Title: Extended Discharge Testing with FE-25 Mark L. Robin, Eric F. Forssell, Jason Ouellette and Matthew A. Harrison Hughes Associates, Inc. and Tyler Aebersold and Brad Stillwell Fike Corporation 2003 Halon Options Technical Working Conference Sheraton
1Extended Discharge Testing with FE-25Mark L.
Robin, Eric F. Forssell, Jason Ouellette and
Matthew A. HarrisonHughes Associates, Inc.
andTyler Aebersold and Brad StillwellFike
Corporation2003 Halon Options Technical
Working ConferenceSheraton Old TownAlbuquerque,
New MexicoMay 13-15, 2003
2Background Thermal Decomposition of Halocarbons
- Production of HF from halocarbon-type clean
agents well known - Generation of thermal decomposition products
function of - fire size to room volume ratio
- agent concentration
- discharge time
Ref NFPA 2001, 2000 edition, Section A-3-7.1.2
310000
Hughes Class A Ref. 32
)
Hughes Ref. 27
8000
Ferreira Ref. 34
Hansen Ref. 26
Sheinson Ref. 25
6000
Brockway Ref. 39
!
HF Concentration (ppm)
4000
!
2000
!
!
!
!
)
!
!
!
)
)
)
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
3
Fire Size to Room Volume (kW/m )
Figure 1 HFC-227ea Average HF Concentration,
n-Heptane and Class A Fires
7 - 8 percent by volume HFC-227ea
Source Robin, M.L., Proc. 1999 Halon Options
Technical Working Conference
4Objective
- Quantify HF formed during extinguishment with
HFC-125 - Under conditions typical of those encountered in
EDP/Telco facilities - Impact of extended discharge on suppression and
HF production - Test Procedure
- Essentially identical to past work on HFC-227ea a
- Enclosure volume larger (3,371 ft3 vs 2,562 ft3)
- PC board from different source
a Hazard Assessment of the Thermal Decomposition
Products of FM-200TM in Electronics and
Data Processing Facilities, Hughes Associates,
Inc., 1/16/95
5Experimental Procedure
6Detection System
7Test Fires
8Test Fires
9Comparison of Thermal Decomposition Product
Formation Peak HF, ppm
HFC-125
HFC-227ea PVC cable 5-169
56-81 Paper 76-336
202-220 Magnetic Tape 69-105
80-147 PC board lt5
28-48
10Comparison of Thermal Decomposition Product
Formation Peak HF, ppm
HFC-125 HFC-125
HFC-227ea std
ext PVC cable 67-169
5-150 56-81 Paper
76-121 240-336 202-220 Magnetic
Tape 69-92 102-105 80-147 PC
board lt5 lt5
28-48
11Comparison of Thermal Decomposition Product
Formation HF, 10 min average, ppm
HFC-125 HFC-125
HFC-227ea std
ext PVC cable 38-108
5-87 37-58 Paper
37-61 124-163 143-175 Magnetic
Tape 26-42 33-48 56-94 PC
board lt5 lt5
9-31
12Comparison of Thermal Decomposition Product
Formation HF, 10 min average, ppm
HFC-125 HFC-125
HFC-227ea Halon 1301
std ext
HF HBr PVC cable
38-108 5-87 37-58
37 ? (a) Paper
37-61 124-163 143-175
192 298 (b) Magnetic Tape 26-42
33-48 56-94 52
62 (a) PC board lt5
lt5 9-31 -
-
(a) Ford. C.L., Halon 1301 Computer Fire Test
Program, Interim Report, January 10, 1971. (b)
Cholin, R., Fire Journal, Sept. 1972.
13Hazard Assessment of HF
14LC50, Mammalian
DTL
Hazard Assessment of HF Concentrations HFC-125
15Discharge Times Historical
16Extended Discharge Concept
- Equivalent suppression observed
- Thermal decomposition levels
- Below Mammalian LC50, Human DTL
- Below electronic equipment damage threshold
- Applications
- Enable retrofit of existing systems
- Consistent with desire to reduce dependence on
ODSs - Applications employing selector valves
- limited for halocarbons due to 10 s discharge
time restriction
17Acknowledgements
- Fike Corporation
- Tyler Aebersold
- Brad Stillwell
- Hughes Associates, Inc.
- Eric Forssell
- Jason Ouellette
- Matt Harrison
- Ralph Ouellette
- Art Hammett
- Jason Kennedy