Hidden fire program

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Hidden fire program Evaluation of materials
located in inaccessible areas with the radiant
panel

• LISBONNE 15-18 November

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HIDDEN FIRE PROGRAM
CONTENTS

• BACKGROUND
• HIDDEN AREAS
• TEST CONDITIONS
• MATERIALS IN HIDDEN AREA
• TESTS ON WIRESCABLE TIES
• TESTS ON COMBINATION OF MATERIALS
• CONCLUSION
• FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

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background
Accident insulation blankets involved
Investigation new regulations for insulation
blankets July 2003
The FAA new objective new test requirements
for materials in inacessible areas other than
thermal and acoustical insulation
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background
European contribution

• The DGAC has proposed a working program
• which involves CEAT, Airbus and materials
  suppliers.
• The objective of this research is twofold
• To identify the materials and combination of
  materials which have to be assessed,
• To conduct some representative test in order to
  check their possible contribution to fire
  propagation.

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HIDDEN FIRE PROGRAM
Hidden area
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Hidden area
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Test conditions
FIRST STEP

• Radiant panel standard conditions
• Burner pilote applied 15 seconds
• Flux 1,7 W/cm²

combination of materials
The aim evaluate these materials and
combinations of materials according to the new
standards defined in the part VI of the appendix
F of the FAR25
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Test on wires
Test results are not repeatable  after removing
the pilot burner the cable ties melt with an
after flame in some cases
.
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Test on wires
30 bundled wires 5 cable ties separated every
1 cm and located on the insulation blanket
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Test on wires
During the test, pilot burner removed
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Test on wires

• 3 tests carried out
• film melted
• cable ties melted and flames remained after
  removing the pilot burner
• test results
• test 1 after flame time 6 minutes 53 secondes
• test 2 after flame time 4 minutes 32 secondes
• test 3 after flame time 6 minutes 35 secondes

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AIR DUCTING INSULATION AIR DUCTING
SAMPLES
Test on Combination of materials
1-laminated Hypalon polyimide
foam insulation blanket
Test results No flame propagation - No after
flame
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Test on Combination of materials
SAMPLES
insulation blanket wires and cable ties
Test results No flame propagation - after flame
144 seconds
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Test on Combination of materials
1-laminated Hypalon polyimide
foam insulation blanket bundled wirescable ties
2-PEI Hypalon polyimide foam insulation
blanket bundled wirescable ties
Test results No flame propagation - No after
flame
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Test on Combination of materials
Wires PEEK bracket standard insulation blanket
Test results No flame propagation - after flame
4 seconds
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Test on Combination of materials
Polyamide bracket Bundled wires cable tie At
1,5cm
Polyamide bracket Bundled wires
Test results No flame propagation - after flame
153 seconds and 253 seconds
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Test on Combination of materials

• Test Result
• No flame propagation.
• The damages caused by
• the flame remained locally
• around the cable tie and
• the orange cable bracket

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Conclusion
Tests on wires
A large scattering appeared in the test
results. As soon as the sample was placed under
the radiant panel the cable ties melted and
after removing the burner from the wires, we
observed an after flame in two cases of more than
1 minute.
In the case of cable ties at a distance of 1 cm,
the PVF film melted, the cable ties melted also.
After removing the pilot burner, a flame remained
and spread to the second clamp, then the third.
The cable ties pitch seems to be in certain cases
a factor of risk in flame propagation. However,
all the series of tests carried out with the
radiant panel show that the wires themselves
fitted on airplanes contribute neither in after
flame nor in flame propagation.
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Conclusion
Tests on combination of materials
we can observe that the flame remained locally
around the cable ties but did not propagate onto
the insulation blanket. In the case of
development of after flame due to the polyamide
brackets, the position or distance between two
cable ties, could be a factor of risk. All the
combinations tested did not show any flame
propagation
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Conclusion

• The scenario which involved cable ties, bundled
  wires and insulation
• is a good example of what we can do with the
  radiant panel.
• Minimum distance criteria between two cable ties
  may be established
• when this type of material is fitted in hidden
  areas on planes.

• The flame only involved the cable ties but did
  not lead
• to ignition of the materials located nearby

Further developments
Following step

• Pre-heating the samples
• Igniting the samples with arcing instead of a
  pilot burner
• carry out tests on materials/equipment located
  in the cheek area