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 briefEmployees: 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 risingInternational turnover: ~ 40% (2010) risingInvestments: ~ € 0,7 million (2011) Premises: Growing (office and lab. space)R&D: ~ 25 people, ~ € 3 million

Björn Sundström

Fire ResistanceLars Boström

Fire DynamicsTommy

Hertzberg

ResearchMargaret

McNamee

Marketing Fredrik Rosen

Fire Protection Testing

• Extinguishing systemsFoamWater mistSprinklersFire extinguishers

• Commodity classification• 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 methodsNordic 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 peoplehave died in tunnel fires

• Important issues:– Design fires (fire growth)– Active and Passive fire

protection– Fire fighting– Egress

• Numerous pan-Europeanprojects:

– FIT– UPTUN– L-SURF

• Future issues:– Safety and security

The next ISTSS Conference: New York (2012)

Fire investigations

Fire safety resource for the automotive industryTesting 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 industryVariety 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

BusesUnited 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”

TrainsStandard 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 ProjectStatistical 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 improved regulation ECE 118 (UNECE)

Are matches fire safe?

Fire safety review of interior materials in buses

• Survey of fire properties of interior materials in buses

• Proposal for improvedregulation 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 Tests1. Flame spread test for surface linings (IMO Res.

A.653(16), ISO 5658-2 (2006))• Criterion: Critical Flux at Extinguishment ≥ 20

kW/m2. 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/m2. 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 requiredo 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 safetyInspection 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 Eurclass6 motors are introduced)

• A lot of hot surfaces – engine block, exhaust manifold, turbo• Environmentally friendly fuels higher combustion temperatures• Neglected maintenance• Long mileage and limited work shop time

Passenger car: 13500 km/ yearTruck: 22000 km/ yearBus: 60000 km/ year

Reasons for bus firesTypical causes

• Fuel leakage and leakage in hydraulic systems due to vibarations, enginemovements and aging of components

• Short circuits in electrical systems due to abrasion damagescaused 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-artExtinguishing 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: "Revised guidelines for the approval of equivalentwater-based fire-extinguishing systems for machinery spaces and cargopump-rooms”

• RINA Doc. 3.13: "Rules for the Type Approval of Clean Agent Fixed Fire-Extinguishing Systems 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 createdconsisting of OEMs, insuranceindustry, suppression manufacturers, associations, AHJs

Roadmap

• Pilot study (conducted in 2005-2008 at SP)

• Extended review (December 2010)

• Writing of test protocol (early 2011)

• Design of mock-up (early 2011)

• 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 extinguishing capability (i.e., not detection)

• Diesel fueled buses (89 % of Swedish buses)

• Fire in engine compartment (approx. 70 %)

• Rear-mounted engine compartments

• No turn-over scenario

• No collision test scenario

Key system design issues and challangesSystem 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 Fireo 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 Circuito 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 applicationA 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 m3/s)• Water heated engine mock-up

(95°C)• LPG heated exhaust manifold

(600 °C)• Relevant fire scenarios (spray,

pool, hidden/narrow point 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 (AHJs)• 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?

Funding needed for 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/Ivecoo MAN Group (MAN/Neoplan)o Scaniao Solaris Buso VDLo 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 VehiclesMore 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