A COMBINED HAZARD INDEX FIRE TEST METHODOLOGY FOR AIRCRAFT CABIN MATERIALS. VOLUME I

This report describes a laboratory test method and the modeling of the resultant data to produce a means of ranking aircraft cabin materials for the combined hazards produced in a survivable post-crash fire. Ranking is based on reducing each hazard accumulating in a cabin during a 5-minute crash fire scenario to the common denominator of a passenger escape time. Combined Hazards Index (CHI) is expressed as the number of seconds of scenario burn time at which the sum of the fractional hazards doses reaches an escape limit. All data was obtained using a computer-augmented Ohio State University Calorimeter modified to measure the major combustion gases in addition to heat and smoke as a material burns. A computerized fire analysis model was developed to predict cabin environmental hazards from the laboratory data. A human survival model relating short term hazard dose to incapacitation time was incorporated in this program. The changing cabin environment was compared continuously with the human survival model limits to calculate the unaided escape time ranking for each material.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also Volume 2, AD-A117 449.
• Corporate Authors:

  McDonnell Douglas Corporation

  Long Beach, CA  United States 

  Federal Aviation Administration

  William J. Hughes Technical Center, Airport Technology Research and Development Branch
  Atlantic City International Airport
  Atlantic City, NJ  United States  08405
• Authors:
  • Spieth, H H
  • Gaume, J G
  • Luoto, R E
  • Klinck, D M
• Publication Date: 1982-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 168 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air transportation crashes; Aircraft; Aircraft cabins; Alternatives analysis; Aviation safety; Burning rate; Calorimeters; Combustion; Computer programs; Crashes; Escape systems; Fire prevention; Fires; Forecasting; Hazards; Information processing; Laboratory tests; Materials; Measurement; Reaction time; Safety; Simulation; Survival; Test procedures
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fire hazards
• Old TRIS Terms: Aircraft fires; Combustion products
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Energy; Materials; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00365452
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FAA/CT-82/36-1
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FA77WA-4019
• Files: NTIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 2003 12:00AM