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Advances in Development of a Fine Water Mist Portable Fire Extinguisher
Technical Paper
2009-01-2510
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
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English
Abstract
ADA Technologies, Inc. has designed and built a microgravity-tolerant portable fire extinguisher prototype for use in manned spacecraft and planetary habitats. This device employs Fine Water Mist (FWM) as the fire extinguishing agent, and is refillable from standard stores on long-duration missions. The design uses a single storage tank for minimal mass and volume. The prototype employs a dual-fluid atomizer concept where the pressurant gas (nitrogen) also enhances the water atomization process to generate a droplet size distribution in the optimum diameter range of 10 to 50 micrometers. The expanding discharge gas plume carries the mist to the immediate vicinity of the fire where its extensive surface area promotes high heat transfer rates. A series of 80 fire suppression tests was recently completed to evaluate design options for the hardware and validate performance on three representative fire scenarios. Test fires were conducted in two different spaces representative of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) environment. The test matrix explored the effects of charge pressure and gas-to-liquid ratio on the amount of agent required to extinguish test fires. In the optimum configuration for the prototype, fires were extinguished with an average quantity of agent of well under one pound.
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Citation
Butz, J. and Abbud-Madrid, A., "Advances in Development of a Fine Water Mist Portable Fire Extinguisher," SAE Technical Paper 2009-01-2510, 2009, https://doi.org/10.4271/2009-01-2510.Also In
References
- Dietrich, D.L., Ruff, G.A. Urban, D.L. 2008 “Fundamentals of Fire Suppression in Reduced Gravity Environments” Paper 2008-01-2087 , 38 th International Conference on Environmental Systems Society of Automotive Engineers San Francisco, CA
- Butz, J.R. Abbud-Madrid, A. 2008 “Handheld Fine Water Mist Extinguisher for Spacecraft” Paper 2008-01-2040 , 38 th International Conference on Environmental Systems Society of Automotive Engineers San Francisco, CA
- Lefebvre, A. H., 1988 Atomization and Sprays Hemisphere Publishing New York