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The fire blocking performance of barrier fabrics laminated to upholstery materials was investigated. The results are two-fold. The first involves information gathered directly from cone calorimetry tests conducted on foam/fabric composites to better
Research was conducted on the performance of currently available smoke alarms to the new fire and cooking nuisance source tests specified in ANSI/UL 217 Standard for Safety of Smoke Alarms, 8th Edition. The standard calls for additional room-scale fire
Som Shrestha, Lisa Ng, Steven Emmerich, Diana Hun, Laverne Dalgleish
The contribution of air leakage to heating and cooling loads has been increasing as the thermal resistance of building envelopes continues to improve. Easy-to-access data are needed to convince building owners and contractors that enhancing the
As alternatives to refrigerants with a high global warming potential, blends of two or more refrigerants are being utilized as working fluids in heat-pumping, air-conditioning, and refrigeration systems, and organic Rankine cycles. Generally, these blends
Shokouh Pourarian, Jin Wen, Daniel Veronica, Amanda Pertzborn, Xiaohui Zhou, Ran Liu
Dynamic simulation software tools are needed for the research and development of improved methods for automatic control and automated fault detection and diagnosis of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These tools must generate data
An evaluation of a variety of efficient water heating strategies for an all-electric single family home located in a mixed-humid climate is conducted using numerical modeling. The strategies considered include various combinations of solar thermal, heat
As structures are exposed to wind, stagnation planes are produced around structures. Using full-scale experiments, the authors demonstrated that firebrands may accumulate in these stagnation planes. In a subsequent full-scale study performed by the authors
Mauro Zammarano, Shonali Nazare, John R. Shields, Kathleen M. Hoffman, Rick D. Davis
A durable and flexible silicone-based backcoating (halogen and formaldehyde free) is applied to the backside of an otherwise smoldering-prone and flammable fabric. When exposed to fire, cyclic siloxanes (produced by thermal decomposition of the backcoating
A series of measurements was made to characterize the structure of a moderate-sized methanol pool fire steadily burning in a quiescent environment. Time averaged local measurements of temperature and gas species concentrations were made in a steadily
Behrang H. Hamadani, Juan P. Babaro, Kevin G. West
Spectral response measurements of germanium-based triple-junction solar cells were performed under a variety of light and voltage bias conditions. Two of the three junctions exhibited voltage and light bias dependent artifacts in their measured responses
Dustin G. Poppendieck, Edwin Guillermo, Havishk Tripathi
ASTM subcommittee D22.05 on Indoor Air is working to finalize WK40293: Standard Test Method for Estimating Chemical Emissions from Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Insulation Using Micro-Scale Environmental Test Chambers. One issue in WK40293 is determining
Dustin G. Poppendieck, Mengyan Gong, Lauren E. Lawson, Steven J. Emmerich
Many homeowners and government programs are using insulating products, such as SPF, at a growing rateto increase the energy efficiency of their residences and other constructed buildings. Retrofitting or addition of foam insulation in new construction is
Dustin G. Poppendieck, Mengyan Gong, Edwin Guillermo
ASTM subcommittee D22.05 is developing a standard method to characterize vapor phase emissions from Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) using micro-chamber systems. This study aims to examine whether chemical emission rates from SPF using three different size
Dustin G. Poppendieck, Andrew K. Persily, Steven J. Nabinger
This report summarizes NIST activities under the FY2013 interagency agreement between the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The objective of that agreement is to develop testing and
Dustin Poppendieck, Mengyan Gong, Lauren E. Lawson
Both governmental agencies and the SPF industry consortium have sought more information on potential chemical emissions from SPF to better understand any potential occupant exposures and health impacts. This research was designed to contribute to the
Homeowners and builders have increasingly strived to build low energy homes. As building materials, equipment, and methods have improved and renewable energy systems have become commonplace, the goal of net-zero energy homes has become technologically
Dustin G. Poppendieck, Shahana S. Khurshid, Steven J. Emmerich
Upon the request of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a comprehensive literature review was conducted to gather and analyze existing research related to airborne emissions from non-smoldering cigarette butts. Based on the results from the literature
This Technical Note develops a method for identifying residential fire incidents, reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), with missing information regarding the item first ignited (IFI) or item most contributing to flame spread
Steven J. Emmerich, Brian J. Polidoro, William S. Dols
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and others are concerned about the hazard of acute carbon monoxide (CO) exposures from portable gasoline powered generators that can result in death or serious adverse health effects in exposed individuals
Lisa C. Ng, William S. Dols, Dustin G. Poppendieck, Steven J. Emmerich
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) constructed the Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF) to support the development and adoption of cost-effective NZE designs and technologies. Among the key objectives of the facility
Gregory T. Linteris, Fumiaki Takahashi, Viswanath R. Katta, Valeri I. Babushok
Computations of cup-burner flames in normal gravity have been performed to reveal the combustion inhibition and enhancement by the CF3Br (halon 1301) and potential alternative fire-extinguishing agents (C2HF5, C2HF3Cl2, and C3H2F3Br). The time-dependent