400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001 U.S.A. Tel: (724) 776-4841 Fax: (724) 776-5760 Web: www.sae.org 2005-01-1788 Evaluation of Automatic Fire Suppression Systems in Full Scale Vehicle Fire Tests and Static Vehicle Fire Tests Jeffrey Santrock General Motors Corporation Steven E. Hodges Kidde Dual Spectrum Reprinted From: Fire Safety (SP-1939) 2005 SAE World Congress Detroit, Michigan April 11-14, 2005 SAE TECHNICAL PAPER SERIESDownloaded from SAE International by University of Minnesota, Thursday, August 02, 2018The Engineering Meetings Board has approved this paper for publication. It has successfully completed SAE’s peer review process under the supervision of the session organizer. This process requires a minimum of three (3) reviews by industry experts. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,without the prior written permission of SAE. For permission and licensing requests contact: SAE Permissions 400 Commonwealth DriveWarrendale, PA 15096-0001-USAEmail: [email protected]: 724-772-4028Fax: 724-772-4891 For multiple print copies contact: SAE Customer ServiceTel: 877-606-7323 (inside USA and Canada)Tel: 724-776-4970 (outside USA)Fax: 724-776-1615Email: Customer [email protected] ISSN 0148-7191Copyright © 2005 SAE International Positions and opinions advanced in this paper are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of SAE. The author is solely responsible for the content of the paper. A process is available by which discussions will be printed with the pap er if it is publishe d in SAE Transactions. Persons wishing to submit papers to be considered for presentation or publication by SAE should send themanuscript or a 300 word abstract to Secretary, Engineering Meetings Board, SAE. Printed in USADownloaded from SAE International by University of Minnesota, Thursday, August 02, 2018 2005-01-1788 Evaluation of Automatic Fire Suppression Systems in Full Scale Vehicle Fire Tests and Static Vehicle Fire Tests Jeffrey Santrock General Motors Corporation Steven E. Hodges Kidde Dual Spectrum Copyright © 2005 SAE International ABSTRACT A prototype fire suppressi on system was tested in one full-scale vehicle crash tests and three static vehicle fire tests. The prototype fire suppression system consisted of 2 Solid Propellant Gas Generators and two optical detectors. These components were installed on the hood of the test vehicle. A vehicle crash test and a series of static vehicle fi re tests were performed to determine the effectiveness of this prototype fire suppression systems in extinguishing fires in the engine compartment of a crashed vehicle INTRODUCTION Fire can occur when fuel and oxygen, coexisting in the correct proportions, are exposed to an ignition source with sufficient energy to trigger the combustion process. Combustion is a free-radical chemical chain reaction that oxidizes a fuel, and produces heat and a mixture of chemical by-products such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water, and other compounds. Once started, a self-sustaining fire, which most accidental fires are, will continue to burn until either the fuel or oxygen is consumed. Fire suppression strategies are based on eliminating one or more of the elements of the fire tetrahedron. Strategies for fire suppression are based on eliminating one or more of the elements necessary for combustion: fuel, oxygen, heat, and free radical chain reactions that result in oxidation of the fuel. 1 Specific mechanisms of fire suppression include [1]: Inerting (Smothering)– Displacement or exclusion of oxygen from the area where combustion is occurring; Chemical Flame Interference – Inhibition of the combustion free-radical chain reaction by chemical 1 These are commonly referred to