Department of Fire Technology

Capabilities

More than 40 years of fire research and testing give Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) a leading edge in fire technology. Scientists and engineers in the Fire Technology Department have diverse backgrounds and abilities to perform numerous tests and interpret results in the following areas:

• Fire dynamics
• Detection and suppression
• Testing for code and nuclear compliance
• Modeling
• Combustion flammability, and explosibility
• Development of new test methodology
• Engineering and design
• Third-party certification services
• Product and process evaluation
• Laboratory-scale incineration
• Pool and propellant fires
• Jet fire impingement
• Smoke characterization and toxicity studies
• Risk and hazard assessment
• Vulnerability and survivability
• Energy studies

A multidisciplinary approach to the study and understanding of fire technology dynamics has put the Institute in demand for research, qualification testing, and educational services.

SwRI conducts performance evaluations on aboveground storage tanks to determine mechanical properties and fire resistance.

Experience

Laboratory-Scale Testing

SwRI performs a wide variety of standard tests to determine individual characteristics of materials with respect to fire. These tests include the ASTM E84 Flame Spread test for surface burning characteristics and the ASTM E162 and E648 Radiant Panel tests for flammability. Using a smoke chamber, smoke generation rates are determined according to the ASTM E662 procedure. Aircraft compartment interior materials are tested using the FAR Part 25.853 standard. Heat release data are obtained by thermal measurement or oxygen consumption using OSU, cone, and room-size calorimeters. A 20-by-20-foot product calorimeter capable of handling fires of more than 10 megawatts is also available.

Large- and Full-Scale Testing

SwRI research teams use large-scale tests to evaluate the fire performance of full-size assemblies. The ASTM E119 determines heat and flame passage resistance of walls and floors. Doors, windows, and through-penetration seals are tested using ASTM E152 and E814 procedures, respectively. Roof coverings tests are conducted in accordance with the ASTM E108 procedure. Materials and structures are tested under simulated spill conditions using pool fires. Interior finish materials are evaluated by both standard and nonstandard room corner fire tests. Wall tests are performed using a modified E108 apparatus. SwRI performs testing to evaluate the fire resistance and structural integrity of offshore structures and components exposed to jet fire.

Custom Design Evaluations

The Institute conducts full-scale tests to provide specific information concerning the performance of products, materials, and structures in real fire situations.

Listing and Labeling Services

Once it is determined that a product or material meets specified test requirements, its continued compliance is assured through unannounced factory inspections and periodic retesting. Qualified products, materials, and assemblies are published in the SwRI Directory of Listed Products.

SwRI performs fire tests on door assemblies and window glazings to evaluate structural properties and fire resistance.

Modeling

Using computerized fire scenarios, SwRI investigates numerous combustion parameters. The propagation of gases, smoke and flame, physics of fluid flow, and gas concentrations are incorporated into computer codes to study their effects.

Combustion Toxicology

SwRI researches pure gases and combustion atmospheres to investigate underlying mechanisms of the fire environment and to develop relevant bioassay testing protocols. Enhanced and routine National Institute for Standards and Testing, radiant, and University of Pittsburgh protocols are part of an ongoing smoke toxicity testing program. The Institute is accredited in both New York City and New York State.

Fire Protection for the Petrochemical Industry

SwRI studies the effects of jet fire impingement and pool fires on structural members utilized in petrochemical applications. Internal safety systems are qualified and emergency shutdown procedures for offshore structures are evaluated and tested.

Detection and Suppression

Fire conditions are simulated in different environments to determine the performance of detectors. Various sprinkler arrangements and concepts are utilized to evaluate fire control/suppression. Chemical and explosive suppression agents are tested for effectiveness.

Flammable Liquid Storage

SwRI evaluates and qualifies environmentally safe fuel storage tanks in accordance with national and international standards.

Combustion Technology

Fire Technology Department scientists and engineers research economic and environmentally viable waste management methodologies through combustion experimentation. A laboratory-scale incinerator is used to estimate emissions.

Laboratory- and full-scale studies are conducted on the ignitability, flammability, and explosibility of propellant materials and products.

New Test Methodologies

Current fire and toxic hazard test methodologies are complemented by innovative improvements and approaches. Laboratory-, large-, and full-scale simulations provide input for future standard test development.

Education and Technology Transfer

Through participation in standard testing committees and special code groups, Institute staff members ensure an updated perspective to the fire technology field. Workshops are periodically conducted to impart technical information to business and private sectors.

The staff's expertise is reflected in its participation with, or funding by, organizations and committees addressing numerous aspects of fire technology. These groups include:

• American Standards for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
• Defense Industrial Supply Center (DISC)
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Defense (DOD)
• Department of Energy (DOE)
• Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• General Services Administration (GSA)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• International Code Council (ICC)
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
• National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• National Fire Protection Research Foundation (NFPRF)
• National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
• Numerous international commercial clients
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• The Combustion Institute

Recognition

The SwRI Department of Fire Technology is accredited by the International Evaluation Service, Inc. (IES) which encompasses the three major model building code jurisdictions. The Institute is recognized as a qualified testing laboratory and as a third-party quality assurance and inspection agency in accordance with NES Report Nos. NER-TL351 and NER-QA409, respectively. The Fire Technology Department has been designated a "Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL)" by OSHA and has been accredited in all major state and local jurisdictions throughout the U.S. Internationally, the Fire Technology Department is recognized by Lloyd's Register, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

SwRI performs testing to evaluate the fire resistance and structural integrity of offshore structures and components exposed to jet fires.

Facilities

Laboratory Scale

Test apparatus designed to meet up to 40 standard test specifications are housed in over 11,000 square feet of laboratory space. OSU Rate of Heat Release, cone, and room-size calorimeters provide additional testing capabilities.

Large- and Full-Scale

Three state-of-the-art furnaces are used to evaluate fire endurance and resistance of walls, partitions, doors, windows, bulkheads, floors, decks, ceilings, and other construction elements.

Special Purpose

SwRI has unique full- and intermediate-scale multistory test facilities to study the fire propagation and performance of exterior nonload-bearing wall systems. The extinguishing capabilities of special purpose items, such as sprinkler systems, are evaluated in a 2,400-square-foot, 30-foot high-bay area. The Institute also operates remote test facilities to conduct full-scale pool and propellant fires, as well as explosibility studies.

Combustion Toxicology

Exposure systems and experimental and standard combustion devices are combined with unique analytical methodologies in ongoing programs. Specialized laboratories and animal facilities are supported by a fully equipped animal hospital.

Explosion Technology

Gas, vapor cloud, and liquid, solid, and dust explosion studies are conducted in specially equipped labs. SwRI examines every aspect of the detonation phenomenon using the latest in X-ray facilities, high-speed camera and video recording, and computerized data acquisition and data reduction systems.

Combustion Technology

SwRI studies incineration processes and tests products for environmentally hazardous emissions using a laboratory-scale incinerator. The apparatus is designed to accommodate a wide variety of materials.

SwRI evaluates penetration seals in walls and floors in accordance with NRC Generic Letter 86-10, Supplement 1 and 10 CFR 50 Appendix B requirements.

Energetics Materials Laboratory

An indoor laboratory is used to evaluate sudden high-pressure gas combustions and other chemical reactions. Ignition-sensitivity explosion severity, flame propagation, burning rates, flammability, turbulence effects, and pressure and rise times are examined.

Computer and Data Services

Data acquisition and mass storage are obtained through a network PC and VAX/VMS operating systems. High-frequency, multi-channel instrumentation is available for recording pressures, heat flux, and temperature. High-resolution graphics terminals, a magnetic tape subsystem, and a high-speed printer/plotter provide output for data analysis and formal reports. A local area fiber-optic network connects the department facilities to an Institute VAX 8700 and IBM central computer facility. A link to a remote mainframe supercomputer is available.

Support

Institute civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic, and chemical engineering and chemistry personnel, supplemented by biomedical scientists, including toxicologists, veterinarians, pathologists, and behavioralists, support department activities. Other sources include: chemical, materials, electronic, and electromagnetic laboratories; ballistic ranges; primate and other animal facilities; and the Institute library, machine shop, and photographic, and publications service departments.

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