FUEL FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS FROM HITS TO THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM BY INCENDIARY AND HIGH ENERGY BALLISTIC PROJECTILES AND WARHEAD FRAGMENTS HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST SINGLE CAUSE OF AIRCRAFT LOSS IN PAST AIRWARS.

FUEL FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS FROM HITS TO THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM BY INCENDIARY AND HIGH ENERGY BALLISTIC PROJECTILES AND WARHEAD FRAGMENTS HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST SINGLE CAUSE OF AIRCRAFT LOSS IN PAST AIRWARS. THE PHASE I TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES WILL BE TO SELECT INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS OR TECHNIQUES WHICH COULD PROVE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE COMBAT FUEL FIRE AND EXPLOSIVE THREAT IN FUEL TANK VOID SPACES OR DRY BAYS ADJACENT TO TANKS WITHOUT THE PERFORMANCE OR COST PENALTIES OF CURRENT STATE OF THE ART METHODS. PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL MECHANISMS BY WHICH LIQUID FUEL IN THE FUEL TANK OR DRY BAY CAN BE NEUTRALIZED OR PREVENTED FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE COMBUSTION WILL BE SELECTED. THE WORK OF PHASE I WILL BE TO SCREEN THE CANDIDATE MECHANISMS BASED ON ANALYTICAL COMBUSTION AND EXPERIMENTAL DATA. BASED ON THE FINAL SELECTED MECHANISM(S), SEVERAL AGENTS, PROCESSES, OR TECHNIQUES WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR DETAILED EVALUATION AND SUBSCALE TESTING TO BE CONDUCTED IN PHASE II. THE TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS DRAW FROM NEARLY 80 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN COMBUSTION PROCESSES AND MODELING WITH OVER 10 DIRECTLY USEFUL REFERENCES IN THE AIRCRAFT FIRE SAFETY LITERATURE. FURTHER, THIS CONTRACT WILL QUALIFY FOR THE NEW YORK STATE SBIR FUND MATCHING PROGRAM WHICH CAN DOUBLE THE R & D ON THIS TOPIC WITHOUT THE AIR FORCE EXPENDING FUNDS ABOVE THE ORIGINAL SBIR CONTRACT.