W.J. Parker, B.T. Lee

A 0.76 by 0.76 m (30 by 30 inch) enclosure with a 0.61 m (24 inch) high ceiling was used to model some fires in a 3 x 3 x 2.4 m (10 x 10 x 8 ft) burnout room. Temperatures, oxygen concentrations, air velocity, and conductive and radiative heat fluxes were measured. The highest average air temperature in the upper part of the room was taken as a measure of the fire buildup potential of the room. Upper air temperatures attained in the model were similar in most cases to those in the fullscale compartment. From energy balance considerations this air temperature was related ,to the oxygen depletion in the room and was shown to correlate well with the oxygen content of the combustion gas and air exhausting from the model and full-scale room fires.

R.J. Mannheimer

A dilute solution of polymeric animist additive is found to offer unusually high insistence to now through metal filters. This apparent anomaly is not due to filter plugging or polymer adsorption but may be explained in terms of an elongational viscosity that cannot be observed in ordinary isometric flow. Measurements in different size filters indicate a slightly higher resistance with finer pore sizes, however, end effects were not significant. Preliminary results indicate that this anomalous resistance may be related to antirnisting effectiveness.

NBS center For Fire Research Program

This method of test describes a procedure for measuring the critical radiant flux of horizontally mounted floor covering systems exposed to a flaming ignition source in a graded radiant heat energy environment, in test chamber.

R. Fiala, K. Dussa, D. Winterfeld

It is known, that reticulated foams can inhibit flames, which develop inside fuel tanks. The application of such foams in aircraft tanks necessitates a compromise to be made between best flame suppression properties and lowest additional weight of the foam structure. Also technological questions, like mechanical behavior during refueling, have to be considered.

Investigations have been carried out at DFVLR, Porz-Wahn, in which the flame suppression properties of polyurethane foams which varying cell size have been studied by means of a flame tube and an explosion vessel. Results on the thickness of the foam layer necessary for flame quenching will be given, depending on pore size, fuel-air ration and on pressure. The behavior of reticulated foam during explosion in a closed vessel will be discussed, as well as its mechanical behavior. Conclusions with report to the application of foam structures in tanks will be drawn.

The third national flame retarding conference.