Thermal Protection Provided by Impact Limiters to a Containment Seal Within a Truck Package

Abstract

The Container Analysis Fire Environment (CAFE ) computer code is used to simulate the response of a generic legal-weight-truck package to 3h fires. Simulations are performed with the package centered 1m above a 7.2‐m-diameter JP-8 fuel pool. They are also performed with the package horizontally offset from that location by 1m and 2.5m. Simulations without impact limiters are performed to quantify the level of thermal protection they provide. The minimum fire duration that causes the seal to reach its temperature of concern is determined for each configuration. When the center of the no-impact limiter package is within 2.5m of the pool center, 0.7h fires are capable of causing the seal to reach its temperature of concern. By contrast, the intact package protects the seal in fires that last more than 2h. These results help risk analysts understand the effect of package position and the role of impact limiters on accident consequences.