composite propane cylinders for indoor use phase ii … code... · composite propane cylinders for...

Code Approval of Composite Propane Cylinders for Indoor Use Phase II Docket 11643 To

Propane Education

& Research Council

1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 1075

Washington, DC 20036

February 2007

Code Approval of Composite Propane Cylinders for Indoor Use – Phase II

Docket 11643

Final Report

to

Propane Education & Research Council 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 1075

Washington, DC 20036

February 2007

by

Stephanie Flamberg Rodney Osborne

Susan Rose

BATTELLE Applied Energy Systems

505 King Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43201-2693

Battelle does not engage in research for advertising, sales promotion, or endorsement of our clients' interests including raising investment capital or recommending investments decisions, or other publicity purposes, or for any use in litigation.

Battelle endeavors at all times to produce work of the highest quality, consistent with our contract commitments. However, because of the research and/or experimental nature of this work the client undertakes the sole responsibility for the consequence of any use or misuse of, or inability to use, any information, apparatus, process or result obtained from Battelle, and Battelle, its employees, officers, or Trustees have no legal liability for the accuracy, adequacy, or efficacy thereof.

Composite Propane Cylinders iii February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

Code Approval of Composite Propane Cylinders for Indoor Use – Phase II Final Report

Executive Summary

With the encouragement and support of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and cylinder industries, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) and the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) investigated the feasibility of using composite propane cylinders inside residential and commercial buildings, termed “indoor use.” Battelle together with members from a propane industry Advisory Group have been working to provide the NPGA with technical information to assist in the development of a proposal to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for the accepted indoor use of composite propane cylinders in the United States. The objectives of this entire program are to:

• Evaluate and summarize the market potential for indoor propane appliances such as

cabinet heaters. • Review and summarize safe, successful experiences with indoor propane use in Europe

and elsewhere. • Identify the regulatory obstacles to successful acceptance of indoor propane cylinder use;

develop and implement a plan to overcome them with industry support and involvement. • Identify and perform the required testing to determine the performance of equipment,

including cylinders, in fires. • Develop a plan to seek code acceptance of indoor cylinder use.

The work necessary to meet these objectives began in 2003 with a project to provide technical justification to the Department of Transportation (DOT) to achieve acceptance for the transport of composite propane cylinders. This project looked into the safe practices currently used in Europe as well as the established industry codes, standards, and governmental regulations governing the design, testing, manufacturing, and quality control of composite propane cylinders. The results of this effort led to a document to provide technical justification to the DOT to grant exemptions to individual manufacturers for the transport of composite propane cylinders within the U.S. Since that time, two composite cylinder manufacturers have received special permits to transport composite cylinders within the U.S. Although the market potential for composite propane cylinders for use with cabinet heaters looks promising, there is still resistance from the fire protection community regarding their indoor use. The Phase I effort identified that the concerns from the U.S. fire protection community primarily revolve around the potential added risk due to consumer misuse (including lack of maintenance), tampering, leaks, and additional fuel load within a residential structure. Many of these concerns can and have been addressed through engineered systems identified in the current study such as:

Composite Propane Cylinders iv February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

• the OPD and a restriction on cylinder fill level to 39.5% of the marked water capacity to

prevent overfilling the cylinder; • the CGA 793 connection designed specifically for indoor use composite cylinders to

prevent outdoor steel cylinders from being inadvertently or purposefully connected to indoor appliances;

• composite cylinders used indoors with cabinet heaters will be limited to a maximum of 16 pounds propane capacity; will help users distinguish between cylinders permitted to be used indoors and those that are not;

• the size of the cabinet heater is limited to 10,000 Btuh, consistent with the National Fuel Gas Code, NFPA 54 which limits the installation of unvented room heaters in bedrooms to 10,000 Btuh.

Other concerns regarding consumer misuse and tampering were addressed in Phase II of this project through the fire testing efforts and ongoing education outreach programs for both consumers and fire professionals. Even though there remains resistance from the fire protection community, they continue to express a willingness to stay involved in the process through their work in Phase II on the Fire Protection Research Foundation Technical Advisory Panel to assist with development of the detailed fire test plan as well as inviting Battelle to speak at the NFPA Regional Fire Code Development Committees, the NFPA World Safety Conference & Exhibition, and the NFPA State and Provincial Fire Marshals Forum. Feedback from fire professionals continues to enhance the work conducted in this project and ultimately will help to ensure a safe product is introduced for consumer use indoors. In the winter of 2005, Phase II of this project commenced. The objective of Phase II was to continue interactions with the fire protection community, assist the NPGA in development of code language for submission to the NFPA 58 Committee, and perform fire testing of the composite propane cylinders. Phase II included the following six tasks:

• Task 1: Continue Liaison Activities with the Fire Protection Community • Task 2: Conduct Preliminary Composite Cylinder Fire Testing • Task 3: Provide Administrative Support to the Gas Appliance Manufacturer’s

Association (GAMA) Task Force for American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard Development

• Task 4: Support the NPGA in Development of Code Language for Submission to the NFPA 58 Committee

• Task 5: Develop Detailed Fire Performance Test Plan • Task 6: Perform Detailed Fire Testing of the Composite Propane Cylinders.

Throughout Phase II Battelle continued the dialogue with the NFPA Regional Fire Code Committee Meetings. During these meetings, the fire protection community voiced similar concerns regarding the indoor use of the composite cylinders that were highlighted during the

Composite Propane Cylinders v February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

Phase I activities. There were several members who acknowledged that composite cylinders are an improvement over the outdoor steel grill cylinders, yet still have difficulty accepting their transition to indoor use. During these meetings two comments, in particular, significantly changed the direction of the fire test plan originally developed to examine the fire performance of the composite cylinders. These comments included:

• Composite cylinder fire testing should be performed indoors under realistic operating conditions involving normal household items such as furniture, rugs, etc. The tests should address the possibility of flash-over fires and should measure heat flux and temperature spikes.

• Testing should be conducted at a listing facility like UL or FM. If the fire testing is to have any merit it should be done through a consortium of industry members, fire professionals, and standards institutions.

Because of these comments, Battelle sought the assistance of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., the Fire Protection Research Foundation, and the propane industry to help in the development and conduct of the detailed fire test program. Fire Test Program Two fire test programs were developed to determine various performance characteristics of composite propane cylinders. In the first, Battelle and ThermDyne Technologies Limited (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) developed a protocol to quickly test several cylinders in combinations of fire intensity conditions, liquid fill levels, and cylinder orientations. Twenty-nine composite cylinders from two manufacturers and six standard steel cylinders were exposed to propane torch fires. The following results were demonstrated during the first round of fire testing: • No steel cylinders ruptured. The relief valves opened at pressures between 375 to 400 psig.

Some relief valves re-closed above 300 psig, and some didn’t re-close until 100 psig. In all tests, the steel cylinders emptied before the cylinder walls softened and thinned enough to rupture. One steel cylinder did show a bulge.

• When tested vertically and with a nominal fill level of 75 percent, the two composite cylinder designs did not fail. During these tests, propane began to leak around the valve-cylinder connection and diffused through the cylinder walls after reaching peak pressures between 98 psig and 118 psig. The propane continues to permeate through the cylinder wall even though the cylinder pressure is essentially zero.

• When the two-piece composite cylinder design was tested in the horizontal position at a medium flame setting, the cylinder ruptured. This failure was repeatable and occurred when the portion of the joint within the vapor space was exposed to the flame. The same result occurred with a two-piece cylinder in the vertical position and a fill level just below the

Composite Propane Cylinders vi February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

lower joint. The failure mechanism appears to be that the vapor space in the cylinder does not keep the wall cool enough to prevent the joint from coming apart. Under similar conditions, the other cylinder design did not rupture.

• Twenty of the 29 composite cylinders had pressure relief valves, integral to the cylinder valve. Only one of the relief valves opened, on a test where the cylinder was horizontal and the flame was aimed directly at the valve. The peak pressure for this test was 112 psig. We believe that the elastomers in the relief valve degraded from the intense heat causing the valve opened. There was no appreciable difference in performance between the cylinders that had relief valves and those that did not.

The second test program involved a more detailed investigation of the fire performance of composite propane cylinders used with cabinet heaters in an indoor environment. Battelle worked with Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) and the Fire Protection Research Foundation Technical Advisory Panel to develop the room fire test plan and performed the fire testing in UL’s large-scale fire test facility in Northbrook, Illinois. The test plan was designed to address various fire safety concerns, such as the fire hazard from an empty stored cylinder; the contribution of the leaking gas from a composite cylinder to fire hazards in a room fire; the possibility of a composite cylinder rupture when exposed to an ignition source; the contribution to room fires from a spare composite cylinder stored next to the cabinet heater; and the effects of fire hose spray on a burning composite cylinder. Composite cylinders from the same two manufacturers were used in this second phase of fire testing. No steel cylinders were tested in this phase. The first set of tests (referred to Type-1 tests) measured the smoke and heat released from ignited empty composite cylinders. As the jackets and the resins used in the composite cylinders are combustible, these data can be used by fire protection engineers in considering storage requirements of empty cylinders. Two types of room fire tests were performed, referred to as Type-2 and Type-3. In Type-2 tests, a cabinet heater with a composite cylinder was tested in an NFPA 2861 configuration test room with the cylinder exposed to a standard igniter. In this test, the room was lined with gypsum wallboard. The appliance was located in the corner facing the open doorway. In one test, an additional spare cylinder, positioned next to the heater, was exposed to the igniter. The increase in temperatures and heat flux in the test room, as well as pressure in the gas cylinder were measured. In Type-3 tests, the fire performance of the cabinet heater with composite gas cylinder was assessed in a room fire scenario that grows to flashover conditions. In this test, the test room was lined with medium density fiberboard. The cabinet heater incorporating a composite gas cylinder was positioned against the wall facing the open doorway. A 300 kW or a 40 to 160 kW propane burner located in the corner of the room was used to ignite the medium density fiberboard

1 NFPA 286: Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Evaluating Room Fire Growth Contribution of Wall and Ceiling Interior Finish, 2000 Edition.

Composite Propane Cylinders vii February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

resulting in flashover conditions in the test room. In one test, an additional spare cylinder was positioned next to the heater to evaluate the effects of radiant heat on the composite cylinder. The increases in temperatures, ensuing from the fire growth, were measured and the performance of the heating appliance was assessed. The final test was to assess the performance of a burning pressurized cylinder when impacted by a water hose stream. Two igniters were attached to a composite cylinder, filled to half of its capacity with water, was pressurized by nitrogen following a predetermined cylinder pressure-time curve obtained in Type-2 tests. The cylinder was impacted by a water hose stream when a cylinder pressure of 220 psig was reached, six minutes into the test. The cylinder breached before the hose stream impact. However, the hose stream impact did not cause additional damage to the cylinder. The key findings of the second test program were: Fire hazard from empty or filled stored cylinder:

1. The maximum heat release rates from the ignition and burning of the empty cylinders were approximately 100-120 kW.

2. The maximum smoke release rates were 0.65 m3/s for cylinders from one manufacturer and 2.65 m3/s for the other manufacturer’s cylinders.

3. A full stored cylinder sustained the radiant heat from a 300 kW fire for 20 minutes without being ignited or leaking propane (Type-3 test).

4. A burning, nitrogen pressurized stored cylinder did not violently breach or rupture when impacted with a water hose stream.

Contribution of leaking gas from an ignited cylinder to fire hazards in a room fire:

5. In each of the fire tests (Type-2), the ignited composite cylinder in the heater assembly released gas resulting in flashover conditions in the room.

6. In a growing room fire that goes to flashover (Type-3), the composite cylinder breached and ignited after the flashover had occurred. Typically, there was a three to five minute lag. between room flashover and breach of the cylinder. The leaking gas cylinder did not rupture.

7. Once the cylinder started to leak, the release of gas continued during the test. A full cylinder was emptied approximately 10 to 15 minutes after the maximum pressure was reached.

Rupture hazard from propane filled cylinder:

8. Cylinder design played a role in its fire performance. In one of the Type-2 tests, a rupture of a two-piece cylinder occurred 17 minutes into the test, at a pressure of 46 psig. The rupture occurred when the pressure level was decaying; eight minutes after the pressure had reached its maximum level of 243 psig. The burst resulted in severe

Composite Propane Cylinders viii February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

heater and room damage. The failed cylinder was the same design that ruptured during the first fire test program.

9. None of the one-piece cylinders ruptured during testing. High velocity jetting of propane gas flames upon leakage from the cylinder:

10. In all the Type-2 and Type-3 tests, there was no evidence of high velocity jetting of propane gas after the composite cylinder had breached and ignited. The cylinder pressure when the breach was observed (128-270 psig) was lower than the relief valve setting (375 psig).

Durations, temperatures, pressures, and heat flux measurements:

11. For Type-2 tests, except for the test involving a spare cylinder, the cylinder pressure increased during the tests until propane gas began to release after 4 to 12 minutes, at a pressure level from 163 to 242 psig. When gas was released, the heat flux (measured on the center of the floor) and the room temperature (measured below the ceiling) increased very quickly. The average ceiling temperatures reached 614-831 °C. The maximum heat flux obtained was 20-36 kW/m2. For all tests involving ignition of a full cylinder in a cabinet heater, the room reached (or was close to) flashover conditions between 5 to 12 minutes after ignition.

12. In the Type-2 test with the spare cylinder, the burning rate of the cylinder surface was lower, and the increase in cylinder pressure was slower, than for a cylinder located in a heater. The spare cylinder did not release gas throughout the test, reaching 303 psig at the test termination time of 20 minutes. The fire size of the burning spare cylinder did not result in any significant pressure increase or visible damage of the cylinder in the heater.

13. In the Type 3 tests, the room reached flashover conditions after one to two minutes for the 300 kW initial burner size and after four to seven minutes for the 40 kW/160 kW burner size, but the cylinder in the heater was not immediately affected. The release of propane gas occurred six to twelve minutes into the test, at a pressure level of 170 to 270 psig.

14. In the Type-3 test with a spare cylinder and a cylinder in the cabinet heater, the spare cylinder pressure increased to 231 psig, and the pressure of the cylinder in the heater increased to 123 psig, during the 30 minute test. Figure 11 shows the exterior of the spare cylinder after this test, with the jacket partially melted, but with no significant damage to the pressure vessel walls.

NFPA 58 Requirements, Cylinder Listing, Cabinet Heater Listing The 2007 edition of NFPA 58 will contain provisions regarding composite cylinders that are intended to ensure they can perform safely, whether they are installed indoors or outdoors. For example, all composite cylinders must be listed. The criteria for listing cylinders for indoor use versus those used on grills and other outdoor applications will undoubtedly be different, but the

Composite Propane Cylinders ix February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

fact that they are required to be listed represents a new level of scrutiny for cylinders that had not previously been present. The listing criteria for cylinders in general use will be based on the successful testing to the criteria used to obtain DOT approval. For indoor use with cabinet heaters, the test protocols developed during the first and second fire test programs will be used to develop the cylinder listing standard. The results of these test protocols and tests showed that the design of one manufacturer (as of 2005) would not pass this listing process. Introducing cabinet heaters into NFPA 58 also includes a parallel effort to develop a gas appliance standard specific to cabinet heaters. A project with the ANSI Z21/83 Committee is proceeding through the process of defining an appliance standard, tentatively titled Z21.11.3, Propane-Fired Portable Heater Systems. The draft standard was initiated by a working group of propane and appliance manufacturing industries representatives and safety representatives under the umbrella of the ANSI/CSA Unvented Heaters Technical Advisory Group (TAG). To date, the draft appliance standard has completed one public review period and the comments will be reviewed by the TAG at its meeting in February 2007. Conclusion The propane industry is supportive of developing new products to take advantage of the composite cylinders’ benefits, including indoor use of these cylinders. Even more importantly, the propane industry is committed to the safe use of these products through their support of the fire test programs discussed in this report as well as the development of educational materials for firefighters and the general public on cabinet heaters and indoor use of propane. Through these efforts, data has been generated that indicate composite cylinder fire test performance is encouraging for indoor use with the appropriate designs and safeguards in place.

Composite Propane Cylinders x February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

Composite Propane Cylinders xi February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

Table of Contents Page

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... iii

Introduction......................................................................................................................................1

Task 1 – Continue Liaison Activities with the Fire Protection Community...................................1

Phase I Meetings (PERC Docket # 11328).................................................................................2

Phase II Meetings........................................................................................................................2

NFPA Regional Fire Code Committee Meetings ................................................................... 3

Advisory Panel on Composite Propane Cylinder Fire Testing............................................... 6

NFPA State and Provincial Fire Marshals Forum, NFPA World Safety Conference & Exhibition, and PGAC National Conference ......................................................................... 7

UL Consumer and Fire Council Meetings .............................................................................. 7

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 8

Task 2 – Conduct Preliminary Composite Cylinder Fire Testing....................................................9

Preliminary Testing................................................................................................................. 9

Quantification of Test Parameters......................................................................................... 13

Task 3 – Provide Administrative Support to the Gas Appliance Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA) Task Force for American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard Development21

Task 4 – Support the NPGA in Development of Code Language for Submission to the NFPA 58 Committee......................................................................................................................................23

2005 NFPA 58 Technical Committee Meeting..................................................................... 23

2006 NFPA 58 Technical Committee Meeting..................................................................... 23

Task 5 – Develop Detailed Fire Performance Test Plan................................................................25

Fire Protection Research Foundation Technical Advisory Panel Comments...........................25

Panel Input - General Issues ................................................................................................. 26

Panel Input - Test Program ................................................................................................... 27

Detailed Fire Test Plan .............................................................................................................27

Test Type 1 – Heat and Smoke Release Rate from Empty Cylinder.................................... 28

Test Type 2 – Fire Performance of the Heating Appliance with Composite Gas Cylinder in a Room with the Cylinder as the Item Ignited ..................................................................... 30

Test Type 3 – Fire Performance of the Heating Appliance with Composite Cylinder in a Room Fire Growing to Flashover Conditions...................................................................... 32

Test Type 4 – Fire Performance of Cylinder Subjected to a Steady 300 kW Room Fire..... 34

Composite Propane Cylinders xii February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

Test Type 5 – Performance of a Burning Pressurized Composite Cylinder after Impacted by a Water Hose Stream ........................................................................................................... 35

Task 6 – Perform Detailed Fire Testing of the Composite Propane Cylinders .............................37

Test Type 1 Tests......................................................................................................................37

Test Type 2 Tests......................................................................................................................38

Test Type 3 Tests......................................................................................................................38

Test Type 4 Tests......................................................................................................................40

Test Type 5 Tests......................................................................................................................40

Key Findings.............................................................................................................................41

Fire Hazard from Empty or Filled Stored Cylinder .............................................................. 41

Contribution of Leaking Gas from an Ignited Ccylinder to Fire Hazards in a Room Fire .. 41

Rupture Hazard from Propane Filled Cylinder ..................................................................... 41

High Velocity Jetting of Propane Gas Flames upon Leakage from the Cylinder................. 41

Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................43

Appendix A Presentation for NFPA Regional Fire Code Committee Meetings (Phase II, 2005)..................................................................................................................... A-1

Appendix B Report on Preliminary Testing – March 2005....................................................... B-1

Appendix C Report on the Characterization of Fire Conditions Used in Preliminary Fire Testing of Composite Propane Cylinders – February 2006............................................................... C-1

Appendix D Cabinet Heater Task Force Meeting Minutes – January 2005 through November 2005..................................................................................................................... D-1

Appendix E Presentation to NFPA 58 Committee – August 2005.............................................E-1

Appendix F Presentation to NFPA 58 Committee – March 2006 ..............................................F-1

Appendix G Presentation to the Fire Protection Research Foundation Panel – June 2005 ....... G-1

Appendix H Underwriters Laboratories Testing – November 2005.......................................... H-1

Composite Propane Cylinders xiii February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

List of Figures

Figure 1. Vertically oriented cylinder..........................................................................................12

Figure 2. Horizontally oriented cylinder......................................................................................12

Figure 3. Steel cylinder, slightly bulged. .....................................................................................12

Figure 4. Composite cylinder after tests - residual propane contunes to burn.............................12

Figure 5. Ruptured two-piece composite cylinder.......................................................................13

Figure 6. One piece composite cylinder, no rupture....................................................................13

Figure 7. Test site layout showing camera locations relative to cylinder center. ........................14

Figure 8. Location of wall thermocouples on vertical cylinder. ..................................................15

Figure 9. Location of wall thermocouples on horizontal cylinder...............................................16

Figure 10. Horizontal calorimeter test setup................................................................................17

Figure 11. Vertical calorimeter test setup. ...................................................................................18

Figure 12. Test Type 1 Test Setup. ..............................................................................................29

Figure 13. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 2 Test Arrangement .........................31

Figure 14. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 3 Test Arrangement. ........................33

Figure 15. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 4 Test Arrangement .........................35

List of Tables

Table 1. Summary of Concerns and Comments. ...........................................................................4

Table 2. Preliminary Composite Cylinder Testing Fire Conditions. ...........................................10

Table 3. Composite Cylinder Test Plan .......................................................................................11

Table 4. Summary of test conditions ...........................................................................................19

Table 5. Test Variations for Test Type 1 .....................................................................................30



Table 8. Summary of Test Type 1 Results...................................................................................38

Table 9. Summary of Test Type 2 Results...................................................................................39

Table 10. Summary of Test Type 3 .............................................................................................40

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Composite Propane Cylinders 1 February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

Code Approval of Composite Propane Cylinders for Indoor Use – Phase II Final Report

February 2007

Introduction

The purpose of this project was to assist the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) in the development of a proposal to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for the accepted indoor use of propane composite cylinders. This project was divided into two phases. The scope of Phase I was to investigate the market viability for indoor composite propane cylinders, review previous work performed by the NPGA to gain approval for indoor use, review international experience with indoor propane cylinders (specifically composite cylinders), and meet with fire fighting professionals to identify potential concerns regarding indoor use. The scope of Phase II was to continue our interaction with the fire protection community, assist the NPGA in development of code language for submission to the NFPA 58 Committee, and perform fire testing of the composite propane cylinders. Phase II included the following tasks:

• Task 1 – Continue Liaison Activities with the Fire Protection Community • Task 2 – Conduct Preliminary Composite Cylinder Fire Testing • Task 3 – Provide Administrative Support to the Gas Appliance Manufacturer’s

Association (GAMA) Task Force for American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard Development

• Task 4 – Support the NPGA in Development of Code Language for Submission to the NFPA 58 Committee

• Task 5 – Develop Detailed Fire Performance Test Plan • Task 6 – Perform Detailed Fire Testing of the Composite Propane Cylinders.

This report details the activities conducted for each task.

Task 1 – Continue Liaison Activities with the Fire Protection Community

The purpose of Task 1 was to continue our dialog and meetings with contacts on the regional NFPA committees, the NFPA 58 Technical Committee, and the Fire Protection Research Foundation (The Foundation) through year end 2006. Over the course of this project Battelle has disseminated information to these contacts regarding composite cylinder fire testing data as well as invited them to witness some of the detailed fire testing at the Underwriters Laboratories’ Large-Scale Fire Research Facility. Through this dialog, Battelle has identified a number of concerns from the fire protection community that has led to an alternative detailed fire test plan.


Phase I Meetings (PERC Docket # 11328)

Battelle attended the following NFPA Committee meetings to discuss the indoor propane composite cylinder effort and obtain feedback. During these meetings, Battelle presented a brief overview of the composite cylinders and plans for testing. A video was also shown of fire testing conducted by several manufacturers.

• NFPA 58 Technical Committee Meeting, August 24-25, 2004 • NFPA Regional Fire Code Development Committee, Southern Region – Little Rock, AK,

September 9, 2004 • NFPA Regional Fire Code Development Committee, Northcentral Region – Jackson

Hole, WY, September 21, 2004 The members of each Committee were given the opportunity to provide feedback, ask questions, and discuss concerns regarding indoor use of composite propane cylinders. During these initial discussions, many of the fire professionals expressed opposition to the indoor use of composite propane cylinders. Many of the fire professionals questioned the assumption that there was a large demand for the use of indoor appliances equipped with composite propane cylinders. Since they couldn’t see the need for such appliances, they were quite against the potential added risk if propane cylinders are approved for indoor use. However, there was an indication that if it could be demonstrated that such appliances are as safe as or safer than natural gas appliances, then they might be more likely to agree with potential code changes. General concern was expressed about the possibility for consumer misuse, tampering, and adapting the connection on a standard steel cylinder for use with the indoor appliance, basically bypassing “composite cylinder only” connections. In fact, two attending state Fire Marshals stated that they would not accept any changes to NFPA 58 if it permitted indoor use of 20-pound composite propane cylinders. During these meeting, the fire professionals mentioned that they have to deal with life-threatening situations everyday and most of their experiences with propane cylinders have been negative (gas-grills catching fire, the use of gas-grills on decks and in garages that cause fires, etc.).

Phase II Meetings

With the initiation of Phase II of this project, Battelle continued their liaison efforts with the fire protection community.


NFPA Regional Fire Code Committee Meetings

Battelle attended each of the four spring NFPA Regional Fire Code Committee Meetings to continue discussions about the indoor propane composite cylinder effort and obtain further feedback on the fire test program. Presentation slides from these meetings are included in Appendix A.

• Western Region – Las Vegas, Nevada, February 16, 2005 • Northeastern Region – Baltimore, Maryland, March 9, 2005 • Northcentral Region – Durango, Colorado, March 15, 2005 • Southern Region – Atlanta, Georgia, March 22, 2005

During the Spring 2005 Regional Fire Code Committee meetings, the fire protection community voiced similar concerns regarding the indoor use of the composite cylinders that were highlighted during the Phase I activities. There are a number of members who believe composite cylinders are an improvement over the outdoor steel grill cylinders, yet still have difficulty accepting their transition to indoor use. Major issues that were expressed during the Spring 2005 Regional Fire Code Committee Meetings included:

• Composite cylinder fire testing should be performed indoors under realistic operating conditions involving normal household items such as furniture, rugs, etc. The tests should address the possibility of flash-over fires and should measure heat flux and temperature spikes.

• Testing should be conducted at a listing facility like Underwriters Laboratories or Factory Mutual. The fire professionals felt that if the testing is to have any merit it should be done through a consortium of industry members, fire professionals, and standards institutions.

A summary of concerns and comments to date from the NFPA Regional and NFPA 58 Committee Meetings are provided in Table 1. General topics include:

• Connections and adapters (to allow connection of steel outdoor only cylinders to indoor appliances)

• Consumer misuse / tampering • Fire testing • International use of composite cylinders • Inspection and requalification of cylinders • Pressure relief devices / overfill • Filling procedures • Cylinder material • Carbon monoxide production


Table 1. Summary of Concerns and Comments.

NFPA Regional Committee*

Comments/Concerns NE NC S W NFPA 58

Committee

CONNECTIONS AND ADAPTERS

Leaks at the connection between the appliance and cylinder; leaks between the valve boss and cylinder X X X

Reliability of the connection after repeated connecting/disconnecting X

Use of adapters X X

Will there be a manual shut-off on the cylinder valve (if the valve breaks off)? X

Leaks at hose connections (breaking; leaking; wearing out) X

CONSUMER MISUSE / TAMPERING

Can’t take the human element out of the equation; propane cylinders indoors just a bad idea X

Even with a unique connection consumers will still “jerry-rig” the appliance to accept a steel cylinder X X

Consumer misuse; improper connections; not following manufacturer’s instructions X

FIRE TESTING CONCERNS

Need to perform fire testing indoors (actual conditions; furniture; rugs); look for development of flash over fires; measure heat flux and temperature spikes

X X X

Need to perform fire testing of the entire appliance (cylinder and cabinet heater combined). X

What happens to a cylinder exposed to a fire started elsewhere in a room; how will the cylinder contribute to the fire?

X

Need to perform fire hose stream testing X X

What happens if the cylinder fire is extinguished before all the fuel is burned-up; will propane still leak through the fiberglass wrap?

X X

Concerned about reduced visibility from smoke produced by outer plastic covering X X

Testing not being conducted at a UL or FM listed facility; for testing to have merit needs to be done through a consortium of industry members, fire professionals, and standards institutions.

X




Committee

INTERNATIONAL USE OF COMPOSITE CYLINDERS

What is the European experience with composite cylinders (types of incidents; fires; leaks); any statistics? X X X

Don’t really care that these cylinders are used in Europe: European countries do not have a natural gas

infrastructure like we do in the US Several fire fighting professionals have seen LPG

cylinders used in Europe for cooking and heating – they’re not experiencing a rash of fires.

However, European buildings are not made of wood like they are in the US; the walls are typically thicker and of different construction

X

INSPECTION AND REQUALIFICATION OF CYLINDERS

What is the service life/re-qualification period? X

How will the visual inspections be performed? Concerned that visual inspection will not be enough especially for cylinders stored outside; small cracks filling with water, freezing, and expanding

X

Concerned that the appliances will not be properly inspected and maintained since they will be used within a residence

X X

PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES (PRD) / OVERFILL

Against NOT having a PRD on indoor cylinders; difficult to believe composite will not rupture X

What happens if a cylinder is overfilled without a PRD? X

Venting through the PRD if the cylinder is overfilled X X

FILLING PROCEDURES

Cylinder overfill and improper training of cylinder fill operators X X

Will the cylinders be refillable, one-time use, or exchanged? X X

CYLINDER MATERIAL

Compatibility of cylinder materials with propane impurities/external cleaning agents X

What is the sensitivity to UV light? X

Heat transfer property differences between composite and steel cylinders

X X

CARBON MONOXIDE

Concerned about carbon monoxide production; currently have problems with other vent—free appliances

X X X X




Committee

GENERAL

Will take exception if the language in NFPA 58 is revised X X X

Portable heaters are already a leading cause of home heating fires – why would we want to introduce another appliance?

X X

Indoor use of propane cylinders is just a bad idea – it’s a conceptual problem not an engineering problem X

Need to perform puncture testing X X

Have we considered seismic restraint provisions for earthquake prone areas? X

What are the intended applications for indoor composite cylinders (residential, industrial, commercial, etc.)

X X X

* NE = Northeastern Regional Committee; NC = Northcentral Regional Committee; S = Southern Regional Committee; W = Western Regional Committee.

The feedback from the fire protection professionals was taken very seriously and led to significant changes to the detailed fire test plan as well as guided discussions for the development of a composite cylinder and cabinet heater listing standard and training programs to educate fire professionals and consumers.

Advisory Panel on Composite Propane Cylinder Fire Testing

In addition to meeting with the Regional Fire Code Committees, Battelle contracted the Fire Protection Research Foundation (the Foundation) to establish a committee of fire protection officials to aid in the development of the detailed composite cylinder fire testing protocol. This committee was established to allow fire professionals to remain involved in the process as well as have input into the direction of the fire testing program. The Foundation is a charitable independent affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association and was responsible for forming a Technical Advisory Panel for this project that included key representatives of NFPA Committee 58, the International Fire Marshal’s Association, and technical experts in this field. The Panel consists of eight individuals, who were involved in reviewing the test plans, witnessing the fire testing and guiding the progress of the project toward its intended goal. The Foundation facilitated the following activities of this group:

• A Panel meeting whose objective was to obtain comments and feedback from the Panel on the proposed composite cylinder/appliance fire performance test plan.

• Site visit by the Panel to witness demonstration testing. • Review of the testing results and any changes to the test program that may result.


The Foundation documented Panel comments and concerns at each step in the process and documented the process used to develop the test program. Full details of the meetings coordinated by the Foundation Technical Advisory Panel are provided in the Task 5 section of this report and describe the development of the detailed composite cylinder fire performance testing protocol.

NFPA State and Provincial Fire Marshals Forum, NFPA World Safety Conference & Exhibition, and PGAC National Conference

In the Spring 2006, Battelle was invited to present on composite propane cylinders at the Propane Gas Association of Canada (PGAC) National Conference, the NFPA State and Provincial Fire Marshals Forum, and the NFPA World Safety Conference & Exhibition. The presentations highlighted the design features of the composite cylinders as well as results from the fire tests. These efforts were a continuation of the outreach to the fire protection community to keep them abreast of the findings from this project.

UL Consumer and Fire Council Meetings

In April 2006, Battelle was invited to attend the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Consumer and Fire Council Meetings in Chicago, Illinois as observers. The UL Consumers Council is populated by a wide range of people including educators, government (state consumer affairs officers and Consumer Product Safety Commission), health care, and safety consultants. The Fire Council contains fire chiefs, fire marshals, fire service organizations, and insurance representatives. The Councils advise UL on standard development activities, from reviewing existing standards to suggesting and reviewing new standards. These councils are only advisory and as such UL is not required to accept recommendations from its councils but certainly considers the feedback and concerns raised by the councils as an important part of their standards development process. UL’s Tom Blewitt gave a presentation to the Consumers Council on cabinet heaters and composite cylinders. This presentation was geared toward informing the council of the proposals for modifications to NFPA 58 regarding indoor use of cabinet heaters equipped with composite propane cylinders. The presentation provided information on the fire performance of the composite cylinders as well as the concerns UL has with consumer use and potential for confusion between traditional outdoor applications and this "new" indoor use application. Questions raised by the UL Consumers Council echoed similar concerns of the regional fire code development committees, including:

• Can the steel outdoor cylinders be adapted to indoor use? If yes, how easily? • Will the appliance have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector built-in, like some other gas

appliances? • How do you prevent customers from storing cylinders indoors?


• For decades, industry/regulations have educated consumers in keeping propane cylinders outside; will it cause confusion to now say it is safe to bring indoors some cylinders, but not others?

• Although the cabinet heater system is geared toward supplemental heating; impoverished, lower education consumers are more likely to use it as their primary heating source (possibly multiple units and storage of spare cylinders indoors).

• How easily will the customer be able to distinguish between the steel cylinder and the composite cylinder? More of a concern is how will the customer distinguish between an outdoor composite cylinder (> 16 lbs, CGA 791) and an indoor composite cylinder (<16 lbs, CGA 793)?

• How can we prevent the cabinet heater from being used in a garage, where there is a concern about storage of other flammable materials and potential ignition of vapors?

Battelle was unable to attend the Fire Council meeting however we were informed that the feedback reiterated previous comments and concerns.

Summary

The feedback from the fire protection professionals was taken very seriously and led to significant improvements to the detailed fire test plan. In addition, information from the fire protection community liaison efforts have guided discussions for the development of composite cylinder and cabinet heater listing standards as well as programs to educate fire professionals and consumers in the safe use of these appliances. Efforts to continue a dialogue with the fire protection community will remain an important goal of this project.


Task 2 – Conduct Preliminary Composite Cylinder Fire Testing

The purpose of Task 2 was to conduct preliminary fire performance testing of the composite cylinder to provide background information to the Advisory Group and NPGA.

Preliminary Testing

Battelle and ThermDyne performed preliminary fire testing for the project from February 17 to March 3, 2005, at the Mining Resource Engineering Limited’s test site north of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Six conventional steel cylinders, 18 two-piece, linerless composite cylinders, and 11 one-piece, lined cylinders were tested in various fire exposure conditions, orientations, and fill levels. All cylinders were nominally 20 pound capacity (45 to 47 pound water capacity). The three fire conditions that were used in the preliminary fire tests to mimic a liquid hydrocarbon pool fire are described in Table 2 and a summary of the test plan is provided in Table 3. In the preliminary testing, the test cylinders were oriented either vertically (Figure 1) or horizontally (Figure 2). In the horizontal position, the flame was directed at the side (as shown in Figure 2), at the valve, or at the base for the different tests. No steel cylinders ruptured during the testing. The relief valves opened between 375 and 400 psig. Some relief valves re-closed above 300 psig, and some didn’t re-close until 100 psig. In all tests, the steel cylinders emptied before the cylinder walls softened and thinned enough to rupture. One steel cylinder did show a bulge (Figure 3). When tested vertically and with a nominal fill level of 75 percent, the two-piece, linerless composite cylinder did not fail (Figure 4). During these tests, propane began to leak around the valve-cylinder connection and diffused through the cylinder walls after reaching peak pressures between 98 psig and 118 psig. Figure 4 shows that the propane continues to permeate through the wall even though the cylinder pressure was essentially zero gage. The outer protective jacket was consumed on all composite cylinder tests.


Table 2. Preliminary Composite Cylinder Testing Fire Conditions.

Fire Condition Example

Fire A – a lazy, very luminous flame that just lapped the edge of the cylinder, 3 burners 7 inches from cylinder side, 6.5 inches up from cylinder bottom, burner fuel pressure < 1 psig

Fire B – slightly more intense, more jetting flame, 3 burners 7 inches from cylinder side, 6.5 inches up from cylinder bottom, burner fuel pressure 2-3 psig

Fire C – even more intense, more jetting flame, 3 burners, 16 inches from side, 6.5 inches up, burner fuel pressure 5 psig.


Table 3. Composite Cylinder Test Plan

Cylinder Equipped with PRV?*

Initial Fill Orientation Fire**

C1 Vertical A C2 Vertical B C3 Horizontal B C4 Horizontal C C5 Vertical C C6 Horizontal A C7 Horizontal B

C8 Horizontal Base heating B

C9

Yes 16 lbs

Horizontal, Head heating B C10 15 lb Horizontal A C11 16 lb Horizontal B C12 16 lb Vertical B C13 7 lb Vertical B C14 12 lb Vertical B C15 7 lb Vertical A C16 15 lb Vertical, Fire on head B C17 15 lb Horizontal B

Vend

or #

1

C18

No

15 lb Horizontal A/B C19 19 lb Vertical B C20 18 lb Horizontal B C21 19 lb Vertical C C22 19 lb Vertical C C23 19 lb Horizontal, Fire on bottom B C24 18 lb Horizontal B C25 19 lb Vertical, Fire on head B C26 8 lb, reduced fill Vertical B C27 6 lb, reduced fill Vertical B C28 7 lb, reduced fill Horizontal B

Vend

or #

2

C29

Yes, FP

7 lb Vertical C S1 Vertical A S2 Vertical B S3 Horizontal B S4 Horizontal C S5 Vertical C

Stee

l

S6

Yes 80%

Horizontal, Base heating B

* FP = fusible plug pressure relief device ** Fire A – 3 burners 7 inches from cylinder side, 6.5 inches up from cylinder bottom, burner fuel pressure < 1 psig ; Fire B– 3 burners 7 inches from cylinder side, 6.5 inches up from cylinder bottom, burner fuel pressure 2-3 psig; Fire C – 3 burners, 16 inches from side, 6.5 inches up, burner fuel pressure 5 psig.


Figure 1. Vertically oriented cylinder. Figure 2. Horizontally oriented cylinder.

Figure 3. Steel cylinder, slightly bulged. Figure 4. Composite cylinder after tests - residual propane contunes to burn.

When the two-piece, linerless cylinder was tested in the horizontal position at a medium flame setting, the cylinder ruptured. Figure 5 shows the two separated pieces and the burning fragments of the outer jacket. This failure was repeatable and occurred when the joint within the vapor space was exposed to the flame with the cylinder in the horizontal position. The same result occurred with a cylinder in the vertical position and a fill level just below the lower joint. The failure mechanism appears to be that vapor space in the cylinder does not keep the wall cool enough to prevent the joint from coming apart. Under similar conditions, the one-piece cylinders did not rupture. Figure 6 shows a flame coming from the bottom of the cylinder where there is a gap in the filament windings but the cylinder remained intact throughout the duration of the test.


Figure 5. Ruptured two-piece composite cylinder.

Figure 6. One piece composite cylinder, no rupture.

Nine of the two-piece and all of the one piece cylinders had pressure relief valves, integral to the cylinder valve. Only one of the two-piece relief valves opened, on a test where cylinder was horizontal and the flame was directed directly at the valve. The pressure on this test peaked at 112 psig. We believe that the elastomers in the valve gave way and the valve opened. There was no appreciable difference in performance between the two-piece cylinders that had relief valves and those that did not. All of the one-piece cylinders had fusible plugs, rated at 130 C and were observed to open if the flame impacted the valve area. The entire summary report submitted to PERC (including the test results table) is provided as Appendix B.

Quantification of Test Parameters

During the preliminary fire tests, three fire conditions were used to determine the performance of the composite cylinders. Since the preliminary tests were designed to obtain a lot of data in a relatively short amount of time, little instrumentation was used to quantify the actual heat input into the cylinders. To better understand the heat input, additional testing was conducted by ThermDyne to quantify the heat transfer rates used in the preliminary cylinder fire tests. Calorimeters made from standard 20 pound steel propane cylinders were used as part of the test apparatus to quantify the heat transfer rate from the three liquid propane fuelled utility torches used in the preliminary testing. Each torch nominally generates 2 million BTU/hr at a fuel pressure of 40 psig. At the low fuel pressures (1-5 psig) used in the preliminary testing, these torches produce a low momentum luminous diffusion flame similar to a liquid hydrocarbon pool fire. The test apparatus layout is shown in Figure 7.


100"

Camera 1

Test Pad

Wall12

0"

84"

66"

Camera 4(180" above pad)

Burner Stand

BurnersTank

80"

Camera 2

22"

Camera 3

Figure 7. Test site layout showing camera locations relative to cylinder center.

The cylinders were instrumented with wall and lading thermocouples as shown in Figure 8 for the vertical orientation and Figure 9 for the horizontal orientation. The cylinders were filled with water to levels of 80-percent, 64-percent and 30-percent by volume during the tests while the fire intensities were varied by setting the burner fuel pressure at approximately 1 psig, 2.5 psig and 5 psig.


6

7

8

9

101

23

4

5

13, 18, 23, 28

45°

45°45°

45°

18

23

28

Front View

2726

16

21

17

22

11

6

12

1

7

32

13

29

19

24

54

8 9

14

30

20

25

10

15

Top View

15,20,25,3011,16,21,26

12,17,22,27 14,19,24,29

Figure 8. Location of wall thermocouples on vertical cylinder.

Composite Propane Cylinders February 2007 for Indoor Use — Phase II Battelle

16

Figu

re 9

. L

ocat

ion

of w

all t

herm

ocou

ples

on

hori

zont

al c

ylin

der.

3,4,

5

1,2

25

6 24 18 26

34

56

78 10

91

1112

1314

15

1617

1819

2021

2223

2 24 25 26

2728

2930

31 3534

3332

30°

15°

15°

15°

15° 30°

30°

32,3

3,34

,35

27,2

8,29

30,3

1

19,2

0,21

22,2

311,1

2,13

14,1

5

7,8

16,1

7

9,10

Fron

t Vie

wEn

d Vi

ew


17

Test Setup

The test setup was designed to replicate the conditions of the preliminary fire tests2. The test setup for the horizontal orientation is shown in Figure 10 while the test setup for the vertical orientation is shown Figure 11. Part of the cylinder surface was insulated to protect the thermocouple wires as they exited the cylinder. A mechanical mixer was used to eliminate liquid temperature stratification to maintain even temperature distribution through the liquid lading. This was done to simplify the heat transfer rate calculations to the liquid.

Figure 10. Horizontal calorimeter test setup.

2 Indoor Use of Propane Cylinders – Preliminary Fire Testing of Composite Propane Cylinders, ThermDyne Technologies Ltd., for Battelle Memorial Institute, March 2005.


18

Figure 11. Vertical calorimeter test setup.

The following steps were followed when performing each test:

1. Position calorimeter on pad 7 inches (18 cm) from front of burners 2. Secure mixer in calorimeter 3. Add required volume of water to calorimeter 4. Record water temperature and depth, wind speed and ambient temperature 5. Ignite auxiliary burners 6. Adjust fuel pressure and allow to reach equilibrium 7. Start recording data 8. Activate cameras 9. Activate mixer 10. Ignite main burners and shut off auxiliary 11. When liquid temperature approaches 100°C shut off main burners 12. Deactivate mixer, cameras and data recording 13. Record wind speed, water temperature and depth 14. Drain calorimeter


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Test Matrix

The fuel pressure, fill level and cylinder orientation were varied resulting in the test matrix described in Table 4.

Table 4. Summary of test conditions

Test Cylinder Date Fill Level

Target Fuel

Pressure (psig)

Qualitative Fire Condition in Preliminary

Test

Average Steady State Fuel Pressure

(psig)

1* Vertical 11/28/2005 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.5 (Faulty fuel supply)

2* Vertical 12/5/2005 80% (17.3L) 1 A 0.9

3* Vertical 12/6/2005 80% (17.3L) 5 C 5.7

4* Vertical 12/7/2005 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.7

5* Vertical 12/7/2005 80% (17.3L) 1 A 0.9

6* Vertical 12/12/2005 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.5

7 Vertical 1/10/2006 64% (13.8L) 1 A 1.0

8 Vertical 1/10/2006 64% (13.8L) 2.5 B 2.4

9 Vertical 1/10/2006 64% (13.8L) 5 C 4.7

10 Vertical 1/12/2006 64% (13.8L) 1 A 1.0

11 Vertical 1/12/2006 30% (6.5L) 1 A 1.0

12 Vertical 1/13/2006 30% (6.5L) 2.5 B 2.2

13 Vertical 1/13/2006 30% (6.5L) 5 C 4.8

14 Vertical 1/19/2006 80% (17.3L) 1 A 1.0

15 Vertical 1/19/2006 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.1

16 Vertical 1/19/2006 80% (17.3L) 5 C 4.9

H1 Horizontal 12/19/2005 80% (17.3L) 1 A 0.7

H2 Horizontal 12/19/2005 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.2

H3 Horizontal 12/19/2005 80% (17.3L) 5 C 5.2

H4 Horizontal 12/21/2005 64% (13.8L) 1 A 1.0

H5 Horizontal 12/21/2005 64% (13.8L) 2.5 B Not reached

H6 Horizontal 1/4/2006 64% (13.8L) 2.5 B 3.0

H7 Horizontal 1/4/2006 64% (13.8L) 5 C 6.7

H8 Horizontal 1/5/2006 64% (13.8L) 5 C 5.1

H9 Horizontal 1/5/2006 30% (6.5L) 1 A 1.0

H10 Horizontal 1/6/2006 30% (6.5L) 2.5 B 2.4

H11 Horizontal 1/6/2006 30% (6.5L) 5 C 5.2

* A preliminary vertical calorimeter was used for tests 1 through 6. This calorimeter suffered several thermocouple failures and was rebuilt. It was replaced for tests 7 to 16. Wall temperatures were invalid for tests 4 & 5 and parts of tests 3 & 6.


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Results

Results were obtained to quantify the temperature rise rate of the liquid and vapor space, and the liquid and vapor wetted wall temperatures. From these, it was possible to calculate the total heat transfer rate to the liquid, to estimate the average liquid wetted wall heat flux, and the effective fire blackbody temperature. All test results are detailed in the calorimeter test report provided in Appendix C. In general, the results showed the following trends:

i) increasing heat transfer rates and flux with burner pressure ii) increasing peak wall temperatures with reduced fill levels

However there is considerable scatter and some unusual reversals in trends. These are believed to be associated with external effects such as wind. Every attempt was made to test under low wind conditions but some wind effects were inevitable. Wind is a major consideration in this kind of testing. The burner arrangement used in this work was intended to simulate the heat flux from liquid hydrocarbon pool fires. The estimated flame temperatures obtained from these tests is in the range of 750 to 1050 C which is in good agreement with measured hydrocarbon pool fire temperatures. The following conclusions can be drawn from the results and observations of the fire conditions:

1. Increased fuel pressure increases both the effective flame blackbody temperature and the cylinder contact area for both the vertical and horizontal cylinders.

2. Lower fill levels result in higher vapor wetted wall temperatures and reduced heat transfer to the liquid.

3. Wind can significantly affect the flame geometry and therefore the heat transfer to the cylinder, especially if it is blowing the flame off the cylinder.

4. The fire temperatures estimated from these tests suggest that the burners simulate the heating effects of a liquid hydrocarbon pool fire.

The intended use for this information is to assist with the development of a cylinder listing standard in which the test parameters can be more easily set and monitored.


21

Task 3 – Provide Administrative Support to the Gas Appliance Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA) Task Force for American

National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard Development

The proposed NFPA 58 code language refers to the composite cylinders being used with a listed indoor appliance (specifically, a cabinet heater). To support this effort, a Task Force was formed comprised of appliance and component manufacturers who served on a voluntary basis to develop a listing standard for such appliances. Battelle’s role in Task 3 was to provide administrative support for the Task Force as necessary and included coordinating and arranging meetings and compiling and distributing meeting minutes. Task Force members included: • Denise Beach, National Propane Gas Assoc. • Dave Knowles, Gas Appliance Manufacturers

Association • Jeff Borton, Sherwood Valve • Ken Maitland, DESA • Dave Christensen, Empire Comfort Systems • Sam McTier, McTier Supply Co. • Erin Clark, Battelle • John Neumann, JNS Enterprises • Ronald R. Czischke, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. • Charlie Olds, Marshall Gas • Don Denton, Worgas Inc. • Cathy Rake, CSA • Don Fabricy, Harsco • Rod Osborne, Battelle • Stephanie Flamberg, Battelle • Darrel Reifschneider, The Lite Cylinder Co. • Steve Gentry, Worthington Industries • Dave Slone, Ferrellgas-Blue Rhino • John Gorman, CSA International • Ron Smith, PROCOM USA. • Tim Hampton, Parker • David Stainbrook, Rego Products • John Hart, Empire Comfort Systems • Erich Wolf, Cavagna North America • Frank Horne Jr, Gas Fired Products • Leslie Woodward, Fairview Fittings & Mfg. Inc. • Todd Hurst, Blue Rhino • Robert Wozniak, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. • Don Jamieson, CFM Majestic • Ken Yee, DESA • Ola Johnsrud, Ragasco • Jim Zuck, Marshall Excelsior • Rob Jones, Ragasco Beginning in January 2005, meetings and teleconferences between Task Force members were conducted to advance the development of a cabinet heater standard. Early on in the standard development process concern was raised whether or not to submit changes to the existing ANSI Z21.11.2 Unvented Gas Room Heater standard to include cabinet heaters or to develop a new, stand-alone cabinet heater standard. Some members of the Task Force discussed this issue with the GAMA Vent-Free Division and the Vent-Free Alliance, whose member companies represent the vast majority of products in the market. This industry has grown considerably since the early 1980s through a huge investment of time, energy, and money to conduct research, revise codes, change laws, and implement regulations. Legitimizing the vent-free category, opening markets, and keeping markets has been a continued effort.


22

As such, the GAMA Vent-Free Division and the Vent-Free Alliance did not want to jeopardize the acceptance of vent-free products by tying a controversial issue like cabinet heaters to the existing product standard. As a result, they recommended that a separate cabinet heater standard be developed that would stand on its own merits. This new cabinet heater standard would be based on ANSI Z21.11.2, but referenced as a different number (ANSI Z21.11.3). Beginning in October 2005, Task Force members held meetings to spearhead the development of a standalone draft cabinet heater standard to be completed by the March 2006 NFPA 58 Committee meeting. Members of the cabinet heater standard development Task Force met on November 17th and 18th, 2005 to continue the standard development process. Another meeting was scheduled for December 5th through 8th, 2005 at the Battelle facilities in Columbus, Ohio to finish development of the draft standard. The document coming out of these meetings was submitted to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) for eventual publication as a desk/bench standard. CSA is currently developing the draft cabinet heater standard and has initiated the ANSI approval process. Detailed meeting minutes from the cabinet heater standard development Task Force are provided in Appendix D.


23

Task 4 – Support the NPGA in Development of Code Language for Submission to the NFPA 58 Committee

Task 4 involved continuing to work with the NPGA Technology & Standards (T&S) Committee Task Forces (Tvfc-1644 – Composite Cylinder Specifications, Tar-1653 – Composite Cylinder Applications, and Tar-1636 – Cabinet Heaters) to identify the necessary steps and documentation to approach the NFPA 58 Committee for indoor use approval. The development of the code language for NFPA 58 to allow indoor use of composite propane cylinders was largely based on the feedback obtained from the fire protection community and findings from the composite cylinder fire performance testing.

2005 NFPA 58 Technical Committee Meeting

In addition to updating the NPGA T&S task forces, Battelle also presented a project review to the NFPA 58 Technical Committee (Rapid City, South Dakota; August 15 – 18, 2005). During this meeting, the Committee discussed NPGA’s proposals on cabinet heaters and composite cylinders. Battelle presented the testing results and the interaction with the fire protection community. The presentation given at this meeting is provided in Appendix E.

2006 NFPA 58 Technical Committee Meeting

Battelle also presented at the NFPA 58 Technical Committee in March 2006 (New Orleans, Louisiana; March 29-30, 2006), where comments on proposals were discussed (see Appendix F for the presentation). There were vigorous discussions regarding the proposals to allow for the indoor use of cabinet heaters with composite propane cylinders. Throughout the process compromises were made and include the following safety advancements with respect to using cabinet heaters and composite cylinders indoors:

1. The maximum permitted input rating of a cabinet heater was reduced from 20,000 Btu/hr to 10,000 Btu/hr.

2. The maximum cylinder size for use with a cabinet heater was reduced from 20 pounds of propane to 16 pounds of propane.

3. The use of cabinet heaters was limited to one- and two-family dwellings and business occupancies only.

4. A new safety valve connection (CGA 793) was introduced that will prohibit cabinet heaters from being connected to ordinary cylinders.

5. The connection between the cylinder and cabinet heater shall be connected with a braided, metallic hose.

In response to other issues raised regarding consumer and fire fighter education, NPGA and the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) intend to provide extensive outreach activities to the general public on the recognition and safe use of composite cylinders and cabinet heaters upon receiving approval. The propane industry has also begun developing an outreach program to educate and inform the fire service, through such publications as Propane Emergencies, on the properties and behavior of composite cylinders. A continuation of this outreach program will


24

include access to the fire test reports used to substantiate the proposed changes to NFPA 58 and included as part of Task 6 in this report.


25

Task 5 – Develop Detailed Fire Performance Test Plan

The purpose of Task 5 is to develop a test plan to gather the necessary data on the fire performance of composite cylinders filled with propane. Specific issues on fire performance that have been considered during the development of the test plan include:

• BLEVE versus ballooning – if a cylinder yields sufficiently, there may be little to no chance that the cylinder can BLEVE, which produces the high-velocity fragments that concern fire fighters.

• Types of fires – performance of equipment in fires may depend a great deal upon the type of fire, whether an impinging, engulfing, or flash-over fire.

• Cylinder orientation – cylinder orientation may affect the performance of a cylinder in various fire scenarios.

• Cylinder fill level – fill level may also affect the performance of a cylinder in various fire scenarios.

• Pressure relief valve versus no pressure relief valve – as discussed in Phase I, the use of a relief valve may not be necessary in some cylinders, particularly those of composite construction. The yielding of the cylinder material, including the diffusion of propane through softening walls, may be sufficient to prevent a catastrophic rupture, and prevent the impinging torch effect of an open relief valve.

• Performance when subjected to a fire hose water stream – performance of the composite cylinder under fire conditions may change when cooled with a fire hose water stream.

All of these scenarios were taken into consideration during development of the detailed fire performance test plan. In addition, feedback from the Fire Protection Research Foundation Technical Advisory Panel was requested to help direct the development of the test plan. Their input is discussed further in the following section.

Fire Protection Research Foundation Technical Advisory Panel Comments

The first meeting of the Foundation Technical Advisory Panel was held at NFPA Headquarters in Quincy, MA on June 23, 2005. Attendees included:

James Burns National Association of State Fire Marshals Richard Fredenburg State of North Carolina, Dept of Agriculture & Consumer

Services, Member, NFPA LPG Committee Ted Lemoff NFPA staff liaison Peter McMahon NFPA Fire Service Section Bob Morrill International Association of Fire Chiefs Roberto Rivera IAFC and NFPA Metro Chiefs Section Gary Santoro International Fire Marshals Association


26

Scott Stookey Special Hazards Unit, Phoenix Fire Department, Member, NFPA LPG Committee

Kathleen Almand Executive Director Fire Protection Research Foundation Ron Czischke Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Rod Osborne Battelle Stephanie Flamberg Battelle Denise Beach National Propane Gas Association

Kathleen Almand initiated the meeting with an explanation of the purpose of the Panel – to provide input on a research program currently under development through Battelle and sponsored by the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC). She further highlighted that the purpose of the Panel is to provide an independent source of input from the fire service and regulatory community on the composite cylinder fire test program with expertise in this area. The results of this meeting and other feedback from the Panel were used to refine their research program. Battelle provided background information of the research project to the Panel and a representative from Underwriters Laboratories provided details of the proposed detailed indoor composite cylinder fire test plan. The presentation material presented to the Panel and the complete meeting minutes are provided in Appendix G.

Panel Input - General Issues

• Scott Stookey voiced concern that as the composite cylinder market and application develops, new designs may also emerge. He drew the analogy to composite intermediate bulk containers (IBC) for flammable and combustible liquids which are permitted by DOT regulations subject to specific tests (e.g., drop testing) but present different hazards based on manufacturing processes in the end use application in storage warehouses. The Panel concurred that the cylinders themselves must be listed and that a performance standard which includes reference to the CGA C-14 fire test and the fire tests conducted as part of this research project is an essential step in the acceptance process for the system.

• Roberto Rivera expressed his concern regarding the import of unregulated filled cylinders across the Mexican border that would not be allowed to be refilled in the US (this practice is permitted by international trade regulations). Cylinder requalification and tampering are major issues with existing propane cylinders. He provided a video record of a house fire with casualties in the El Paso area related to the use of propane cylinders indoors, as well as anecdotes about improper use of cylinders.

• Gary Santoro expressed his concern about the maintenance issues associated with the cylinders and the impact of poor quality refilling operations on valve integrity. The issue of CO emission is a critical one for the fire service, as requirements for CO detectors, and consequent increased fire service calls, are beginning to enter the regulatory arena.

• Jim Burns reiterated the Panel’s consensus that listing of the system is a condition of its acceptance.


27

Panel Input - Test Program

Test Type 1

• Richard Fredenburg suggested that in addition to heat release rate, time to ignition and total smoke developed would be important data on the cylinders. Heat release rate will be used to determine the commodity classification of the cylinders so that when they reach commercial large volume storage, say in retail applications, appropriate fire protection requirements can be determined in accordance with other NFPA standards.

• Scott Stookey suggested that less focus be placed on horizontal testing of the cylinders (not permitted by NFPA 58); an inverted test might provide useful information. Ron Czischke noted that the testing in the horizontal position was to simulate an abnormal condition (cylinder being knocked over) rather than being installed in a horizontal position.

Test Type 2

• Peter McMahon initiated a discussion about the appropriate ignition scenario for this phase of the testing. The fire service will be seeking validation through realistic test scenarios. The Panel agreed that the scenario should include ignition means that simulate ignition of a propane leak.

• Gary Santoro suggested that, in addition to room fire condition measurements, time to breach of the cylinder and/or time to empty of the cylinder through diffusion should be measured.

• Robert Rivera suggested that an impact test to simulate a falling object (i.e. ceiling falling) on the burning cylinder/cabinet combination, be added.

• Peter McMahon suggested that impact with a water jet also be evaluated. In this case, time to extinguish, post-extinguishment leakage rate, and potential for re-ignition should be evaluated. There was a general discussion that water suppression might not be the preferred fire control measure but it was agreed that there will be situations where the existence of the heater in a residence is unknown.

Test Type 3

• Ron Czischke noted that Test Type 3 is designed to explore performance including the possibility of an explosion, of the cylinder and heater combination when exposed to a room fire which is in full flashover condition. The Panel had no further recommendations about this portion of testing.

The comments from the Panel were taken into consideration in the development of Underwriters Laboratories detailed fire test plan. The test plan is provided in the following section.

Detailed Fire Test Plan

Based on input from the propane industry and fire protection community, a performance test plan was developed for testing at the Underwriters Laboratories. The objective of the tests was to evaluate fire performance and hazard from composite propane gas cylinders used in indoors heating appliances.


28

The test plan was designed to address the following fire safety concerns: (i) fire hazard from an empty stored cylinder; (ii) contribution of the leaking gas from a composite cylinder to fire hazards in a room fire; (iii) explosion or violent rupture of the composite cylinder when exposed to ignition source; (iv) high velocity jetting of the propane gas flames upon leakage from the cylinder; (v) contribution to room fires from a spare composite cylinder stored next to heating appliance; and (vi) effects of fire hose spray on a burning composite cylinder. To meet the project objectives and the fire safety concerns, the following test types3 were identified:

• Test Type 1 – Heat and smoke release rate from empty cylinder. • Test Type 2 – Fire performance of the heating appliance with composite gas cylinder

in a room with the cylinder as the item ignited. • Test Type 3 – Fire performance of the heating appliance with composite cylinder in a

room fire growing to flashover conditions. • Test Type 4 – Assess fire performance of cylinder subjected to a steady 300 kW room

fire. • Test Type 5 – Assess the performance of a burning pressurized composite cylinder

after impacted by a water hose stream. Two designs of composite cylinders were tested; a one-piece design incorporating a non-pressure-load-bearing liner, and a two-piece, unlined design. The test plan is outlined below.

Test Type 1 – Heat and Smoke Release Rate from Empty Cylinder

Test Type 1 involves placing the cylinder on a platform with a load cell. The igniter, which is a cotton bundle, soaked in gasoline, will be located at the base of the cylinder to measure the heat and smoke release rates of the empty composite cylinders. A simplified diagram of the test setup is shown in Figure 12.

3 In the sections discussing the detailed fire testing, this progress report refers to Test Type whereas the Underwriters Laboratory Draft Report refers to Task.


29

Smoke CollectionHood

Instrumented Dcut SectionOxygan sampling port

Bi-directional probeThermocouple

Smoke light source and photocell

Exhaust toSmoke

AbatementSystem

Load cell andsample paltform

Test sample(Empty gas cylinder)

Testsampleigniter

Figure 12. Test Type 1 Test Setup.

Tests were conducted on the two designs of empty cylinders positioned vertically and exposed to the standard test igniter. The heat and smoke release rates from the burning cylinders were measured. Visual observations of the burning, including any melting and dripping was recorded. The detailed test plan is as follows:

• Hazard Assessment Scenario — Fire hazard of cylinder material assembly exposed to small ignition/heat sources

− Sample tested in vertical orientation − 2 tests per cylinder (empty) x 2 cylinder types = 4 tests − Test duration: approx. 30 minutes

• Ignition Source — Half standard igniter

• Instrumentation — Heat release instrumentation (total and convective), video, digital photography

• Test Duration — Approximately 30 minutes

• Data — Heat release rate, video, digital photographs


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Table 5. Test Variations for Test Type 1

Test Type Cylinder Type Condition

Orientation Fill Level Trial

1 1-piece Vertical 0% 1



1 2-piece Vertiical 0% 2

Test Type 2 – Fire Performance of the Heating Appliance with Composite Gas Cylinder in a Room with the Cylinder as the Item Ignited

In Test Type 2, a heating appliance with the composite cylinder was tested in an NFPA 286 configuration test room with the cylinder exposed to a standard igniter. In this test, the test room was lined with gypsum wallboard. The appliance was located in the corner facing the open doorway. In one test, an additional spare cylinder, positioned next to the heater, was exposed to the igniter. The increases in temperatures and heat flux in the test room, as well as pressure in the gas cylinder were measured. The detailed test plan is as follows:

• Hazard Assessment Scenario — Fire hazard from mal-functioning appliance which would result in small localized

fire in an occupancy • Instrumented NFPA 286 size room

— 12 x 8 x 8-ft room with a single 2-ft 6-in. by 6 ft. high doorway • Ignition source applied to cylinder in the appliance

— 3 in. diameter x 3 in length cotton gauze bundle soaked with gasoline • Test Arrangement

— Standard NFPA 286 Test Room as shown in Figure 13 — Partially (50%) and properly filled gas cylinders (vertical and horizontal

orientations) — Ignition source applied to cylinder in the appliance — Gypsum board wall and ceiling materials

• Duration for each Test — Approx. 30 minutes

• Instrumentation — Cylinder pressure transducer, thermocouple tree (room center), ceiling

thermocouples, heat flux gauges, video, digital photography • Data

— Cylinder pressure, room temperature, radiation from the fire, video, photography


31

TC 7

TC 5 TC 6

TC 4

TC 2

TC 1

TC 3

12 ft

8 ft

8 ft

30 in80

in

Igniterinside

Heater withpropanecylinder

Papertargets

Flux meter

Figure 13. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 2 Test Arrangement


Test Number

Cylinder Type

Heater Orientation Fill Level Heater On/Off

1 1-piece Vertical Full OFF, cylinder not connected

3 1-piece Horizontal Full OFF, cylinder not connected

4 1-piece Vertical Half Full OFF, cylinder not connected


8 1-piece Horizontal Half Full OFF, cylinder not connected

9 1-piece Vertical Full ON, connected with QCC1 (excess flow and thermal protection)

10 1-piece Vertical Full ON, connected with CGA25 (without excess flow and thermal protection)



17 1-piece Vertical 1/3 FullH , FullS OFF, cylinder not connected H – Cylinder in Heater S – Spare Cylinder


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Test Type 3 – Fire Performance of the Heating Appliance with Composite Cylinder in a Room Fire Growing to Flashover Conditions

In Test Type 3 the fire performance of the heating appliance with composite gas cylinder was assessed in a room fire scenario that grows to flashover conditions. In this test, the test room was lined with medium density fiberboard. The heating appliance incorporating a composite gas cylinder was positioned against the wall facing the open doorway. A 300 kW or a 40-160 kW propane burner located in the corner of the room was used to ignite the medium density fiberboard resulting in flashover conditions in the test room. In one test, an additional spare cylinder was positioned next to the heater. The increases in temperatures, ensuing from the fire growth, were measured and the performance of the heating appliance was assessed. The detailed test plan is as follows:

• Hazard Assessment Scenario — Contribution to the fire hazards from appliance in an existing room fire — Instrumented NFPA 286 size room — Fire in room started with ignition of wall and ceiling panels with 300 kW propane

gas burner • Test Arrangement

— NFPA 286 Test Room as shown in Figure 14 — Propane gas ignition source (300 kW burner) in corner — Appliance against a wall close to the ignition source

− Appliance switched off to maximize pressure build-up − Horizontal and vertical orientations

— Medium density fiberboard wall and ceiling materials − Fire grows to flashover

• Duration of each test: — Approx. 30 minutes

• Instrumentation — Cylinder pressure transducer, thermocouple tree (room center), ceiling

thermocouples, video, digital photography • Data

— Cylinder pressure, room temperature, video, photography


33

TC 7

TC 6TC 5

TC 2

TC 4

TC 3

TC 1

12 ft

8 ft

8 ft

30 in80

in

SandBurner

Heater withpropanecylinder

Papertargets

Figure 14. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 3 Test Arrangement.


Test Number

Cylinder Type

Heater Orientation Fill Level Heater On/Off



6 1-piece Vertical Half Full OFF, cylinder not connected


12 1-piece Horizontal Half Full OFF, cylinder not connected


18 1-piece Vertical 1/3H FullS OFF, cylinder not connected

H – Cylinder in Heater S – Spare Cylinder


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Test Type 4 – Fire Performance of Cylinder Subjected to a Steady 300 kW Room Fire

In Test Type 4, a heating appliance with the composite cylinder, and an additional composite cylinder as a spare cylinder, were tested in an NFPA 286 configuration test room with a steady 300 kW fire in one corner. In this test, the test room was lined with gypsum wallboard. The appliance was located in the opposite corner facing the open doorway with the spare cylinder standing next to it. During the test, the pressures in the gas cylinders were measured and the cylinders were observed to detect any ignition of the cylinder material. The detailed test plan is as follows:

• Hazard Assessment Scenario — Contribution to the fire hazards from a full spare cylinder and appliance when

exposed to radiation from a 300 kW flame — Instrumented NFPA 286 size room — Fire in room controlled by a 300 kW propane gas burner

• Test Arrangement — NFPA 286 Test Room as shown in Figure 15 — Propane gas ignition source (300 kW burner) in corner — Appliance placed in the corner opposite the fire radiation source

− Appliance switched off to maximize pressure build-up − Vertical orientation − Cylinder filled to approximately 1/3 of the cylinder capacity

— Spare cylinder − Located approximately 6 inches from the heater and 42.5 inches from the 300

kW burner − Full spare cylinder

— Gypsum board wall and ceiling materials • Duration of each test:

— Approx. 30 minutes • Instrumentation

— Cylinder pressure transducer, thermocouple tree (room center), ceiling thermocouples, cylinder thermocouples, video, digital photography

• Data — Cylinder pressure and temperature, room temperature, video, photography


35

Figure 15. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 4 Test Arrangement

Test Type 5 – Performance of a Burning Pressurized Composite Cylinder after Impacted by a Water Hose Stream

The purpose of Test Type 5 was to assess the performance of a burning pressurized cylinder when impacted by a water hose stream. The burning cylinder was filled to half its rated capacity with water and pressurized with nitrogen. The detailed test plan is as follows:

• Hazard Assessment Scenario — Effect of water hose stream on a burning cylinder filled with water and nitrogen.

• Ignition Source — Two standard igniters

• Test Arrangement — NFPA 286 Test Room — Gypsum board wall and ceiling materials — Composite cylinder placed in the corner 2 inches from the walls — Vertically oriented — Two threaded rods will be used to hold the cylinder in place during hose spray

impact • Duration of test:

— Approx. 6 minutes • Instrumentation


36

— A nitrogen cylinder with a manual flow control valve connected via steel tubing to the cylinder valve.

— A manual flow control valve near the nitrogen cylinder to relive pressure in the test cylinder.

— One 0-500 psig, pressure transducer connected to the cylinder valve for monitoring the cylinder pressure.

— One video camera positioned to view the cylinder. — One digital still camera.

• Data — Cylinder pressure, video, photography

This fire testing plan is the basis for the actual indoor fire testing performed at the Underwriters Laboratories in Northbrook, Illinois and is discussed in the Test Type 6 section of this report.


37

Task 6 – Perform Detailed Fire Testing of the Composite Propane Cylinders

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. was requested by Battelle to investigate the fire performance of composite propane gas cylinders for use with portable heating appliances. The heating appliance equipped with the composite propane gas cylinder is intended for indoor use as a portable space heater and as such it is important to understand the fire characteristics within a building. The fire testing was conducted at the Underwriters Laboratories fire testing facility in Northbrook, Illinois on August 10, 11, 12, 18, and 19, 2005 and October 18 and 19, 2005. The project addressed the following fire safety concerns: (i) fire hazard from an empty stored cylinder; (ii) contribution of the leaking gas from a composite cylinder to fire hazards in a room fire; (iii) explosion or violent rupture of the composite cylinder when exposed to ignition source; (iv) high velocity jetting of the propane gas flames upon leakage from the cylinder; (v) contribution to room fires from a spare composite cylinder stored next to heating appliance; and (vi) effects of fire hose spray on a burning composite cylinder. To meet the project objectives and the fire safety concerns, the following Test Types were identified:

• Test Type 1 – Heat and smoke release rate from empty cylinder • Test Type 2 – Fire performance of the heating appliance with composite gas cylinder in a

room with the cylinder as the item ignited • Test Type 3 – Fire performance of the heating appliance with composite cylinder in a

room fire growing to flashover conditions. • Test Type 4 – Assess fire performance of cylinder subjected to a steady 300 kW room

fire. • Test Type 5 – Assess the performance of a burning pressurized composite cylinder after

impacted by a water hose stream. The tests were conducted on two designs of composite cylinders: a one-piece design incorporating a non-pressure-load-bearing liner, and a two-piece, unlined design. These are referred to as Design 1 and Design 2, respectively.

Test Type 1 Tests

The tests making up Test Type 1 were conducted on the two designs of empty cylinders positioned vertically and exposed to a standard test igniter. The heat and smoke release rates from the burning cylinders were measured. Visual observations of the burning, including any melting and dripping, were also recorded. As the jackets and the resins used in the composite cylinders are combustible, these data can be used by fire protection engineers in considering storage requirements of empty cylinders. The test results are summarized in Table 8.


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Table 8. Summary of Test Type 1 Results

Test Number

Cylinder Design

Max. Heat Release Rate (kW)

Max. Smoke Release Rate (m2/s) Observations

1 1 113 0.65 Melting and dripping. Pool fire size approx 3 ft2.




Test Type 2 Tests

In tests making up Test Type 2, a heating appliance with the composite cylinder was tested in an NFPA 286 configuration test room with the cylinder exposed to a standard igniter. In this test, the test room was lined with gypsum wallboard. The appliance was located in the corner facing the open doorway. In one test, an additional spare cylinder, positioned next to the heater, was exposed to the igniter. The increases in temperatures and heat flux in the test room, as well as pressure in the gas cylinder were measured. The data from these tests are summarized in Table 9.

Test Type 3 Tests

In tests making up Test Type 3, the fire performance of the heating appliance with composite gas cylinder was assessed in a room fire scenario that grows to flashover conditions. In this test suite, the test room was lined with medium density fiberboard. The heating appliance incorporating a composite gas cylinder was positioned against the wall facing the open doorway. A 300 kW or a 40-160 kW propane burner located in the corner of the room was used to ignite the medium density fiberboard resulting in flashover conditions in the test room. In one test, an additional spare cylinder was positioned next to the heater. The increases in temperatures, ensuing from the fire growth, were measured and the performance of the heating appliance was assessed. The results from Test Type 3 are provided in Table 10.


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Table 9. Summary of Test Type 2 Results

Parameters Results

Test No.

Propane Level

Heater Orient. Heater on/off

Cylinder Design

Maximum Cylinder Pressure

(psig)

Maximum Average Room Ceiling Temp.

(C)

Maximum Heat Flux on Floor Center

(kW/m2)

1 Full Vertical Off, cylinder not connected

1 220 794 30

3 Full Horizontal Off, cylinder not connected

1 190 689 28

4 Half full Vertical Off, cylinder not connected

1 181 614 10


1 198 627 24

8 Half full Horizontal Off, cylinder not connected

1 163 831 20

9 Full Vertical On, connected with QCC1 (excess flow and thermal protection)

1 210 839 28

10 Full Vertical On, connected with CGA25

1 205 801 36


2 228 761 23

15 Full Horizontal Off, cylinder not connected

2 242 46*

801** 22**

17 1/3 FullH FullS

Vertical Off, cylinder not connected

1 139H 303S

51 Not Detectable

*Violent rupture at joint. **Not including rupture. H = Cylinder in heater; S= Spare cylinder


40

Table 10. Summary of Test Type 3

Test Parameters Results

Test Number

Propane Level

Heater Orientation

Cylinder Design

Initial Fire Source (kW)

Maximum Cylinder Pressure

(psig)

Time Between Flash Over

and Cylinder Maximum

Pressure (m:s)

Maximum Average Room

Ceiling Temperature

(°C)

2 Full Vertical 1 300 272 5:00 1118

5 Full Horizontal 1 300 236 4:31 876

6 Half full Vertical 1 300 203 5:04 907

11 Full Vertical 1 40/160* 212 5:15 750

12 Half full Horizontal 1 40/160* 171 3:23 1090

14 Full Vertical 2 300 193 4:18 1144

18 1/3 FullH FullS

Vertical 1 40/160* 128H 159S

6:02H 4:32S

1028

* The initial fire size of 40 kW was after 5 minutes increased to 160 kW. H = Cylinder in heater, S = Spare cylinder

Test Type 4 Tests

In tests making up Test Type 4, a heating appliance with the composite cylinder, and an additional composite cylinder as a spare cylinder, were tested in an NFPA 286 configuration test room with a steady 300 kW fire in one corner. In this test, the test room was lined with gypsum wallboard. The appliance was located in the opposite corner facing the open doorway with the spare cylinder standing next to it. During the test, the pressure in the gas cylinders was measured and the cylinders were observed to detect any ignition of the cylinder material. The test was conducted for 20 minutes before the 300kW burner was extinguished. The cylinders were monitored for an additional 10 minutes after the burner was turned off. During the test, the spare cylinder pressure increased to a maximum of 231 psig at the end of 30 minutes. However, the cylinder did not ignite, and was found not to be leaking after the test was terminated. The cylinder pressure in the heater remained fairly constant reaching a maximum of 123 psig over the duration of the test.

Test Type 5 Tests

In tests making up Test Type 5, a burning cylinder, filled to half of its capacity with water, was pressurized by nitrogen following a predetermined cylinder pressure-time curve obtained in Test Type 2. The cylinder was impacted by a water hose stream when a cylinder pressure of 220 psig was reached, 6 minutes into the test.


41

The cylinder breached before the hose stream impact. However, the hose stream impact did not cause additional damage to the cylinder.

Key Findings

The key findings of this research investigation are summarized below.

Fire Hazard from Empty or Filled Stored Cylinder

1. The maximum heat release rates from the ignition and burning of the empty cylinders were approximately 100 to 120 kW.

2. There was pooling and burning of melted resin. The pool was approximately 3 ft2 and 1 ft2 for Designs 1 and 2 respectively.

3. A full stored cylinder sustained a 300 kW room fire for 20 minutes without being ignited or leaking propane (Test Type 4, Design 1).

4. A burning, nitrogen pressurized stored cylinder (Test Type 5, Design 1) did not violently breach or rupture when impacted with a water hose stream after it had breached.

Contribution of Leaking Gas from an Ignited Ccylinder to Fire Hazards in a Room Fire

5. In each of the fire tests (Test Type 2), the ignited composite cylinder in the heater assembly released gas resulting in flashover conditions in the room.

6. In a growing room fire that goes to flashover (Test Type 3), the composite cylinder breached and ignited after the flashover had occurred. Typically, there was a 3 to 5 minute lag between room flashover and breach of the cylinder. The leaking gas cylinder (only Design 1) did not rupture.

7. Once the cylinder started to leak, the release of gas continued during the test. A full cylinder was emptied approximately 10 to 15 minutes after the maximum pressure was reached.

Rupture Hazard from Propane Filled Cylinder

8. Cylinder design may play a role in its fire performance. For example, Design 2 (two-piece design) ruptured when partially filled and in oriented horizontally during a Test Type 2 test.

9. None of the Design 1 cylinders ruptured during testing.

High Velocity Jetting of Propane Gas Flames upon Leakage from the Cylinder

10. In all the tests in Test Type 2 and 3, there was no evidence of high velocity jetting of propane gas after the composite cylinder had breached and ignited. In tests with pressure relief valves, the cylinder pressure when the breach was observed (128-270 psig), was lower than the relief valve setting (375 psig).


42

Appendix H contains the complete Underwriters Laboratories “Research Investigation on the Fire Performance of Composite Propane Gas Cylinders”. Please note: in the sections discussing the detailed fire testing, this progress report refers to Test Type whereas the Underwriters Laboratories Draft Report in Appendix H refers to Task.


43

Conclusion

The propane industry is supportive of developing new products to take advantage of the composite cylinders’ benefits, including indoor use of these cylinders. Even more importantly, the propane industry is committed to the safe use of these products through their support of the fire test programs to identify potential hazards as well as the development of educational materials for firefighters and the general public on cabinet heaters and indoor use of propane. Through these efforts, data has been generated that indicate composite cylinder fire test performance is encouraging for indoor use, specifically:

• The one-piece cylinders did not rupture during any of the fire testing performed; • There was no evidence of high velocity jetting of propane; cylinders vented at pressures

lower than the relief valve setting; • Composite cylinders were able to withstand exposure to a high radiant heat flux (300

kW) without venting; • A burning cylinder cooled by water hose spray did not rupture or crack • The maximum heat release rates for empty cylinders are within reason for warehouse

type storage. • Proposed code changes to NFPA 58 are adequate to provide for safe use indoors.

- The 16 pound composite cylinder and connection are uniquely designed for connection to cabinet heaters, thereby eliminating the possibility that a larger composite or metal cylinder can be adapted and connected to the heater,

- the heater is limited to 10,000 BTU/Hr, and - use of the heater is restricted to one- and two-family structures and commercial

properties. • If proposed changes to the National LP Gas Code (NFPA 58) are accepted, properly

designed propane unvented cabinet heaters, when combined with composite cylinders, may present some safety advantages over other types of space heaters already approved for indoor use in occupied buildings; e.g. kerosene heaters. This may be especially true when issues such carbon accidental or intentional cross fueling is considered; e.g. pouring gasoline into a kerosene space heater. Propane is a clean burning non-toxic flammable gas.

Although the fire test results are encouraging, concerns about consumer misuse (including lack of maintenance), tampering, additional fuel load within a residential structure, and the inability for composite cylinders to reseal once breached in a fire still remain. Many of these concerns have been addressed through engineered systems identified in this study (CGA 793 valve; braided metallic hose; reduced fuel capacity and heater rating); however work should continue to educate fire professionals and consumers in the safe handling, storage, use, and fire performance of composite cylinders and associated appliances for indoor use.

composite propane cylinders for indoor use phase ii … code... · composite propane cylinders for...

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