discharge (NIST SP 890), Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=911554 (Accessed April 26, 2024)