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COMPOSITE MATERIAL FIRE FIGHTING RESEARCH

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Title: COMPOSITE MATERIAL FIRE FIGHTING RESEARCH


1
COMPOSITE MATERIAL FIRE FIGHTING RESEARCH
  • ARFF Working Group
  • October 8, 2010
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Presented by
  • Keith Bagot
  • Airport Safety Specialist
  • Airport Safety Technology RD Section
  • John Hode
  • ARFF Research Specialist
  • SRA International, Inc.

2
Presentation Outline
  • FAA Research Program Overview
  • Composite Aircraft Skin Penetration Testing
  • Composite Material Cutting Apparatus
  • Development of Composite Material Live Fire Test
    Protocol

3
FAA Research Program Overview
FAA HQ, Washington, DC
Tyndall AFB, Panama City, FL
FAA Technical Center, Atlantic City, NJ
4
FAA Research Program Overview
5
FAA Research Program Overview
  • Program Breakdown
  • ARFF Technologies
  • Operation of New Large Aircraft (NLA)
  • Advanced Composite Material Fire Fighting

6
FAA Research Program Overview
  • Past Projects
  • High Reach Extendable Turrets
  • Aircraft Skin Penetrating Devices
  • High Flow Multi-Position Bumper Turrets
  • ARFF Vehicle Suspension Enhancements
  • Drivers Enhanced Vision Systems
  • Small Airport Fire Fighting Systems
  • Halon Replacement Agent Evaluations

7
Advanced Composite Material Fire Fighting
  • Expanded Use of Composites
  • Increased use of composites in commercial
    aviation has been well established
  • 12 in the B-777 (Maiden flight 1994)
  • 25 in the A380 (Maiden flight 2005)
  • 50 in both B-787 A350 (Scheduled)
  • A380, B-787 A350 are the first to use
    composites in pressurized fuselage skin

8
Advanced Composite Material Fire Fighting
  • Research Areas
  • Identify effective extinguishing agents.
  • Identify effective extinguishing methods.
  • Determine quantities of agent required.
  • Identify hazards associated airborne composite
    fibers.

9
Composite Aircraft Skin Penetration Testing
10
Composite Aircraft Skin Penetration Testing
  • 3 Types of Piercing Technologies

11
Composite Aircraft Skin Penetration Testing
  • Objectives
  • Provide guidance to ARFF departments to deal with
    the advanced materials used on next generation
    aircraft.
  • Determine the force needed to penetrate fuselage
    sections comprised of composites and compare to
    that of aluminum skins.
  • If required forces are greater, will that
    additional force have a detrimental effect on
    ARFF equipment.
  • Determine range of offset angles that will be
    possible when penetrating composites and compare
    to that of aluminum skins.

12
Composite Aircraft Skin Penetration Testing
  • Phase 1 Small-Scale Laboratory Characterization
    of Material Penetration for Aluminum, GLARE and
    CRFP (Drexel University)
  • Phase 2 Full-Scale Test using the Penetration
    Aircraft Skin Trainer (PAST) Device (FAA-TC)
  • Phase 3 Full-Scale Test Using NLA Mock-Up Fire
    Test Facility (Tyndall Air Force Base)

13
Composite Aircraft Skin Penetration Testing
  • Test Matrix Developed
  • Three Materials
  • Aluminum (Baseline)
  • GLARE
  • CFRP
  • Three Thickness
  • Three Loading Rates
  • Two Angles of Penetration
  • Three Repetitions

14
Composite Aircraft Skin Penetration Testing
15
Composite Aircraft Skin Penetration Testing
16
Composite Aircraft Skin Penetration Testing
17
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18
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19
ASPN Penetration/Retraction Process
Material deformation tip region penetration
Conical region penetration
Cylindrical region penetration
Retraction
20
ASPN Penetration and Retraction Forces
NP
PP
PR
NR
Constant force is required to perforate aluminum
panels after initial penetration Increasing force
is required to perforate CFRP and GLARE panels
after initial penetration
21
Maximum Plate Penetration (PP) and Plate
Retraction (PR ) Loads at 0.001 and 0.1 in/s
  • For Aluminum panels Retraction load is higher
    than penetration load, caused by petals gripping
    the panel upon retraction (due to elastic
    recovery)
  • For GLARE and CFRP panels Penetration load is
    higher than retraction load - petals remain
    deformed (due to local damage of composite plies)

22
Maximum Nozzle Penetration (NP) and Nozzle
Retraction (NR ) Loads at 0.001 and 0.1 in/s
  • For Aluminum panels Retraction load is higher
    than penetration load, caused by petals gripping
    the panel upon retraction (due to elastic
    recovery)
  • For GLARE and CFRP panels Penetration load is
    higher than retraction load - petals remain
    deformed (due to local damage of composite plies)

23
Petals Formation
GLARE (Normal Penetration)
Aluminum (Normal Penetration)
CRF (Normal Penetration)
Aluminum (Oblique Penetration)
24
Composite Material Cutting Apparatus
25
Composite Material Cutting Apparatus
  • Purpose
  • Increased use of composite materials on aircraft
  • Limited data available on cutting performance of
    current fire fighting tools on composite
    materials
  • Aim to establish a reproducible and scientific
    test method for assessing the effectiveness of
    fire service rescue saws and blades on aircraft
    skin materials

26
Composite Material Cutting Apparatus


  • Objectives
  • Create an objective test method by eliminating
    the human aspect of testing
  • Design a test apparatus that facilitates testing
    of 4X2 panels of aluminum, GLARE, and CFRP
  • Measure
  • Blade Wear
  • Blade Temperature
  • Blade Speed
  • Plunge Force
  • Axial Cut Force
  • Cut Speed
  • Utilize computer software and data acquisition
    devices to monitor and log data in real time

27
Composite Material Cutting Apparatus
Design Progression
28
Composite Material Cutting Apparatus
29
Composite Material Cutting Apparatus
30
Composite Material Cutting Apparatus
31
Composite Material Cutting Apparatus
32
Development of a Composite Material Fire Test
Protocol
33
Development of a Composite Material Fire Test
Protocol
What we knew before this testing
ALUMINUM CARBON/EPOXY GLARE
Norm for ARFF Unfamiliar to ARFF Unfamiliar to ARFF
Melts at 660C (1220F) Resin ignites at 400C (752F) Outer AL melts, glass layers char
Burn-through in 60 seconds Resists burn-through more than 5 minutes Resists burn-through over 5 minutes
Readily dissipates heat Holds heat May hold heat
Current Aircraft B787 A350 2 Sections of A380 skin
34
FedEx DC10-10F, Memphis, TN 18 December
2003 Aluminum skinned cargo flight
Traditionally, the focus is on extinguishing the
external fuel fire, not the fuselage.
35
Representative IncidentAir China at Japan Naha
Airport, August 19, 2007
4 minutes total video 3 minutes tail
collapses ARFF arrives just after tail collapse
36
Development of a Composite Material Fire Test
Protocol
  • External Fire Control Defined
  • Extinguishment of the body of external fire
  • Our question Will the composite skin continue to
    burn after the pool fire is extinguished, thereby
    requiring the fire service to need more
    extinguishing agent in the initial attack?
  • Cooling of the composite skin to below 300F
  • Our question How fast does the composite skin
    cool on its own and how much water and foam is
    needed to cool it faster?
  • 300F is recommended in the IFSTA ARFF textbook
    and by Air Force T.O. 00-105E-9. (Same report
    used in both)
  • Aircraft fuels all have auto ignition
    temperatures above 410F. This allows for some
    level of a safety factor.

37
Creation of a Test Method
  • First objective
  • Determine if self-sustained combustion or
    smoldering will occur.
  • Determine the time to naturally cool below 300F
    (150C)
  • Second objective
  • Determine how much fire agent is needed to
    extinguish visible fire and cool the material
    sufficiently to prevent re-ignition.
  • Exposure times of Initial tests
  • 10, 5, 3, 2, 1 minutes
  • FAR Part 139 requires first due ARFF to arrive in
    3 minutes.
  • Actual response times can be longer or shorter.

38
Initial Test Set-up
Color Video
FLIR
Color Video at 45 Front view
39
Initial Test Set-up
40
Test 10 Video
41
Initial Results
  • Longer exposure times inflicted heavy damage on
    the panels.
  • Longer exposures burned out much of the resin.
  • Backside has hard crunchy feel.
  • Edges however, seem to have most of the resin
    intact. Edge area matched 1 inch overlap of
    Kaowool.

Test 6, 10 minute exposure
Edge View
Front (fire side)
Back (non-fire side)
42
Panel Temperatures
43
Other Test Configurations
  • Tests 22 and 23
  • The panel was cut into 4 pieces and stacked with
    ¾ inch (76.2mm) spaces between.
  • Thermocouples placed on top surface of each
    layer.
  • Exposure time 1 minute.

44
Other Test Configurations cont.
  • This configuration not representative of an
    intact fuselage as in the China Air fire.
  • Measured temperatures in the vicinity of 1750F
    (962C).
  • Wind (in Test 22) caused smoldering to last 52
    seconds longer.

45
Initial Findings
  1. Post-exposure flaming reduces quickly without
    heat source
  2. Off-gassing causes pressurization inside the
    panel causing swelling
  3. Internal off-gassing can suddenly and rapidly
    escape
  4. Off-gas/smoke is flammable
  5. Longer exposures burn away more resin binder
  1. Smoldering can occur
  2. Smoldering areas are hot enough to cause
    re-ignition
  3. Smoldering temperatures can be near that of fuel
    fires
  4. Presence of smoke requires additional cooling
  5. Insulated areas cooled much more slowly than
    uninsulated areas

46
Further Development of Fire Test Protocol
  • Data from first series of tests was used to
    further modify the protocol development.
  • For example, larger panels and different heat
    sources were utilized in this round of
    development.
  • Larger test panels will be needed for the agent
    application portion of the protocol.
  • Lab scale testing conducted to identify burn
    characteristics.
  • Testing was conducted by Hughes Associates Inc.
    (HAI).

47
Further Development of Fire Test Protocol
  • Lab scale tests
  • ASTM E1354 Cone Calorimeter
  • Data to support exterior fuselage flame
    propagation/spread modeling
  • ASTM E1321 Lateral Flame Spread Testing (Lateral
    flame spread)
  • Thermal Decomposition Apparatus (TDA)
  • Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
  • Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
  • Pyrolysis Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectroscopy
    (PY-GC/MS)

48
Further Development of Fire Test Protocol
  • Secondary test configuration (agent application
    to be tested at this scale)
  • Three different heat sources evaluated
  • Propane fired area burner (2 sizes)
  • Propane torch
  • Radiant heater
  • Sample panels are 4 feet wide by 6 feet tall
  • Protection added to test rig to avoid edge
    effects.
  • A representative backside insulation was used in
    several tests.

49
Further Development of Fire Test Protocol
  • 12 total tests conducted
  • 9 with OSB
  • 1 uninsulated
  • 8 insulated
  • 3 with CFRP
  • 1 uninsulated
  • 2 insulated

50
OSB Exposed to Large Area Burnerwith Insulation
Backing
Large Area Burner On
Burner Off 30 seconds
Burner Off 0 seconds
Burner Off 100 seconds
Burner Off 60 seconds
51
CFRP Exposed to Torch Burner with Insulation
Backing
Torch Ignition
1 minute after ignition
1.5 minutes after ignition
15 seconds after torches out
4 minutes after ignition Torches Out
2.5 minutes after ignition
52
Findings
  • Ignition occurred quickly into exposure
  • Vertical/Lateral flame spread only occurred
    during exposure
  • Post-exposure flaming reduced quickly without
    heat source
  • Jets of internal off-gassing escaped near heat
    source from the backside
  • Generally, results are consistent with small
    scale data

53
Test Conclusions
  • OSB vs. CFRP
  • Both materials burn and spread flame when exposed
    to large fire
  • Heat release rates and ignition times similar
  • The thicker OSB contributed to longer burning
  • Large Scale Implications
  • OSB can be used as a surrogate for CFRP in
    preliminary large scale tests
  • Flaming and combustion does not appear to
    continue after exposure is removed
  • Since there was no or very little post exposure
    combustion, no suppression tests performed as
    planned
  • Minimal agent for suppression of intact aircraft?

54
Qualifiers to Results
  • Need to check GLARE
  • No significant surface burning differences
    anticipated ( may be better than CFRP)
  • Verify /check CFRP for thicker areas (longer
    potential burning duration)
  • Evaluate edges/separations
  • Wing control surfaces
  • Engine nacelle
  • Stiffeners
  • Post crash debris scenario
  • Can a well established fire develop in a
    post-crash environment?

EXAMPLE COMPLEX GEOMETRY FIRE TEST SETUP FOR CFRP
FLAMMABILITY EVALUATION.
55
Summary
  • Carbon fiber composite has not shown flame spread
    and quickly self-extinguish in the absence of an
    exposing fire.
  • Carbon fiber can achieve very high temperatures
    depending on configuration through radiation.
  • Initial lab tests and fire tests show similar
    results and are consistent.
  • Smoke should be used as an indicator of hot spots
    that must be further cooled.
  • OSB can be used for large scale testing to
    establish parameters to save very expensive
    carbon fiber for data collection.

56
Questions or Comments?
  • FAA Technical Center
  • Airport Technology RD Team
  • AJP-6311, Building 296
  • Atlantic City International Airport, NJ 08405
  • Keith.Bagot_at_faa.gov 609-485-6383
  • John_Hode_at_sra.com 609-601-6800 x207
  • www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov
  • www.faa.gov/airports/airport_safety/aircraft_rescu
    e_fire_fighting/index.cfm
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