Assessment of Fire Growth and Mitigation in Submarine Plastic Waste Stowage Compartments
Abstract
This report presents the results of tests to assess the fire growth characteristics and the ease of fire control in the proposed Virginia-class and the Ohio-class submarine plastic waste stowage compartments. Four tests were conducted in the Virginia-class compartment with the door either closed or open and the ventilation either on or off. One test was conducted in the Ohio-class compartment with a partially closed door. The results show that initially the fire in the proposed Virginia-class submarine plastic waste stowage compartment with the door open grew slowly but developed to about 600 KW fire if the ventilation was off or 400 KW fire if the ventilation was on. In each case the fire produced very thick smoke at the early stage. When the door was closed, the fire was oxygen limited whether the ventilation was on or off. The maximum heat release rate with the door closed was about 160 KW with the ventilation on and about 100 KW with the ventilation off. With the partially closed door in the Ohio-class compartment, the fire was also oxygen limited, and the maximum heat release rate was of the order of 200 KW. Finally, in each test, the fire was fought after it reached its peak, and all the fires were controllable in less than one minute using one unit of bottled Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) or water from a 3/4 in. hose line.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 29, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA385865
Entities
People
- Chuka C. Ndubizu
- Frederic W. Williams
- John P. Farley
- Patricia A. Tatem
- Roger A. Brown
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory