Developments Needed to Expand the Role of Fire Modeling in Material Fire Hazard Assessment.
Developments Needed to Expand the Role of Fire Modeling
in Material Fire Hazard Assessment.
(663 K)
Fowell, A. J.
DOT/FAA/CT-93/3; DOT/FAA/93/3;
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). International
Conference for the Promotion of Advanced Fire Resistant
Aircraft Interior Materials. February 9-11, 1993,
Atlantic City, NJ, 255-262 pp, 1993.
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Keywords:
aircraft interiors; fire resistant materials; test
methods; fire safety; fire hazard; hazard assessment;
fire models; validation; databases
Abstract:
To assess the fire hazards associated with aircraft
interior materials, prediction of how the materials
perform under different fire scenarios is needed. This
requires information on a variety of fire
characteristics including thermal inertia, ease of
ignition, rate of heat release, flame spread, products
of combustion and the response to suppressants. Exposure
conditions such as location, orientation, ventilation
and proximity to other materials can influence some of
those characteristics. Pass/fail test methods of the
past cannot provide the information to assure fire
safety under a variety of circumstances. Fire modeling
in combination with new bench scale material
flammability test methods can meet the need. National
and international developments in model validation,
documentation and acceptance are presented. The
transition to aircraft cabin fire hazard assessment
using fire models requires a data base on material fire
properties. The case is made for greater use of
improved bench scale test methods which can provide data
suitable for use in the fire models.
