Federal AviationAdministrationEvolution of FAA
Fire Safety R&D Over the Years
Gus SarkosManager, Fire Safety TeamFAA Wm. J. Hughes Technical CenterAtlantic City International Airport, NJ 08405
The Fifth Triennial Fire & Cabin Safety Research ConferenceTropicana Casino ResortAtlantic City, NJOctober 29 – November 1, 2007
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Evolution of FAA Fire Safety R&D Over the YearsThe Fifth Triennial Fire & Cabin Safety Research Conference
1940’s and 1950’s
• Piston Engine Powerplant Fires Greatest Concern
• Simulated Flight Piston Engine Fire Tests• Powerplant Component Fire Tests• Extinguishing Systems• Fire Detectors• Lightning/Fuel Vent Systems• Simulated Flight Turbine-Engine Fire Tests
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1960’sAccident Drivers
• DC8, Denver, 7/61• 707, Rome, 11/64• 727, Salt Lake City, 11/65• Viscount, Parrotsville, 7/64
R&D• First Cabin Material
Flammability Tests (Vertical Bunsen Burner, ASTM-162)
• Development of NBS Smoke Chamber
• Unusual Fire Hazards of Urethane Foam Cushions
• Full-Scale Postcrash Fire Survivability and Fire Fighting Tests
• Gelled Fuel
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Salt Lake City Accident
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In-Situ Cabin Fire Tests in DC7 Fuselage (ca. 1964)
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Post-Crash Fire-Fighting Studies on Transport Category Aircraft (ca 1965)
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1970’sAccident Drivers
• DC8, Anchorage, 11/70• 737, Chicago, 12/72• DC9, Chicago, 12/72• 707, Paris, 7/73• 747/747, Tenerife, 3/77• DC10, Los Angeles, 3/78
R&D• Toxicity of Burning Materials
– Gas Analysis (NAFEC)– Rodent Exposure (CAMI)
• Combined Hazard Index Concept
• Full-Scale Test Effectiveness of Halon 1301 and Compartmentation in a Postcrash Fire
• Full-Scale/Modeling PostcrashFire Cabin Hazard Characterization Tests
• Fuel Tank Inerting (Cryogenic Nitrogen)
• Evacuation Slide Heat Resistance
• Anti-Misting Kerosene
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Varig 707Paris, France; July 11, 1973
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Continental DC-10Los Angeles, California; March 1, 1978
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NAFEC Combustion Tube Furnace
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Toxic Gas Emission Characteristics
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CAMI Rotating Wheel
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Correlation of Animal Response with Yield of HCN Measured by the Combustion Tube
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Physical Modeling of Postcrash Fuel Fire,Fuselage Door Opening and Wind Effects
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Full-Scale Anti-Misting KeroseneCatapult Test
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Full-Scale Test Exposure of Evacuation Slides to a Postcrash Fuel Fire
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Radiant Heat Testing of Evacuation Slides, Ramps and Rafts
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1980’sAccident Drivers
• L-1011, Riyadh, 8/80• DC9, Cincinnati, 6/83• 747 Combi, Indian Ocean, 11/87• 737, Manchester, 8/85• 727, Dallas, 8/88• DC10, Malaga, 9/82• 747, Seoul, 11/80
R&D• Seat Cushion Fire Blocking Layers• Heat Release Rate (OSU) Test
Method for Large Surface Area Cabin Materials
• Electrical Wiring Arc Tracking• Cargo Liner Burnthrough
Resistance• Aircraft Material Fire Test
Handbook• Seat Gasoline Fire Extinguishment
(Halon 1211 Hand-Held Extinguisher)
• Floor Proximity Lighting• Passenger Smoke Hoods
(Reexamined)• Cabin Water Spray• In-Flight Smoke Venting
Note: Full-Scale Fire Test Facility became Operational in 1980
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Saudia L-1011Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; August 19, 1980
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Air Canada DC-9Cincinnati, Ohio; June 2, 1983
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Manchester Accident
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Full-Scale Fire Test FacilityFuselage Test Articles
Postcrash Fire Test
Control Room
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Wide Body Cabin Hazard Histories (C-133)
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Effectiveness of Fire-Blocked SeatsDuring Full-Scale Fire Tests
Unblocked @ 120 Seconds Blocked @ 120 Seconds
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Seat Fire Blocking Layer Benefits
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C-133 Correlation Test Results
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Effect of Composite Panel Design on FractionalEffective Dose and OSU Heat Release
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Heat Release Rate Testfor Cabin Materials
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Cabin Water Spray Results (707)External Fuel Fire/Fuselage Opening/Wind
Red = Standard & Green = Waterspray
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Improved Survival Gained by Zoned Water Spray
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1990’sAccident Drivers
• DC9, Everglades, 5/96• 747, New York, 7/96• MD11, Nova Scotia, 9/98• DC9, Detroit, 12/90• 737, Los Angeles, 2/91• 737, Manilla, 5/90
R&D• Halon Replacement• Exploding Aerosol Cans• Fuel Tank Flammability• Ground Based Inerting Cost
Analysis• Thermal Acoustic Insulation
– Radiant Panel Test (In-Flight Fire Ignition Resistance)
– Oil Burner Test (Postcrash Fire Burnthrough Resistance)
• Flight Data Recorders Fire Resistance
• Aircraft Command in Emergency Situations (ACES)
• Fire Research Program (Ultra-Fire Resistant Materials)
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Trans World AirlinesBoeing B747-131; July 17, 1996
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Swiss Air MD-11Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia; September 2, 1998
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Cargo Compartments
Hand Held Extinguishers
Engine Nacelles
Lavatory Trash Receptacles
Current Usage of Halon 1301/1211
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Large-Scale Test Configuration for Measuring Flammability of Insulation Blankets
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Temperature Profiles of Various Film MaterialsIntermediate Scale Testing
Relative Energy Release Rate4" x 4" x 9" Urethane Foam Block
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480
Time (seconds)
Tem
pera
ture
(oF)
mPET ERRPET3 ERRPET00 ERRPET1 ERRFL POL ave ERRPVF1-O ERRPI-O ERRBaseline ERR
(4" x 4" x 18" Urethane Foam Block)
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Schematic of Radiant Panel Test Apparatus
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Full-Scale Burnthrough Test RigPositioned in Aft B707 Fuselage
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Temperature Comparison of Current and Alternative Materials
Temperature Comparison
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400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
0 60 120 180 240 300 360
Time (Seconds)
Tem
pera
ture
(oF)
insulation facing
cabin ceiling
Fiberglass Insulation
OPF Insulation
insulation facing
cabin ceiling
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Burnthrough Test Apparatus
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2000’sAccident Drivers
• 737, Bangkok, 3/01• 727, Bangalore, 5/06• MD82, Dalian, 5/02• A340, Toronto, 8/05• 737, Okinawa, 8/07• MD82, Phuket Island, 9/07
R&D• Insulation Advisory Circulars
– Radiant Panel– Burnthrough
• Metallized Mylar Insulation/Electrical Arcs
• NextGen Burner (Burnthrough)• On-Board Inert Gas Generation
System (OBIGGS)• Limiting Oxygen Concentration
(LOC)• Lithium Battery Fire Hazards• Fire Research Program
– Microscale Combustion Chamber– Ultra-Fire Resistant Polymers
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A340 AccidentToronto, Canada; August 2, 2005
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China Airlines 737-800Okinawa; August 20, 2007
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Evolution of FAA Fire Safety R&D Over the YearsThe Fifth Triennial Fire & Cabin Safety Research Conference
Schematic of On-Board Inert GasGeneration System (OBIGGS)
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OBIGGS Installed in 747
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OBIGGS Installed in 320
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A320 Oxygen Data
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Time (min)
[O2]
(% v
ol)
0
5
10
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20
25
30
35
40
45
Alti
tude
(kft)
O2 Sample 1 (%)O2 Sample 2 (%)O2 Sample 3 (%)O2 Sample 4 (%)O2 Sample 5 (%)O2 Sample 6 (%)O2 Sample 7 (%)O2 Sample 8 (%)Alt (kft)
Single Membrane Test
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Minimum/Maximum Values forIgnition/Non-Ignition
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ASTM Standard Issued for FAA Licensed Flammability TesterApril 1, 2007
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1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Horizontal Bunsen Burner
Vertical Bunsen Burner
60° Bunsen Burner (wiring)
Oil Burner (seat cushions)
HRR/SmokeOil Burner (cargo liners)
2020
Radiant Panel (insulation)
Oil Burner (insulation)
Fireproof Cabin
History of Aircraft Material Flammability Tests
Calendar Year
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PP PEPS
PET
ABSPMMA
Epoxy
POM
NYLON 66
PCPPO
PUPAR
PPSU
PPSPES
PEI LCP's
PAI
PEK
PEEK
0.1 1 10 100Materials Cost* ($/lb)
Phenolic
KAPTON
1000
10
100PVF
HeatHeatResistantResistantPlasticsPlastics
PSURigid PVC
Commodity Commodity PlasticsPlastics
*Truckload Prices, 2001
Engineering Engineering PlasticsPlastics
Flam
mab
ility
(ηc)
, J/g
-K
Fire Performance Versus Price of Plastics
Pass14 CFR
Part 25 HRRBHDB (non halogen)
BPC (halogen)
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Pyrolysis
Sample
ResidualO2
Analysis
O2
N2
Combustion
Flaming Combustion
MicroscaleCombustionCalorimeter
Microscale Combustion Calorimetry Reproduces Elements of Flaming Combustion in Non-flaming Laboratory Test
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Microscale Combustion Calorimeter (MCC)
Combustor
Pyrolyzer
Mixing Section
Sample Cup
ScrubberFlow MeterO2 Sensor
Exhaust
Purge Gas Inlet
Sample Post & Thermocouple
Oxygen Inlet
Q(t) =ρO2
Cm0
F ΔO2[ ](t)
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Evolution of FAA Fire Safety R&D Over the YearsThe Fifth Triennial Fire & Cabin Safety Research Conference
Future Aircraft Fire Safety R&D• In-Flight Fire Safety• Structural Composite Flammability and Fire
Safety• Lithium Batteries and Fuel Cells• Halon Replacement (Cargo Compartment
and Engine)• Fuel Tank Safety• Oxygen System Safety• Fire Research
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Ingredients for Success• International Cooperation and Exchance of
Information– Materials Working Group (45 Meetings since 6/91)– Systems Working Group (35 Meetings since 10/93)– Cabin Safety Research Technical Working Group– 5th Triennial International Conference
• Fire Test Facilities and Personnel at Technical Center