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Transient Agent, Recirculating Pool Fire (TARPF) Suppression Screen (NISTIR 6242)
Published
Author(s)
William L. Grosshandler, Anthony P. Hamins, Kevin B. McGrattan, Cary Presser
Abstract
The amount of a gaseous agent required to extinguish fires in full-scale engine nacelle tests varies greatly with the geometry of the fixture and the manner in which the flame is stabilized. It has been observed that if the test is designed to allow fuel to collect behind obstacles in the vicinity of a hot surface, a significantly higher mass of agent is necessary for sustained suppression. The superior performance of chemically acting agents such as CF3Br and CF3I relative to a hydrofluorocarbon alternative like HFC-125 is also accentuated in some of these tests. Full-Scale testing carried out by the Navy using two different fixtures, each meant to simulate fires in the F/A-18 engine nacelle, has led to different conclusions regarding the amount and relative performance of both HFC-125 and solid propellant gas generator (SPGG) fire suppression.
Grosshandler, W.
, Hamins, A.
, McGrattan, K.
and Presser, C.
(1998),
Transient Agent, Recirculating Pool Fire (TARPF) Suppression Screen (NISTIR 6242), NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.6242
(Accessed October 2, 2025)