Contributions of Microgravity Test Results to the Design of Spacecraft Fire Safety SystemsExperiments conducted in spacecraft and drop towers show that thin-sheet materials have reduced flammability ranges and flame-spread rates under quiescent low-gravity environments (microgravity) as compared to normal gravity. Furthermore, low-gravity flames may be suppressed more easily by atmospheric dilution or decreasing atmospheric total pressure than their normal-gravity counterparts. The addition of a ventilating air flow to the low-gravity flame zone, however, can greatly enhance the flammability range and flame spread. These results, along with observations of flame and smoke characteristics useful for microgravity fire-detection 'signatures', promise to be of considerable value to spacecraft fire-safety designs. The paper summarizes the fire detection and suppression techniques proposed for the Space Station Freedom and discusses both the application of low-gravity combustion knowledge to improve fire protection and the critical needs for further research.
Document ID
19930015566
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Friedman, Robert (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Urban, David L. (Sverdrup Technology, Inc. Brook Park, OH., United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 1993
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 93-1152NASA-TM-106093NAS 1.15:106093E-8359E-7445
Meeting Information
Meeting: AHS/ASEE Second Aerospace Design Conference