INFERNITYFLAME IN FREEFALL
CATALOG
SPICE DUCT GROUP/SOLID FUEL/BASS-II

Burning and Suppression of Solids - II (BASS-II)

PreventionSuppression
Spacecraft cabinSpace stationLunar base
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AI summary
AI-GENERATED

Generated from the curated record only. The model is instructed not to invent numbers; verify all values against the source before engineering use.

Experimental setup

FUEL

Phase
Solid
Material
Acrylic films and sheets, black and clear acrylic rods, SIBAL cotton-fiberglass fabric, and a large acrylic spherical section
Shape
Thin flats, rods, and a section of a large solid sphere
Size
Thin flats 100 x 10-20 mm; rods and sphere section in acrylic; 100 fuel samples total

CONDITIONS

O2 concentration
Varied / not specified
Pressure
14.7 psi
Airflow
Varied / not specified

Single values are documented test conditions, not flammability limits. Ranges appear under variables tested.

OBJECTIVES

Identify the worst-case material flammability geometry for spacecraft, compare it with the terrestrial upward-burning screening test, and map minimum oxygen and flow conditions for sustained burning.

Sensors & measurements
  • Video and still cameras
  • Radiometer for flame output
  • Anemometer for duct airflow
  • Nitrogen vitiation flow controller
Variables tested
  • Ambient oxygen concentration
  • Ventilation flow velocity from 5 to 50 cm/s
  • Fuel type, thickness and geometry
  • Opposed versus concurrent flame spread
  • Nitrogen vitiation of the working volume
Key findings
  1. 01Produced spread-rate data for thin and thick fuels and a formula for the transition between them.
  2. 02Existing models predicted higher spread rates than observed, pointing to needed model improvements.
  3. 03Enabled calculation of combustion completeness, heat release rates and fuel-to-oxygen global equivalence ratios.
  4. 04Supported theoretical models for quenching boundaries, guiding material selection and firefighting methods for future missions.