Re: [DML] built-in fire extinguishers

["Mike Aninger" <mike@xxxx>]

Coming from the Army, I do know quite a bit about halon and the moderator is
right. . . it is VERY dangerous. This message may be a little lengthy, but
please read as I am not boasting, this is your HEALTH involved here!

Halon bottles in the Army are used mostly in fully tracked armored vehicles
that are relatively new (post 70's). The purpose of it is to prevent a fire
when a bloody rocket pierces the fuel tank! When a bottle is depleted, it
is INSTANTANEOUS and sounds more like a BOOM than a Pfffftt.

Halon doesn't smother a fire. The fire suffocates because the halon
literally SUCKS all the oxygen out of the air (again, practically
instantaneously) and is EXTREMELY cold and turns everything white. So cold
that if one blew on your arm and you garbed it, you would crush the veins.
This would save anybody sitting in the back of a Bradly, but if no one
opened a hatch or dropped the ramp, the occupants would suffocate from no
oxygen. I have seen a bottle discharge on someone's lap and let me tell
you, it isn't pretty. With immediate action and a trip to the hospital, he
was ok.

I can see it being used in racing because of the incredible fuel used and
the safety required in such extreme conditions. But you have to remember
that these people wear a tough layer of Nomex, a special material that's
fire retardant and very insulating. Call me crazy, but I don't see any of
these conditions ever being used in a DeLorean.

What I would suggest is looking into Nitrogen systems. Nitrogen was and is
still used in some of the older recovery vehicles for engine fires and is
very effective and much safer obviously, since over 75% of our atmosphere
is composed of it. It's colorless, odorless, doesn't cause extreme
temperatures and will still allow you to breathe while smothering any fire
that would occur in a DeLorean very effectively. An automatic system would
be very impractical, again (not to mention pricey beyond your belief),
because automatic systems need to be checked and serviced with special
equipment, sensors replaced, and when one does go bad, the bottle can
discharge prematurely with a big boom. This would do nothing but leave you
with a wet spot in your pants for no reason ;-). A simple cable lever with
a safety pin and lead seal would be perfect. Don't forget to check your
bottle periodically, as they do go bad.

I sure hope this message is taken seriously. This is not someone trying to
boast their knowledge. I am trying to save people injury and horrifying
trips to the hospital. Be safe, and keep driving stainless!

-Mike A.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Coe" <Whalt@xxxx>
To: <dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2002 1:46 PM
Subject: [DML] built-in fire extinguishers


> [MODERATOR NOTE: I hesitate to inject technical criticisms into any
subscriber's post, but I've got to caution against installing a HALON system
that empties into the passenger compartment. I believe that this could be
very, very dangerous! -Moderator Mike Substelny]
>
> I'm thinking about installing a built-in fire extinguisher into my
DeLorean,
> and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience or advice concerning these.
> The only ones that I know about I found listed in the SummitRacing.com web
> site (as well as their paper catalogue I get snail mail.)
>
> These are a bit pricey ranging from $290 to $463, so I want to be really
> sure I buy the right thing the first time. It is basically a big 5 or 10
> pound bottle of Halon 1211 that could probably be mounted inside of one of
> the engine compartment pontoons. There are two nozzles -- one for the
> engine compartment and one for the passenger compartment. It is activated
> by a manual pull or push activator. It would be nice to have something
that
> could operate automatically, but I figure that most car fires happen while
> they are being driven. Is the steel or aluminum tubing to be preferred?
> Pull-type or push-type activator? A different brand? Or none of the
above?
>
> Walt
>
>
>
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