Development of a Next-Generation Burner for Use in Testing Thermal Acoustic Insulation Burnthrough Resistance

摘要

A new and improved burner was developed to test the fire penetration resistance of thermal acoustic insulation in accordance with Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 25.856 (b). This next-generation (NexGen) burner was developed mainly to provide industry with an alternative to the currently accepted burner apparatus manufactured by Park Electric Motors of Atlantic City, NJ. Title 14 CFR 25.856 was written based on the use of the Park DPL 3400 burner; however, the company stopped production of this apparatus shortly after the new test method became final in 2003. The NexGen burner can be considered a direct replacement to the Park-manufactured burner, with several key improvements. The NexGen burner is based on the same operating principle as the Park DPL 3400, using the same, or very similar, internal components to avoid drastically changing the overall character of the flame. The main difference is the elimination of the electric motor, which provided power to the fuel pump and blower fan in the Park-manufactured burner. In the NexGen burner, these functions have been replaced with regulated and conditioned compressed air and a pressurized fuel delivery system. Compressed air, when metered with a sonic orifice and conditioned to remove heat and moisture, proves to be more consistent over extended periods of time than to using a shaft-driven blower and laboratory air for the burner, thus increasing the repeatability of the NexGen burner.