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Search Publications by: Thomas Cleary (Fed)

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Displaying 101 - 125 of 144

Evaluating Multi-Sensor Fire Detectors in the Fire Emulator/Detector Evaluator

June 29, 1999
Author(s)
Thomas G. Cleary, Michael D. Anderson, Jason D. Averill, William L. Grosshandler
NIST has developed the Fire Emulator/Detector Evaluator (FE/DE) for the purpose of testing detectors in a controlled environment. The FE/DE is a flow tunnel where fire or nuisance source characteristics can be controlled so that a detector placed in the FE

Smoke Detector Response to Nuisance Aerosols

March 16, 1999
Author(s)
Thomas G. Cleary, William L. Grosshandler, Artur A. Chernovsky
The worth of a fire detector is determined as much by its ability not to respond to stimuli that are generated from non-threatening sources as to respond in a timely manner to an actual fire. Photo-electric and ionization smoke detectors react to a greater

Upward Flame Spread on Composite Materials

January 1, 1999
Author(s)
Thomas J. Ohlemiller, Thomas G. Cleary
Three existing models of upward flame spread were tested against intermediate-scale experiments on a vinyl-ester/glass composite. Characterization of rate of heat release per unit area, needed as input to the models, was obtained at external radiant fluxes

Fire-Emulator Detector-Evaluation

October 28, 1998
Author(s)
Artur A. Chernovsky, William L. Grosshandler, Thomas G. Cleary, Michael D. Anderson
The performance of a fire detection system is determined as much by its ability to recognize correctly the non-fire state as to sense the presence of a real fire. Common fire detectors respond to particulate matter in the form of smoke from a flaming or

Influence of Surface Silica on the Pyrolysis of Silicones (NISTIR 6242)

October 1, 1998
Author(s)
R R. Buch, John R. Shields, Takashi Kashiwagi, Thomas Cleary, Kenneth D. Steckler
Silicones encompass a wide variety of noval materials that find applications in virtually every major industry sector. The dominant polymer in the silicone industry is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The combustion of long chain PDMS exhibits a low heat

Particulate Entry Lag in Smoke Detectors (NISTIR 6242)

October 1, 1998
Author(s)
Thomas G. Cleary, Artur A. Chernovsky, William L. Grosshandler, Michael D. Anderson
It is well known that smoke detectors do not instantaneously respond to smoke concentration directly outside the detector. The smoke must be transported through the detector housing to a sensing location inside the detector. The sensing time lag is a

Aircraft Cargo Area Fire Detection (NISTIR 6146)

March 1, 1998
Author(s)
D Blake, J O'Sullivan, S Hammann, M L. Kolleck, Thomas Cleary
Overviews of fire deteciton in aircraft cargo areas were presented by David Blake of the Federal Aviation Administration, John O'Sullivan of British Airways, Scott Hammann of Boeing Company, and Matt Koleck ofBooz-Allen & Hamilton. The breakout discussion

Test Fire Signatures and the Fire-Emulator/Detector-Evaluation (NISTIR 6030)

June 1, 1997
Author(s)
William L. Grosshandler, Thomas G. Cleary
Existing methods for evaluating the performance of smoke and thermal detectors are reviewed. The levels of combustion gases, smoke, temperature and velocity likely to be produced in the European standard detector test fires are discussed, and this

Effect of Sample Size on the Heat Release Rate of Charring Materials

March 3, 1997
Author(s)
S J. Ritchie, Kenneth D. Steckler, Anthony P. Hamins, Thomas G. Cleary, Jiann C. Yang, Takashi Kashiwagi
The burning of a horizontal wood slab situated atop an insulating substrate was modeled using three coupled submodels for the gas-phase, wood, and substrate processes. A global analytical model was used to determine the radiative and convective heat

Aerosol and SPGG Technology Fire Suppression Screening Methods (NISTIR 5904)

October 28, 1996
Author(s)
William L. Grosshandler, Jiann C. Yang, Thomas G. Cleary
The search for alternatives to halons for fire suppression applications has identified not only new compounds which have physical properties similar to the bromochlorofluorocarbon family, but also inert gaseous agents that are released from a solid state

Signatures of Smoldering/Pyrolyzing Fires for Multi-Element Detector Evaluation

March 26, 1996
Author(s)
Thomas G. Cleary, William L. Grosshandler, Marc R. Nyden, William J. Rinkinen
Levels of CO, CO2, H2O, hydrocarbons, smoke, temperature and velocity produced in the plumes of smoldering/pyrolyzing wood and smoldering cotton fires are reported, following test protocols described for evaluating automatic fire detection systems. The

Optimization of System Discharge (NIST SP 890)

November 1, 1995
Author(s)
Jiann C. Yang, Thomas G. Cleary, I Vazquez, C I. Boyer, M D. King, B D. Breuel, C A. Womeldorf, William L. Grosshandler, Marcia L. Huber, L Weber, G. Gmurczyk
Current aircraft fire suppression bottles for dry bay and engine nacelle applications, which are designed to meet Military Specification MIL-C-22284A (proof pressure of 9.62 MPa and minimum burst pressure of 12.37 MPa), are normally filled with liquid

Suppression of Engine Nacelle Fires (NIST SP 890)

November 1, 1995
Author(s)
Anthony P. Hamins, Thomas G. Cleary, P. Borthwick, N Gorchkov, Kevin B. McGrattan, Glenn P. Forney, William L. Grosshandler, Cary Presser, L Melton
A series of experimental measurements were conducted and simple models were developed in an effort to provide an improved understanding of the influence of various parameters on the processes controlling flame stability in engine nacelle applications. The

Storage and Discharge Characteristics of Halon Alternatives

October 21, 1995
Author(s)
Jiann C. Yang, Thomas G. Cleary, I Vazquez, C I. Boyer, M D. King, B D. Breuel, Marcia L. Huber, L Weber
Three important issues regarding the use of halon alternatives for in-flight fire protection applications were studied as part of the current halon alternative research program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): (1) the

Suppression Criteria in Engine Nacelle Fires

October 21, 1995
Author(s)
Anthony P. Hamins, Thomas G. Cleary
A series of experimental measurements were conducted and simple models were developed in an effort to provide an improved understanding of the influence of various parameters on the processes controlling flame stability in engine nacelle applications. The

Pipe Flow Characteristics of Alternative Agents for Engine Nacelle Fire Protection

January 1, 1995
Author(s)
Thomas G. Cleary, Jiann C. Yang, William L. Grosshandler, Michelle King, C I. Boyer
As part of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and FAA Halon Replacement Project at NIST, the pipe flow characteristics were investigated for three engine nacelle alternative candidates: HFC-227ea, HFC-125 and CF31. The flow regime in suppression system piping

Upward Flame Spread on Composite Materials

January 1, 1995
Author(s)
Thomas J. Ohlemiller, Thomas G. Cleary
Three existing models of upward flame spread were tested against intermediate-scale experiments on a vinyl-ester/glass composite. Characterization of rate of heat release per unit area, needed as input to the models, was obtained at external radiant fluxes