Evaluation of Ultra-High-Speed Fire Protection Systems Presently in Service at Army Ammunition Plants
Abstract
A brief study was made of current fire protection systems employed in Army ammunition/propellant-related facilities and their abilities to meet fire protection performance requirements to minimize loss of life, financial loss, and downtime of fire protection systems and production lines. The study included (1) reliability to detect/suppress events, and (2) immunity to false alarms from nonfire objects and phenomena. It was found that current fire detection and suppression technologies being applied in these facilities are, in general, not adequate and should be thoroughly reviewed with respect to the threat, required reliability, desired performance criteria, and overall mission success goals. Moreover, the fire/explosion threat needs to be defined in terms of the system performance requirements. Detailed performance specifications are needed and should be included in each and every purchase description/RFP. It was also apparent from the study that formal guidance is lacking for Hazard Class 1.3 protective features. A review of past test results substantiated the need for faster and more reliable fire detection and suppression approaches. Current installed systems are, in general, not satisfactory for most types of pyrotechnic fire events. They lack the necessary speed, effectiveness, and reliability. False alarms/accidental releases of fire suppressant continue to occur, although records of their occurrences are either sparse or do not adequately describe their causes. A major observation was that there is a lack of scientific data pertaining to the nature and properties of the fire/explosion events themselves, especially their radiant spectral emissions. The study concluded with the recommendation that various types of fire detection and suppression systems should be field-tested to determine the optimum configuration for each major application.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 17, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA514958
Entities
People
- Robert A. Loyd