Accession Number:

ADA295511

Title:

The Potential for Pulmonary Heat Injury Resulting from the Activation of a Cabin Water Spray System to Fight Aircraft Cabin Fires.

Descriptive Note:

Final rept.,

Corporate Author:

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON DC OFFICE OF AVIATION MEDICINE

Personal Author(s):

• Garner, Robert P.

Report Date:

1995-05-01

Pagination or Media Count:

11.0

Abstract:

A cabin water spray system CWSS has been suggested as a means of attenuating the severity of smoke and fire commonly associated with aircraft accidents. All aspects of passenger and cabin safety must be considered when evaluating a new safety system or concept. The purposes of this report are to briefly review the pathophysiological changes occurring in the respiratory system as a result of thermal injury and to quantitatively estimate the risk of creating a more hazardous cabin environment by activation of CWSS. Changes in the heat content of the cabin atmosphere resulting from CWSS activation were calculated using parameters consistent with current aircraft and proposals for CWSS design. The results suggest that only a very small volume of the aircraft cabin would have an increase in heat content that could result in thermal injury.

Descriptors:

• *RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• *WOUNDS AND INJURIES
• *AIRCRAFT FIRES
• *BURNS(INJURIES)
• *AIRCRAFT CABINS
• VOLUME
• ACTIVATION
• AIRCRAFT
• RISK
• HAZARDS
• SMOKE
• SAFETY
• AVIATION ACCIDENTS
• LUNG
• PHYSIOLOGY
• PATHOLOGY
• HEAT
• PASSENGERS
• SPRAYS
• ATMOSPHERES
• WATER SUPPLIES
• HEAT STRESS(PHYSIOLOGY)
• PRESSURIZED CABINS

Subject Categories:

• Aircraft
• Medicine and Medical Research
• Stress Physiology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE