Constantine Sarkos

This project is a part of a general effort by the FAA to increase passenger survivability following a post-crash fire. More specifically, Part 1 of this project will determine the protection provided to passengers in a compartmented aircraft cabin from the fire hazard emanating from that part of the cabin involved in the fire. These hazards include smoke, toxic gases, high temperatures and the unpredictable flash-fire, which results from the ignition of combustible gases accumulating near the ceiling and which can severely endanger the life of passengers in safe in terms of human availability (Report No FAA-ADS-44). The effect of the following factors on the degree of protection provided by compartmentation will be studied; partition geometry, curtain length, curtain opening and simulated draft air velocities.

Matthew Radnofsky

Presented at the Aviation Seminar held in conjunction withy the 75th Annual Meeting of the National Fire Protection Association, San Francisco.

Samuel V. Zinn, Jr.

A literature search was conducted to investigate the extent of experimental work and studies that were performed for determining and evaluating safety parameters of jet fuels in aircraft tanks when using nitrogen as an inerting agent. The search revealed that extensive laboratory studies have been made during the past 30 years and that safety zones can be predicted over a wide range of conditions and environments. Except for some very early full-scale tests using aircraft fuel tanks by the Royal Aircraft Establishment, all the studies were made using laboratory equipment.

As a conclusion from this search, it is considered that an oxygen content up to 9 percent in the effluent obtained by nitrogen inerting will produce an incombustible environment.

Charles Perry

Presented at the Aviation Seminar held in conjunction with the 75th Annual Meeting of the National Fire Protection Association, San Francisco, Calif., May 1971.

Kenneth Small

Description of procedure