A modeling investigation of suppressant distribution from a prototype solid-propellant gas-generator suppression system into a simulated aircraft cargo bay

One new technology for fire suppressant distribution in total-flooding applications is the solid-propellant gas-generator (SPGG) technology. This article presents experimental and modeling studies of one such prototype system in order to better understand observations in the testing of this system. This particular SPGG system generates fine particles that act to suppress any fire in conjunction with inert gases also generated in the SPGG system. Initial conditions for the simulations are obtained from the available measurements of the prototype system. The modeling provides key information related to the distribution of the particles and their potential effectiveness as a fire suppressant. The primary variable in the SPGG design as identified in the initial measurements, also presented here, was the particle size, with typical particle sizes being measured at 2 and 15 mu m. The key modeling result is that there is a tradeoff between the most uniform distribution of particles and the available surface-to-volume ratio for chemical suppression. Information is also provided regarding the thermal dissipation from the SPGG system.