Shipboard Tests of Halon 1301 Test Gas Simulants

All new and retrofit installations of Halon 1301 total flooding fire protection systems in U.S. Navy shipboard machinery spaces require an acceptance discharge test. The primary reason for this testing is the verification of system design and performance discharge time, initial concentration, maintenance of concentration, etc.. It is desirable to use a simulant instead of Halon 1301 in these tests in view of its contribution to stratospheric ozone depletion. Sulfur hexafluoride, SF6, was identified as a possible simulant on the basis of its similarity to Halon 1301 in physical and chemical properties. A detailed investigation was performed on the use of SF6 as a simulant, which led to a full scale evaluation on board the USS Chancellorville CG 62. This investigation demonstrated that based on similarities in concentration profiles, discharge times and leakage characteristics sulfur hexafluoride is an excellent simulant for Halon 1301 in acceptance discharge tests of total flooding fire protection systems, such as used on U.S. Navy ships.