Flame/Thermal Protective Fabric Test Apparatus

In this Phase I program, Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop a prototype testing apparatus to evaluate protective clothing fabrics for military procurement approval and test the protective performance of commercial fabrics. PSI's designincludes an IR radiant heat source, skin temperature measurement, a skin-simulant material, an adjustable sample platform, sensors measuring incident heat fluxes and thermophysical properties of the fabric sample, and relevant burn injury calculations.The system components will be integrated into an automated system that is capable of running multiple test scenarios and analyzing the data directly from the user interface. Phase I will demonstrate that an innovative system design utilizing the latesttechnologies is feasible for meeting the specified technical objectives. During the proposed program, PSI will evaluate a series of design concepts and develop a prototype to demonstrate concept feasibility. A detailed design and additional testing ofthe prototype is included as a Phase I Option task. The successful completion of this program will provide the Army with a new and quantitative capability for the evaluation and procurement approval of protective fabrics.The proposed development willbenefit government agencies in effectively evaluating protective fabrics in flame/thermal testing. The Army will obtain an improved capability in testing commercial fabrics for military procurement purposes. The apparatus will also be applied tocommercial companies and organizations that produce and test fabrics for industry use. These industries include factories, power plants, car racing, airlines, and others involving fire hazardous environments.