STRUCTURES

IT IS PROPOSED TO DEVELOP A TEST TO CHARACTERIZE COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT WALL MATERIAL STRENGTH WHEN EXPOSED TO A FIRE. IN PHASE I, AN APPROXIMATELY 4FT X 4 FT GAS-FIRED RADIANT PANELCAPABLE OF EMITTING A MINIMUM OF 30,000 BTU/HR SQ FT AT THE SURFACT WILL BE USED TO EXPOSE REPRESENTATIVE TEST SAMPLES TO WHICH STATIC DESIGN LOADS ARE APPLIED UNTIL FAILURE OCCURS. THE FIRE LOAD TO THE EXPOSED WALL PANEL WILL BE VARIED BY CHANGING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TEST SECTION ANDTHE RADIANT PANEL. DISPLACEMENT OR PROXIMITY GAGES AND WILL BE USED TO RECORD DEFORMATION UNTIL FAILURE OCCURS. THETEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION IN THE COMPOSITE WALL STRUCTURE WILL ALSO BE CONTINUOUSLY RECORDED. IF SUCCESSFUL, A LARGER PANEL OF THE ORDER OF 8 FT X 8 FT WILL BE PROPOSED FOR PHASE II SO THAT TRULY REPRESENTATIVE AIRCRAFT COMPOSITE PHASE II SO THAT TRULY REPRESENTATIVE AIRCRAFT COMPOSITE WALL SECTIONS CAN BE TESTED.