NITROGEN FOAM FIRE SUPPRESSION SYTEM FOR AUTOMOBILE UNDER-HOOD POST-COLLISION FIRE PROTECTION

Abstract

This thesis describes the development and testing of a Nitrogen Foam fire suppression system. The purpose of the system is to contain or extinguish fires that originate in the engine compartments of automobiles after front-end collisions. The Nitrogen foam creates an inert environment within the engine compartment that is sustainable for a period of at least 10 minutes. Thus, the system is capable of extinguishing fires that have already started at the time of system activation and prevent fires from starting after the foam has been deployed.

Testing shows that at an expansion ratio of 220 the Nitrogen foam will fill all of the voids within an engine compartment without freely flowing down and out of the engine compartment. Full-scale burn tests show that the system is capable of containing and extinguishing fires that originate within the engine compartment at the location of the battery.