Introduction to Special Issue on Spacecraft Fire Safety

A review of near-limit opposed fire spread

“…The near-limit fire spread and material flammability in microgravity (Fig. 4a-c) are most relevant to the fire safety of manned spacecraft, where oxygen and ventilation systems are available to support both human activities and fire [52][53][54]. As high-cost microgravity tests and data are limited, ground experiments under low-pressure [55] or narrowchannel [56] are also widely used to simulate microgravity environment by reducing Grashof number (Gr),…”

Enhancing safety in small confined spaces with thermally triggered fire-extinguishing microcapsules from microfluidics

“…The demand for fire safety technology in small confined spaces, such as aerospace and lithium battery boxes, is increasing rapidly. 1,2 Fire in space microgravity conditions is often confined to a small area with no open fire because of the lack of natural air circulation, making it hidden and difficult to find. [3][4][5] Even if the fire signal is captured, astronauts cannot extinguish the fire in a timely manner due to the tight environment of the spacecraft and the constraints of the zero-gravity factor in space.…”

Effect of environmental conditions on fire combustion regimes in mechanically-ventilated compartments

“…The specific scenario of forced ventilated compartment fire has been largely addressed for many decades for many applications such as in the nuclear industry, transportation or the space industry [2], [3], [4]. Several particular phenomena characterize these scenarios.…”