NASA’s Johnson Space Center together with the Houston Fire Department, the Department of Defense, Aerospace Design and Development, Oceaneering Space Systems, ILC Dover, and Lockheed Martin are developing a prototype protective suit that could double the time a firefighter can battle a blaze before needing rehab to cool off. This advanced firefighter suit uses a number of technologies that also protect space-walking astronauts, including new outer garment fabrics and active cooling inner garments that can allow more lengthy exposure to temperatures of up to 260 degree C (500 degrees F), while protecting the firefighter from building up metabolic heat stress.

Work on developing an advanced firefighter suit began in 1997 when two Houston firefighters brought a

badly damaged helmet to the Space Center and asked if there were any NASA technologies that could provide better performance.

In the evolving partnership, members of the Houston Fire Department took the lead with respect to determining goals and requirements for the suit; the Johnson Space Center coordinates the project and develops approaches for the design, integration and testing of the suit and its components.

The Defense Department develops heat stress models and, tests and evaluates materials. The NASA contractors build mockups, firefighters try them out and make comments, then the contractors build prototypes for field tests and certification for compliance with minimum firefighter standards.

The development team has identified 40 additional areas from which space suit technology can potentially add improvements to structural firefighter protective gear. These include: integrated helmet, improved gloves, radiant heat protection, and ergonomic evaluation for best fit. The integrated helmet would have a built-in duplex digital radio, bone-conduction headset for noise reduction, infrared imaging to search for fire victims, biodata and temperature sensors, and readouts on the status of its life support system.

For additional information, contact Tico Foley at 281-483-2996; fax: 281-244-5773; tico.foley@jsc.nasa.gov. For information on NASA’s Technology Transfer program, visit their web site: http://technology.jsc.nasa.gov.

Nanoparticles Increase Foam Effectiveness

To suppress liquid fuel fires, firefighters often use Class B foams; one of these Class B foams is AFFF. During or after foam application, the foam blanket may be broken any number of ways and, if broken, the fuel re-ignites. NIST has shown that microscopic clay particles, containing plates organized like a deck of cards, may significantly increase the flame resistance of polymers when incorporated into the AFFF foam.

Laboratory tests measured the ability of a 30 cm diameter ring of foam to seal a 10 cm diameter hole of burning heptane. Clay-AFFF foam was able to seal the hole and extinguish the fire in 7 seconds. Regular AFFF foam did not extinguish the fire.

Additional fire testing will be done to provide more information on the effectiveness of clay as an inexpensive performance- enhancing additive.

For more information contact: Dr. Rick D. Davis, 301-975-6698; e-mail: rick.davis@nist.gov.

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