Location of SP

About SP
2010
Owner SP Group RISE Holding
Net revenue (SEK million) 1100
Number of employees 1000
Subsidiary companies 6
Customers 9000
Our Core Areas
Process of innovation
9000 customers
Wide technical range
Experimental resources
Strong research environments
High scientific quality
SP Fire Technology
Fire Technology in brief
Employees: 54 (2009), 65 (2010), 70 (2011) and
80-90 (2012-- 2015)
Profile: 3 professors, 12 PhDs, 6 PhD students, 28
engineers (M.Sc. and others),
19 technicians and admin.
Turn-over: ~ 7,3 million and rising
International turnover: ~ 40% (2010) rising
Investments: ~ 0,7 million (2011)
Premises: Growing (office and lab. space)
R&D: ~ 25 people, ~ 3 million
Bjrn Sundstrm
Fire Resistance
Lars Bostrm
Fire Dynamics
Tommy
Hertzberg
Research
Margaret
McNamee
Marketing
Fredrik Rosen
Fire Protection Testing
Extinguishing systems
Foam
Water mist
Sprinklers
Fire extinguishers
Commodityclassification
Risk evaluation
Scale modelling
Detection
Marine Applications
Environmental Effects of
Fires
Fire Dynamics
Marine small scale testing
Ignitability
flame spread
smoke production
toxicity
Marine large scale testing
fire restricting materials (ISO 9705)
IMO Res. A.653(16)
Furniture Calorimeter
heat release rate
smoke production rate
US federal test methods
Nordic test methods
Fire Dynamics
Room test scenario
Reference scenario for the
Euroclass system
Cone Calorimeter
Product development tool
Input to fire safety
engineering
Fire Resistance testing
SP Tunnel and Underground Safety Centre
Since 1995 more than 825 people
have died in tunnel fires
Important issues:
Design fires (fire growth)
Active and Passive fire
protection
Fire fighting
Egress
Numerous pan-European
projects:
FIT
UPTUN
L-SURF
Future issues:
Safety and security
The next ISTSS Conference:
New York (2012)
Fire investigations
Fire safety resource for the automotive industry
Testing of automotive components
Interior materials
Absorbent materials
Fuel tanks
Fuel hoses and filters
Airbags and seat belt tensioners
New alternative fuel containers
Gas cylinders
Aging of exhaust gas cleaning system components
Fire safety resource for the automotive industry
Variety of tests
Fire resistance tests of compartment barriers
Full-scale fire tests of entire vehicles
Spread of flame of interior materials
Generation tests of smoke and toxic gases
Heat release rate tests
Thermal and ageing resistance tests
Risk assessments of complete vehicles
Determination and analysis of thermal properties
(Thermal expansion, heat transfer, temperature development, mechanical strength,
chemical or physical durability)
Computer numerical fire simulation
Bus fires common issue world wide
Vehicle Fire Regulations/Standards
Buses
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, ECE Regulation No. 118
Uniform technical prescriptions concerning the burning behaviour of
materials used in the interior construction of certain categories of motor
vehicles
Trains
Standard developed by the European standardisation organisation , CEN;
prEN 45545 Railway applications-Fire protection on railway vehicles
To be published
Ships
Safety Of Life At Sea, SOLAS Convention developed by IMO,
International Maritime Organisation. FTP code International Code for
Application of Fire Test Procedures. HSC High Speed Craft Code.
Bus Fire Safety A Nordic Research Project
Statistical survey of bus fires in Norway and Sweden
Fire safety review of interior materials in buses
Fire risks of buses and coaches
Test method for fire partitions
Test method concept for engine compartment fire
extinguishing systems
Fire simulations
Full-scale fire test of a coach
Conclusions and proposals for improved fire safety
Fire safety review of interior materials in buses
- Survey of fire properties of interior materials in buses
- Proposal for improvedregulationECE 118 (UNECE)
Are matches fire safe?
Fire safety review of interior materials in buses
Surveyof fire properties of
interior materials in buses
Proposal for improved
regulation ECE 118
UN ECE
UN ECE - United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
GRSG group - Working Party on General Safety Provisions
Fire safety regulations according to ECE regulation 118, applicable
for buses, focus only on materials flame spread when exposed to
small flames while other international systems, i.e. for ships and for
trains, take a much more holistic view of fire safety.
The main test method used in ECE regulation 118, ISO
3795/FMVSS 302, allows for very low fire performance.
Proposed Alternative Fire Tests
1. Flame spread test for surface linings (IMO Res.
A.653(16), ISO 5658-2 (2006))
Criterion: Critical Flux at Extinguishment 20
kW/m
2
. Same as for interior surfaces in trains
and passenger ships.
2. European harmonised flooring test (EN ISO 9239-1
(2002))
Criterion: Critical Heat Flux at extinguishment
6 kW/m
2
. Same as for floors and external
roofs on trains.
3. Smoke test and analysis of toxic gases (IMO FTP
Code Annex 1 Part 2, ISO 5659-2(2006))
Criteria: Requirements on smoke density and
concentration of toxic species. Same as for
interior surfaces on passenger ships.
4. Measurement of heat release rate (prCEN/TS
45545-2 Annex B)
Criterion: Maximum Average Rate of Heat
Emission <50 kW. Same as for seats on
trains.
UN ECE GRSG Proposal
Proposal presented to authorities and industry at GRSG (the working party
on general safety provisions at UN ECE, Geneva).
Proposed adoption (to date):
o Use of ISO 5658-2 Surface Spread of Flame, not required
o Use the test method ISO 6941 required for vertically mounted materials
(ISO 5658-2 may be used as an alternative, but is not mandatory)
o No regulations on smoke and toxicity. More research must be
conducted in this field before new regulations are proposed.
o Postpone inclusion of full scale seat test and flooring test, ISO 9239.
ISO 6941 ISO 5658-2
ISO 9239
Test method concept for engine compartment fire
extinguishing systems

g g
38%
30%
20%
17% 17% 17%
16%
15%
14%
12%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
dec. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Effects of legislation: Fire safety inspection of buses
Percentage of buses that failed the compulsory fire safety
Inspection introduced in 2001.
the Swedish Motor Vehicle Inspection Company
Background
Before 2004: Approximately six to seven complete burnouts of buses
each year in Sweden due to fires that started in the engine
compartment.
2004: Swedish insurance companies requested that all buses
that would be insured should be equipped with an
approved fire suppression system in the engine
compartment.
After 2004: No complete burnouts of insured buses due to such fires
(information as of 2010-03-03).
Still at least 40 % of the buses in Sweden
are not equipped with suppression system
(non-insured buses/self-insured)
Suppression Systems a new approach
Today there is no international standard for evaluating extinguishing
systems in bus engine compartment.
The purpose is to develop an international test standard for
automatic fire suppression systems for engine compartments in
buses and coaches.
The objective is to design a test standard so that the fire fighting
performance of different suppression systems can be evaluated
in a well defined, objective and comparable way.
Reduce the amount of fires and loss
of lives
Make it mandatory
Reasons for bus fires
Bus fires start mainly in engine compartment
Less favorable conditions as a basis for their occurrence
Restricted pollutant emissions in Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of the European
Parliament
Restricted noise requirements
More insulation around engine compartment encapsuled
environment increased heat in engine compartment (Soon Eurclass
6 motors are introduced)
A lot of hot surfaces engine block, exhaust manifold, turbo
Environmentallyfriendly fuels higher combustion temperatures
Neglectedmaintenance
Long mileage and limited work shop time
Passenger car: 13500 km/ year
Truck: 22000 km/ year
Bus: 60000 km/ year
Reasons for bus fires
Typical causes
Fuel leakage and leakage in hydraulic systems due to vibarations, engine
movements and aging of components
Short circuits in electrical systems due to abrasion damages
caused by bad cable clamping and bad cable protection of
penetrations bad workmanship/knowledge
Overheating in the disc brakes and overheating of the drum brake
Heating and air conditioning faults
Additional heater faults
Injection timing changes
Exhaust Pipe Leaks
Inside the passenger compartment
State-of-the-art
Extinguishing systems for buses:
SBF 128:1: Guidelines for fixed automatic fire suppression systems on
buses and coaches
AS 5062-2006: Fire protection for mobile and transportable equipment
Extinguishing systems for heavy vehicles and machinery spaces can also
provide valuable ideas:
UL 1254: Pre-engineered Dry Chemical Extinguishing System Units,
Test method for Off-the-Road Vehicle Protection System
SBF 127: "Guidelines for fire suppression systems on vehicles and
forest machines
MSC/Circ. 1165: "Revisedguidelines for the approval of equivalent
water-based fire-extinguishing systems for machinery spaces and cargo
pump-rooms
RINA Doc. 3.13: "Rules for the TypeApproval of Clean Agent Fixed Fire-
ExtinguishingSystems in Machinery Spaces
SP-method 2377: Fire test procedures for water spray fire suppression
systems in small machinery spaces
Repeatable, reproducible and internationally applicable.
Set clear and well defined requirements.
Easier to require fire extinguishing systems in all buses if there is an
internationally accepted test standard.
Straightforward comparison of different systems.
New technologies can be quickly verified.
The test must be realistic and no extinguishing agent should be disadvantaged.
The test should be able to evaluate new technologies as they emerge.
Include re-ignition protection
Scope and benefits
A reference group will be created
consisting of OEMs, insurance
industry, suppression
manufacturers, associations, AHJs
Roadmap
Pilot study(conductedin 2005-2008 at SP)
Extendedreview(December 2010)
Writing of test protocol (early2011)
Design of mock-up(early2011)
Construction of mock-up, testing and
validation (mid-2011 +)
Proposal for a revision of
ECE Regulation No 107 at the GRSG
group (fall meeting of 2012)
System Boundaries
Test extinguishingcapability(i.e., not detection)
Diesel fueled buses (89 % of Swedish buses)
Fire in engine compartment (approx. 70 %)
Rear-mountedengine compartments
No turn-over scenario
No collision test scenario
Key system design issues and challanges
System Operation
Suppression and extinguishment should be fast
Reducing fuel and air flow to a fire is key
o If the fire is due to a fuel leak (spray fire) the time
is critical, given the amount of flammable liquid
injected during this period.
Engine should be stopped as soon as practical
Deployment depends on the bus and its
environment
Unresolved issues, if a fire is detected while the
bus is rolling:
o Should the engine shutdown and system
activation be delayed (to give the vehicle operator
the opportunity to move to the side of the road or
out of a tunnel)?
o If there is a delay, should it be for a fixed time or
determined by the driver?
TfL (Transport for London) new bus specification
Engine compartment fully automatic fire suppression system, capable of extinguishing an engine
bay fire before serious bus damage is sustained or passenger safety is compromised. The
system should provide multi point dispensing, targeted at high-risk sections of the engine
bay. Driver manual activation or override is not allowed. Driver audible notification on bus
start up that the system is operative with immediate audible notification of fire detection is
required. On fire detection, the activation of the fire suppression system and deployment of
the suppression agent must simultaneously lock stationary any fans in the protected
engine bay area. The engine should be shut down within a further 10 seconds. An
immediate driver audible warning of this shut down procedure is required. A single
application, 30 second driver selected override button, activated within the 10 second shut
down period is necessary for unusual or emergency safety movement of the bus. In addition
to the fire suppression system engine shut down, the fuel system to the engine bay must be
shut off to ensure no further fuel is supplied to the engine bay area and an effective isolation
of the fuel tank supply is achieved.
Key system design issues and challanges
Survivability of system and its components
How to ensure that the discharge system with included components will
not fail before it is activated and discharged?
How to ensure that the system remains operational after being exposed
to heat, cold, vibration, temperature changes, corrosion, stress, dirt,
soot and road dust?
Key system design issues and challanges
Determination of an appropriate level of severity
Determination of pass or fail criteria
Shall the fire be completely extinguished?
Would it be acceptable if the fire is partly extinguished? To what extent?
Different classifications?
What will be the field of application direct and extended?
Can the test results be interpolated and/or extrapolated?
Detailed design issues and challanges
Realistic geometry of compartment, airflow, fire progress, HRR
Shadow effect (simulation of installations/obstructions)
Variable ignition sources
o If ignition sources are clearly defined, the system manufacturers can place
their nozzles in relation to these and thus optimize their system. Can we
accommodate a worst case ignition source that is determined on a case by
case basis to avoid loop holes (without impacting on Repeatability and
Reproducibility)?
Spray Fire
o How to define a spray fire, i.e. droplet size? flow? pressure? extension?
o How do we mimic realistic breaches/leaks in hydraulic lines? (ISO 16059-3)
Electrical Short Circuit
o How should fires caused by short circuit be considered?
o What happens if the engine is still running and the electrical system is still
live?
Certification field of application
A test report of the system would possibly have to include:
The volume of the tested engine compartment
The amount of nozzles or length of distribution tube
Specification of extinguishing agent
Amount of extinguishing agent
Concentration of extinguishing agent
A certificate of a tested and approved system would
possibly have to include:
The engine compartment volume range the system can
be installed in
Requirement of third party follow-up inspection of
manufacturing facility
Maintenance instructions (including cleaning of engine
compartment) as well as defined frequency
Classification
Current ideas for mock-up
Full size engine compartment
Realistic airflow(0,5 2 m
3
/s)
Water heatedengine mock-up
(95C)
LPG heatedexhaust manifold
(600 C)
Relevant fire scenarios (spray,
pool, hidden/narrowpoint of
origin)
Flexible geometry
View from L/H side
View from R/H side
Different materials
to extinguish
View from behind the mock-up (bus)
Possibility to adjust the size of openings, or remove the
floor.
Further recommendations
Recommendations for improved fire safety could include:
- Equipment of engine compartment covers with Fire extinguisher holes
for fire extinguisher nozzles, with a spring loaded lid that opens inwards
- Driver training in first-hand extinguishing and evacuation
- Awareness training of maintenance personnel regarding fire safety
risks
Active Fire Protection on Buses Pros and cons
+ Reduction of loss of lives
+ Reduction of loss of buses
+ Reduction of societal costs
- Cost of suppression system and installation (approx. 1 % of the
purchase price of the bus)
- Time-consuming installation?
- Time of installation during
production or after?
- Cost of system maintenance
What now ?
Verification in full-scale fire tests of buses
Increased awareness and acceptance
from the market
Implementation
Regulations (AHJ s)
Requirements (Insurance Providers)
Inclusion of detection
Development of standard for wheel well fire
extinguishing systems
Investigation of fire resistance of engine
compartment fire division (fire walls)
Application to armoured and military
vehicles?
Fundingneededfor continuation
Manufacturers promote fire detection in Europe
Seven leading European bus and coach manufacturers
(accounting for ~85% of all sales in Europe) have agreed to fit all
buses and coaches as standard with fire detection systems in the
engine compartment and around the auxiliary heater:
o EvoBus (Mercedes-Benz/Setra)
o Irisbus/Iveco
o MAN Group (MAN/Neoplan)
o Scania
o Solaris Bus
o VDL
o Volvo
All touring coaches and scheduled service buses that are
delivered to EU member states will be fitted with equipment that
notifies the driver immediately if there is a risk of fire, by January
2011 at the latest
Vast majority of fires on buses and coaches originate in the
engine compartment, according to manufacturers
Fitting of early warning systems will increase passenger safety
and reduce vehicle damage by enabling a rapid evacuation or
even extinction of the fire.
CONFERENCE
FIVE Fires In Vehicles
More information at www.firesinvehicles.com
Purpose
To exchange knowledge of fires in vehicles, including both road and
rail vehicles.
In recognition of the fact that many of the fire problems faced by
these vehicles are the same, the solutions to them can also be
similar.
Focus areas
Incident management and case studies
Regulations and standards
Fire statistics and insurance issues
Fire development in vehicles
Electrical, hydrogen, hybrid vehicles and other alternative fuels
Fire detection and fire suppression in vehicles
FIVE 2012 September 27 28 in Chicago
Event Partner:
More information at: www.firesinvehicles.com