Author Topic: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner  (Read 13780 times)

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Offline manta22

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #15 on: June 03, 2015, 12:41:58 PM »
Brad;

It's a clever idea but I doubt that a driver will have time to continually check the mirrors for an indication of fire through the small windows. Reading instruments at speed is difficult enough.

There is no ideal approach. Mine is to put two automatic fire bottle nozzles into the engine bay and also install an electronic fire detector that has a field of view around the oil pan. There is an indicator on the instrument panel which I hope will attract my attention if a fire is detected. That photo was taken a while ago while I was still fabricating my instrument panel.

It doesn't have to be complicated-- a spring-loaded microswitch tied to a piece of string stretched across your engine and an indicator light that is controlled by the microswitch is a simple approach. A fire breaks out, burns the string in two, the switch closes, and the indicator lights up. Voila!

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline Glen

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #16 on: June 03, 2015, 01:16:00 PM »
On the Vesco liners we have auto sensors and a manual over ride. With the new helmets one is restricted to very little head movement.  At speed and by the time you see any flame and reacted you have probably gone another mile trying to get the vehicle stopped. The other thing is how far does the emergency people have to travel to get to where you stopped. Time is everything.
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Offline kustombrad

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #17 on: June 03, 2015, 01:22:25 PM »
The mirrors are in front of me in my same line of vision I'm using looking straight ahead. Imagine them a couple feet in front of your helmet about a foot apart. I'm looking straight ahead and also seeing 2 black circles. Any color will get my attention. Pretty simple...

Offline kustombrad

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #18 on: June 03, 2015, 02:15:12 PM »
I like the string idea! Very simple!

Offline dw230

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #19 on: June 03, 2015, 02:50:26 PM »
The streamliner I drove 11 years ago had this same system. I didn't need it, but the mirrors were an easy glance from the course of travel.

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Offline desotoman

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #20 on: June 03, 2015, 03:28:36 PM »
The mirrors are in front of me in my same line of vision I'm using looking straight ahead. Imagine them a couple feet in front of your helmet about a foot apart. I'm looking straight ahead and also seeing 2 black circles. Any color will get my attention. Pretty simple...

Brad,

Have you thought about using a backup camera on your side of the firewall instead of mirrors? No fire to worry about burning up a camera and a monitor in front of you where ever you want to put it. I bought a wireless one at costco a while back, here is a link to what I bought. http://www.yadastore.com/DigitalBackUpCamera_p/bt53328f-1.htm

Many manufacturers make them in all different sizes and for night vision and most are wireless.
Just a thought.

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Offline Dynoroom

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #21 on: June 03, 2015, 03:42:02 PM »
The mirrors are in front of me in my same line of vision I'm using looking straight ahead. Imagine them a couple feet in front of your helmet about a foot apart. I'm looking straight ahead and also seeing 2 black circles. Any color will get my attention. Pretty simple...

Yep, pretty simple..... I'd do it.
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Offline kustombrad

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #22 on: June 03, 2015, 03:50:11 PM »
Plus it's something I can comb my hair in when the cameras and microphones are shoved in my face at the end of a pass! Gotta be prepared!

Offline hotrod

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #23 on: June 03, 2015, 10:00:29 PM »
Instead of the string you could also use an electrical connection to a sensor light through a fusible link.

They make links designed to melt at 165 degrees (I am sure other temps are available) to hold up fire curtains on computer server rooms.
If no fire the curtains restrict airflow to make the server cooling system work properly, but you want the curtains to drop at the first hint of a fire so the fire suppression system can flood the rooms unrestricted by the curtains.

http://www.jrclancy.com/firesafety-fusiblelinks.asp

See the bottom item Fusible Link 016-7519 It is composed of two metal tabs soldered together with a low melting point solder which comes unglued at 165 deg F.

Similar links are used in self closing fire doors, could be used to release a fuel line valve to automatically close fuel line off in case of fire etc.
http://www.globetechnologies.com/fire-doors-windows.php

The B and K type links have temperature limits up near 350-450 degrees if you were worried about low temp false alarms due to heat soak.

Just connect a wire to both ends of the tab and when it gets hot the link will break opening the electrical connection.


As far as the view port is concerned I would go with tempered glass or wired glass (both are used in fire doors and similar high temp applications).
You can also partially shield the view glass by placing a piece of metal screen on the hot side of the glass to conduct heat away from the hot gasses before they get to the glass (often done in wood burning stoves).
« Last Edit: June 03, 2015, 10:02:54 PM by hotrod »

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #24 on: June 04, 2015, 11:00:27 AM »
Due to the 32 gallon fuel tank behind my head I have two fire warning systems & two 2-1/2" X 3/16 tempered glass windows. My theory is if I have a fire I'll see two warning lights & unload the 10lb bottle. If I still see fire through the windows I still have another 25lb back there to kill the forest fire. The fire wall is steel & the windows are a bolt in sandwich.
  Sid.


Offline Glen

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #26 on: June 04, 2015, 02:33:55 PM »
Brad do you have aux. fire doors on the sides of the body for the fire team to have access as well.
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Offline kustombrad

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #27 on: June 04, 2015, 10:22:21 PM »
Just one on top. Easily accessible...

Offline n49racer

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #28 on: December 21, 2017, 08:49:49 PM »
I had an incident at SpeedWeek this year. I made a run in my AA/BFRMR. After the run, I got out of the car and noticed smoke coming out the lovers on the deck lid. It wasn’t billowing but just the same. As the rear of the car is fully enclosed, it was a helpless feeling. Yes I could have set off the suppression system, but the smoke was starting to fade and if I set it off it would have ended my race week.
When we got the car back to the pit and took the panels off, we realized it was the wrap on the turbo piping curing. The car now has a small fire door on the body that I can open with my gloves on to quickly check before setting off the fire system.
Next we will install an automatic trigger system for the suppression system. It’s not just the streamliners
with this issue.
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Offline manta22

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Re: Fire detection in rear engine streamliner
« Reply #29 on: December 22, 2017, 04:14:45 PM »
As I've said before, with a rear-engine car, you are the last to know that you're on fire!

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ