A fire aboard a Navy ship can quickly become a deadly cauldron. The grim reminders of this would be the deadly fires that took place aboard the USS Forrestal in 1967 or the USS Enterprise in 1969.

Today's Navy scientists are conducting research to insure that sailors and their ships can be protected from the deadly effects of fire.

Dr. Frederick Williams, Director of the Center explains that, "The Center's mission is to assure that the sailors have the best tools possible to combat the ravages of shipboard fires."

The Center has unique fire research facilities that include pressurable chambers up to a 10,000 cubic foot capacity at the Centers test site at NRL's Chesapeake Bay Detachment in Calvert County, Maryland. The Center also has custody of the world's unique fire test ship, ex-USS Shadwell (LSD-15) located in Mobile Alabama, where full-scale fire and damage control tests are conducted using the reality conformations of active duty sailors.

Using the ex-USS Shadwell, NRL scientists are able to enhance their technology base for introducing advanced damage control concepts to the fleet. The ship provides a unique opportunity to realistically experience a true damage control environment, to create a partnership between the technical and fleet communities, and to take advantage of new insights gleaned during full-scale experimentation.

Today's Navy scientists and engineers are seeing success in several areas of fire fighting research. Two areas that are of particular note involve the use of high expansion foam and halon alternatives.

"Well deck fire suppression tests. (Credit: Image courtesy of Naval Research Laboratory)"

Source: Naval Research Laboratory