Cargo Compartment Minimum Performance Standards

for Gaseous Total Flood Agents

FAA Technical Center

Fire Safety Section, AAR-422

John Reinhardt

Website: www.fire.tc.faa.gov

Final report documenting the MPS and the results of Halon 1301 testing on the four required fire scenarios is in final review within the FAA and will be published shortly.

Cargo Compartment = 2000 ft3

Leak Rate = 50 CFM

Fire Load = 178 card board boxes (30% of Vol.) containing 2.5 lbs of shredded paper

Instrumentation = Type K Thermocouple, Gas Analyzer

Ignition = Nichrome wire wrapped around folded paper towels

System Activation = 1 min. after one of the ceiling T/C reaches 200 oF

Test Duration = Five tests @ 30 minutes each.

Bulk Load Scenario

Cargo Compartment = 2000 ft3

Leak Rate = 50 CFM

Fire Load = 33 card board boxes inside an LD3. Three LD3 in Cargo

Instrumentation = Type K Thermocouple,

Gas Analyzer

Ignition = Nichrome wire wrapped around folded paper towels

System Activation = 1 min. after one of the ceiling T/C reaches 200 oF

Test Duration = Five tests @ 30 minutes each.

Containerized Load Fire Scenario

Cargo Compartment = 2000 ft3

Leak Rate = 50 CFM

Fire Load = 0.5 U.S. Gallon of Jet A fuel (with 13 oz of gasoline)

Instrumentation = Type K Thermocouple, Gas Analyzer

Ignition = Arc created by sparking electrodes

System Activation = 1 min. after one of the ceiling T/C reaches 200o F.

Test Duration = 5 minutes

Surface Burning Fire Scenario

Cargo Compartment = 2000 ft3

Leak Rate = 50 CFM

Fire Load = 0.2 lb. Propane, 0.6 lb. ofDenatured Alcohol, 0.2 lb of water

Instrumentation = Type K Thermocouple, Gas Analyzer

Ignition = Arc created by sparking electrodes

Simulator Activation = When the agent, at 2 feet from the floor, is at the minimum vol. design concentration

Test Duration = 15 seconds after the activation of the simulator

Exploding Aerosol Can Fire Scenario

0

100

200

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600

700

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Time (minutes)

Te

mp

era

ture

(d

eg

ree

s F

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Max Ceiling Temperature

t1= time when

temp>200 deg F.

t2= t1 + 1 minute.

Suppression systemactivation

t3= t2 + 30 seconds

Maximum temperaturerecording starts

t4= t2 + 30 minutes

End of test

Maximum temperature

applies between t3 and t4.

Maximum time-temp area

applies between t2 and t4.

Bulk Load and Containerized Tests

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700

0 1 3 4 6 7 9 10 11 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 23 24 26 27 28 30 31 33 34 35 37

Time (mins)

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ture

(d

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s F

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Max Ceiling Temp

Max Temp Integrated over 30 Mins

Bulk Load and Containerized Tests

Maximum Ceiling Temp.

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1400

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Time (minutes)

Te

mp

era

ture

(D

eg

. F

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Maximum Ceiling Temp.

t1 = Ceiling T/C > 200 Deg. F.t2 = t1 + 60 seconds. Suppression system activation.

t3 = t2 +30 seconds. Maximum temperature monitoring starts.

t4 = t2 + 5 minutes. Test ends.

Surface Burning Fire

Surface Burning Fire

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

0.0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.0 2.4 2.8 3.3 3.7 4.1 4.5 4.9 5.3 5.8 6.2 6.5 6.9 7.3 7.8 8.2

Time (minutes)

Te

mp

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ture

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Maximum temperature integrated over 5minutes

Maximum temperature

FIRE SCENARIO MAXIMUM MAXIMUM MAXIMUM COMMENTSTEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE-TIME PRESSURE

(oF) AREA (oF-min) (psi)

Bulk Fire Load 730 11,900 N/A

Temperature limit starting 30 seconds after suppression system activation. Calculate Temp-Time area for 30 minutes starting with suppression system activation.

Containerized Fire Load

670 15,400 N/A

Temperature limit starting 30 seconds after suppression system activation. Calculate Temp-Time area for 30 minutes starting with suppression system activation.

Surface Burning Fire 1250 2800 ** N/A

Temperature limit starting 30 seconds after suppression system activation. Calculate Temp-Time area for 5 minutes starting with suppression system activation.

Exploding Aerosol Can Fire N/A N/A 0 There shall be no explosion

Acceptance Criteria for Gaseous Agents

Non-gaseous agents or systems

Bulk load, containerized load and surface burning fire scenarios are identical to the requirements for gaseous agents.

Water mist testing by FAA and FIREDASS using various systems has shown significantly lower ceiling temperatures than those achieved using Halon 1301.

Additional FAA water mist testing is planned to determine the ability of the system to prevent the rupture and ignition of actual aerosol cans.

Imposing the aerosol can scenario on a water mist system will eliminate the possibility of certifying that type of system to the MPS.

Future Activities

Complete MPS testing with 8 Yulian acoustic water mist nozzles. Conduct aerosol can testing. May 2000.

Conduct all required MPS testing using FE-25 (HFC125) agent. June 2000.

Finalize and publish MPS requirements for non-gaseous agents or systems.