A Test Protocol for Collecting Thermal Data From Aviation Fuel Fires Involving Large Aircraft Mockups

Wind conditions present a specific challenge when fighting fuel fires. To address this issue and to determine effective measurement techniques for firefighting strategies in various wind conditions, researchers conducted a study to devise and employ a test protocol for mockup pool fires exposed to various wind velocity conditions. The study was intended to record a series of reference thermal profiles on unsuppressed 1:10-scale and full-scale New Large Aircraft (NLA) mockup pool fires exposed to a range of wind velocity conditions. Temperature and heat flux measurements from carefully controlled, 1:10-scale NLA mockup fires were analyzed to determine a wind velocity envelope for which the test data was repeatable. Tests with the 1:10-scale NLA mockup revealed very stable and repeatable data conducted with the same initial conditions. However, even small differences in initial wind speed and/or direction significantly changed results of the tests and sensor group repeatability. Both 1:10-scale and full-scale NLA mockup tests demonstrated a linear relationship between the integrated perimeter heat flux and wind speed from any direction. This relationship was such that at a quasi-constant wind speed and direction, the cumulative integrated perimeter heat flux for an unsuppressed, fully involved fire could be predicted. The cumulative integrated perimeter heat flux profiles recorded in the present study can be used as a baseline reference to determine the surface cooling and suppression effectiveness firefighting agents, delivery apparatus, and firefighting techniques have on the full-scale NLA mockup.