Code Approval of Composite Propane Cylinders for Indoor Use ...

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Phase I activities. There were several members who acknowledged that composite cylinders arean improvement over the outdoor steel grill cylinders, yet still have difficulty accepting theirtransition to indoor use.During these meetings two comments, in particular, significantly changed the direction of thefire test plan originally developed to examine the fire performance of the composite cylinders.These comments included:• Composite cylinder fire testing should be performed indoors under realistic operatingconditions involving normal household items such as furniture, rugs, etc. The testsshould address the possibility of flash-over fires and should measure heat flux andtemperature spikes.• Testing should be conducted at a listing facility like UL or FM. If the fire testing is tohave any merit it should be done through a consortium of industry members, fireprofessionals, and standards institutions.Because of these comments, Battelle sought the assistance of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., theFire Protection Research Foundation, and the propane industry to help in the development andconduct of the detailed fire test program.Fire Test ProgramTwo fire test programs were developed to determine various performance characteristics ofcomposite propane cylinders. In the first, Battelle and ThermDyne Technologies Limited(Kingston, Ontario, Canada) developed a protocol to quickly test several cylinders incombinations of fire intensity conditions, liquid fill levels, and cylinder orientations. Twentyninecomposite cylinders from two manufacturers and six standard steel cylinders were exposedto propane torch fires.The following results were demonstrated during the first round of fire testing:• No steel cylinders ruptured. The relief valves opened at pressures between 375 to 400 psig.Some relief valves re-closed above 300 psig, and some didn’t re-close until 100 psig. In alltests, the steel cylinders emptied before the cylinder walls softened and thinned enough torupture. One steel cylinder did show a bulge.• When tested vertically and with a nominal fill level of 75 percent, the two composite cylinderdesigns did not fail. During these tests, propane began to leak around the valve-cylinderconnection and diffused through the cylinder walls after reaching peak pressures between 98psig and 118 psig. The propane continues to permeate through the cylinder wall even thoughthe cylinder pressure is essentially zero.• When the two-piece composite cylinder design was tested in the horizontal position at amedium flame setting, the cylinder ruptured. This failure was repeatable and occurred whenthe portion of the joint within the vapor space was exposed to the flame. The same resultoccurred with a two-piece cylinder in the vertical position and a fill level just below theComposite Propane Cylinders v February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

lower joint. The failure mechanism appears to be that the vapor space in the cylinder does notkeep the wall cool enough to prevent the joint from coming apart. Under similar conditions,the other cylinder design did not rupture.• Twenty of the 29 composite cylinders had pressure relief valves, integral to the cylindervalve. Only one of the relief valves opened, on a test where the cylinder was horizontal andthe flame was aimed directly at the valve. The peak pressure for this test was 112 psig. Webelieve that the elastomers in the relief valve degraded from the intense heat causing thevalve opened. There was no appreciable difference in performance between the cylinders thathad relief valves and those that did not.The second test program involved a more detailed investigation of the fire performance ofcomposite propane cylinders used with cabinet heaters in an indoor environment. Battelleworked with Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) and the Fire Protection Research FoundationTechnical Advisory Panel to develop the room fire test plan and performed the fire testing inUL’s large-scale fire test facility in Northbrook, Illinois.The test plan was designed to address various fire safety concerns, such as the fire hazard froman empty stored cylinder; the contribution of the leaking gas from a composite cylinder to firehazards in a room fire; the possibility of a composite cylinder rupture when exposed to anignition source; the contribution to room fires from a spare composite cylinder stored next to thecabinet heater; and the effects of fire hose spray on a burning composite cylinder. Compositecylinders from the same two manufacturers were used in this second phase of fire testing. Nosteel cylinders were tested in this phase.The first set of tests (referred to Type-1 tests) measured the smoke and heat released from ignitedempty composite cylinders. As the jackets and the resins used in the composite cylinders arecombustible, these data can be used by fire protection engineers in considering storagerequirements of empty cylinders.Two types of room fire tests were performed, referred to as Type-2 and Type-3. In Type-2 tests,a cabinet heater with a composite cylinder was tested in an NFPA 286 1 configuration test roomwith the cylinder exposed to a standard igniter. In this test, the room was lined with gypsumwallboard. The appliance was located in the corner facing the open doorway. In one test, anadditional spare cylinder, positioned next to the heater, was exposed to the igniter. The increasein temperatures and heat flux in the test room, as well as pressure in the gas cylinder weremeasured.In Type-3 tests, the fire performance of the cabinet heater with composite gas cylinder wasassessed in a room fire scenario that grows to flashover conditions. In this test, the test room waslined with medium density fiberboard. The cabinet heater incorporating a composite gas cylinderwas positioned against the wall facing the open doorway. A 300 kW or a 40 to 160 kW propaneburner located in the corner of the room was used to ignite the medium density fiberboard1 NFPA 286: Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Evaluating Room Fire Growth Contribution of Wall and CeilingInterior Finish, 2000 Edition.Composite Propane Cylinders vi February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

esulting in flashover conditions in the test room. In one test, an additional spare cylinder waspositioned next to the heater to evaluate the effects of radiant heat on the composite cylinder.The increases in temperatures, ensuing from the fire growth, were measured and the performanceof the heating appliance was assessed.The final test was to assess the performance of a burning pressurized cylinder when impacted bya water hose stream. Two igniters were attached to a composite cylinder, filled to half of itscapacity with water, was pressurized by nitrogen following a predetermined cylinder pressuretimecurve obtained in Type-2 tests. The cylinder was impacted by a water hose stream when acylinder pressure of 220 psig was reached, six minutes into the test. The cylinder breachedbefore the hose stream impact. However, the hose stream impact did not cause additional damageto the cylinder.The key findings of the second test program were:Fire hazard from empty or filled stored cylinder:1. The maximum heat release rates from the ignition and burning of the empty cylinderswere approximately 100-120 kW.2. The maximum smoke release rates were 0.65 m 3 /s for cylinders from onemanufacturer and 2.65 m 3 /s for the other manufacturer’s cylinders.3. A full stored cylinder sustained the radiant heat from a 300 kW fire for 20 minuteswithout being ignited or leaking propane (Type-3 test).4. A burning, nitrogen pressurized stored cylinder did not violently breach or rupturewhen impacted with a water hose stream.Contribution of leaking gas from an ignited cylinder to fire hazards in a room fire:5. In each of the fire tests (Type-2), the ignited composite cylinder in the heaterassembly released gas resulting in flashover conditions in the room.6. In a growing room fire that goes to flashover (Type-3), the composite cylinderbreached and ignited after the flashover had occurred. Typically, there was a three tofive minute lag. between room flashover and breach of the cylinder. The leaking gascylinder did not rupture.7. Once the cylinder started to leak, the release of gas continued during the test. A fullcylinder was emptied approximately 10 to 15 minutes after the maximum pressurewas reached.Rupture hazard from propane filled cylinder:8. Cylinder design played a role in its fire performance. In one of the Type-2 tests, arupture of a two-piece cylinder occurred 17 minutes into the test, at a pressure of 46psig. The rupture occurred when the pressure level was decaying; eight minutes afterthe pressure had reached its maximum level of 243 psig. The burst resulted in severeComposite Propane Cylinders vii February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

heater and room damage. The failed cylinder was the same design that rupturedduring the first fire test program.9. None of the one-piece cylinders ruptured during testing.High velocity jetting of propane gas flames upon leakage from the cylinder:10. In all the Type-2 and Type-3 tests, there was no evidence of high velocity jetting ofpropane gas after the composite cylinder had breached and ignited. The cylinderpressure when the breach was observed (128-270 psig) was lower than the reliefvalve setting (375 psig).Durations, temperatures, pressures, and heat flux measurements:11. For Type-2 tests, except for the test involving a spare cylinder, the cylinder pressureincreased during the tests until propane gas began to release after 4 to 12 minutes, at apressure level from 163 to 242 psig. When gas was released, the heat flux (measuredon the center of the floor) and the room temperature (measured below the ceiling)increased very quickly. The average ceiling temperatures reached 614-831 °C. Themaximum heat flux obtained was 20-36 kW/m2. For all tests involving ignition of afull cylinder in a cabinet heater, the room reached (or was close to) flashoverconditions between 5 to 12 minutes after ignition.12. In the Type-2 test with the spare cylinder, the burning rate of the cylinder surface waslower, and the increase in cylinder pressure was slower, than for a cylinder located ina heater. The spare cylinder did not release gas throughout the test, reaching 303 psigat the test termination time of 20 minutes. The fire size of the burning spare cylinderdid not result in any significant pressure increase or visible damage of the cylinder inthe heater.13. In the Type 3 tests, the room reached flashover conditions after one to two minutesfor the 300 kW initial burner size and after four to seven minutes for the 40 kW/160kW burner size, but the cylinder in the heater was not immediately affected. Therelease of propane gas occurred six to twelve minutes into the test, at a pressure levelof 170 to 270 psig.14. In the Type-3 test with a spare cylinder and a cylinder in the cabinet heater, the sparecylinder pressure increased to 231 psig, and the pressure of the cylinder in the heaterincreased to 123 psig, during the 30 minute test. Figure 11 shows the exterior of thespare cylinder after this test, with the jacket partially melted, but with no significantdamage to the pressure vessel walls.NFPA 58 Requirements, Cylinder Listing, Cabinet Heater ListingThe 2007 edition of NFPA 58 will contain provisions regarding composite cylinders that areintended to ensure they can perform safely, whether they are installed indoors or outdoors. Forexample, all composite cylinders must be listed. The criteria for listing cylinders for indoor useversus those used on grills and other outdoor applications will undoubtedly be different, but theComposite Propane Cylinders viii February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

fact that they are required to be listed represents a new level of scrutiny for cylinders that had notpreviously been present. The listing criteria for cylinders in general use will be based on thesuccessful testing to the criteria used to obtain DOT approval. For indoor use with cabinetheaters, the test protocols developed during the first and second fire test programs will be used todevelop the cylinder listing standard. The results of these test protocols and tests showed that thedesign of one manufacturer (as of 2005) would not pass this listing process.Introducing cabinet heaters into NFPA 58 also includes a parallel effort to develop a gasappliance standard specific to cabinet heaters. A project with the ANSI Z21/83 Committee isproceeding through the process of defining an appliance standard, tentatively titled Z21.11.3,Propane-Fired Portable Heater Systems. The draft standard was initiated by a working group ofpropane and appliance manufacturing industries representatives and safety representatives underthe umbrella of the ANSI/CSA Unvented Heaters Technical Advisory Group (TAG). To date,the draft appliance standard has completed one public review period and the comments will bereviewed by the TAG at its meeting in February 2007.ConclusionThe propane industry is supportive of developing new products to take advantage of thecomposite cylinders’ benefits, including indoor use of these cylinders. Even more importantly,the propane industry is committed to the safe use of these products through their support of thefire test programs discussed in this report as well as the development of educational materials forfirefighters and the general public on cabinet heaters and indoor use of propane. Through theseefforts, data has been generated that indicate composite cylinder fire test performance isencouraging for indoor use with the appropriate designs and safeguards in place.Composite Propane Cylinders ix February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Composite Propane Cylinders x February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Table of ContentsPageExecutive Summary....................................................................................................................... iiiIntroduction......................................................................................................................................1Task 1 – Continue Liaison Activities with the Fire Protection Community...................................1Phase I Meetings (PERC Docket # 11328).................................................................................2Phase II Meetings........................................................................................................................2NFPA Regional Fire Code Committee Meetings ................................................................... 3Advisory Panel on Composite Propane Cylinder Fire Testing............................................... 6NFPA State and Provincial Fire Marshals Forum, NFPA World Safety Conference &Exhibition, and PGAC National Conference......................................................................... 7UL Consumer and Fire Council Meetings .............................................................................. 7Summary ................................................................................................................................. 8Task 2 – Conduct Preliminary Composite Cylinder Fire Testing....................................................9Preliminary Testing................................................................................................................. 9Quantification of Test Parameters......................................................................................... 13Task 3 – Provide Administrative Support to the Gas Appliance Manufacturer’s Association(GAMA) Task Force for American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard Development21Task 4 – Support the NPGA in Development of Code Language for Submission to the NFPA 58Committee......................................................................................................................................232005 NFPA 58 Technical Committee Meeting..................................................................... 232006 NFPA 58 Technical Committee Meeting..................................................................... 23Task 5 – Develop Detailed Fire Performance Test Plan................................................................25Fire Protection Research Foundation Technical Advisory Panel Comments...........................25Panel Input - General Issues ................................................................................................. 26Panel Input - Test Program ................................................................................................... 27Detailed Fire Test Plan .............................................................................................................27Test Type 1 – Heat and Smoke Release Rate from Empty Cylinder.................................... 28Test Type 2 – Fire Performance of the Heating Appliance with Composite Gas Cylinder ina Room with the Cylinder as the Item Ignited ..................................................................... 30Test Type 3 – Fire Performance of the Heating Appliance with Composite Cylinder in aRoom Fire Growing to Flashover Conditions...................................................................... 32Test Type 4 – Fire Performance of Cylinder Subjected to a Steady 300 kW Room Fire..... 34Composite Propane Cylinders xi February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Test Type 5 – Performance of a Burning Pressurized Composite Cylinder after Impacted bya Water Hose Stream ........................................................................................................... 35Task 6 – Perform Detailed Fire Testing of the Composite Propane Cylinders .............................37Test Type 1 Tests......................................................................................................................37Test Type 2 Tests......................................................................................................................38Test Type 3 Tests......................................................................................................................38Test Type 4 Tests......................................................................................................................40Test Type 5 Tests......................................................................................................................40Key Findings.............................................................................................................................41Fire Hazard from Empty or Filled Stored Cylinder .............................................................. 41Contribution of Leaking Gas from an Ignited Ccylinder to Fire Hazards in a Room Fire .. 41Rupture Hazard from Propane Filled Cylinder..................................................................... 41High Velocity Jetting of Propane Gas Flames upon Leakage from the Cylinder................. 41Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................43Appendix A Presentation for NFPA Regional Fire Code Committee Meetings(Phase II, 2005)..................................................................................................................... A-1Appendix B Report on Preliminary Testing – March 2005....................................................... B-1Appendix C Report on the Characterization of Fire Conditions Used in Preliminary Fire Testingof Composite Propane Cylinders – February 2006............................................................... C-1Appendix D Cabinet Heater Task Force Meeting Minutes – January 2005 throughNovember 2005..................................................................................................................... D-1Appendix E Presentation to NFPA 58 Committee – August 2005.............................................E-1Appendix F Presentation to NFPA 58 Committee – March 2006 ..............................................F-1Appendix G Presentation to the Fire Protection Research Foundation Panel – June 2005 ....... G-1Appendix H Underwriters Laboratories Testing – November 2005.......................................... H-1Composite Propane Cylinders xii February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

List of FiguresFigure 1. Vertically oriented cylinder..........................................................................................12Figure 2. Horizontally oriented cylinder......................................................................................12Figure 3. Steel cylinder, slightly bulged. .....................................................................................12Figure 4. Composite cylinder after tests - residual propane contunes to burn.............................12Figure 5. Ruptured two-piece composite cylinder.......................................................................13Figure 6. One piece composite cylinder, no rupture....................................................................13Figure 7. Test site layout showing camera locations relative to cylinder center. ........................14Figure 8. Location of wall thermocouples on vertical cylinder...................................................15Figure 9. Location of wall thermocouples on horizontal cylinder...............................................16Figure 10. Horizontal calorimeter test setup................................................................................17Figure 11. Vertical calorimeter test setup....................................................................................18Figure 12. Test Type 1 Test Setup...............................................................................................29Figure 13. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 2 Test Arrangement .........................31Figure 14. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 3 Test Arrangement. ........................33Figure 15. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 4 Test Arrangement .........................35List of TablesTable 1. Summary of Concerns and Comments. ...........................................................................4Table 2. Preliminary Composite Cylinder Testing Fire Conditions. ...........................................10Table 3. Composite Cylinder Test Plan .......................................................................................11Table 4. Summary of test conditions ...........................................................................................19Table 5. Test Variations for Test Type 1 .....................................................................................30Table 6. Test Variations for Test Type 2 .....................................................................................31Table 7. Test Variations for Test Type 3 .....................................................................................33Table 8. Summary of Test Type 1 Results...................................................................................38Table 9. Summary of Test Type 2 Results...................................................................................39Table 10. Summary of Test Type 3 .............................................................................................40Composite Propane Cylinders xiii February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

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Code Approval of Composite Propane Cylindersfor Indoor Use – Phase II Final ReportFebruary 2007IntroductionThe purpose of this project was to assist the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) in thedevelopment of a proposal to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for the acceptedindoor use of propane composite cylinders. This project was divided into two phases. The scopeof Phase I was to investigate the market viability for indoor composite propane cylinders, reviewprevious work performed by the NPGA to gain approval for indoor use, review internationalexperience with indoor propane cylinders (specifically composite cylinders), and meet with firefighting professionals to identify potential concerns regarding indoor use.The scope of Phase II was to continue our interaction with the fire protection community, assistthe NPGA in development of code language for submission to the NFPA 58 Committee, andperform fire testing of the composite propane cylinders. Phase II included the following tasks:• Task 1 – Continue Liaison Activities with the Fire Protection Community• Task 2 – Conduct Preliminary Composite Cylinder Fire Testing• Task 3 – Provide Administrative Support to the Gas Appliance Manufacturer’sAssociation (GAMA) Task Force for American National Standards Institute (ANSI)Standard Development• Task 4 – Support the NPGA in Development of Code Language for Submission to theNFPA 58 Committee• Task 5 – Develop Detailed Fire Performance Test Plan• Task 6 – Perform Detailed Fire Testing of the Composite Propane Cylinders.This report details the activities conducted for each task.Task 1 – Continue Liaison Activities with theFire Protection CommunityThe purpose of Task 1 was to continue our dialog and meetings with contacts on the regionalNFPA committees, the NFPA 58 Technical Committee, and the Fire Protection ResearchFoundation (The Foundation) through year end 2006. Over the course of this project Battelle hasdisseminated information to these contacts regarding composite cylinder fire testing data as wellas invited them to witness some of the detailed fire testing at the Underwriters Laboratories’Large-Scale Fire Research Facility. Through this dialog, Battelle has identified a number ofconcerns from the fire protection community that has led to an alternative detailed fire test plan.Composite Propane Cylinders 1 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Phase I Meetings (PERC Docket # 11328)Battelle attended the following NFPA Committee meetings to discuss the indoor propanecomposite cylinder effort and obtain feedback. During these meetings, Battelle presented a briefoverview of the composite cylinders and plans for testing. A video was also shown of firetesting conducted by several manufacturers.• NFPA 58 Technical Committee Meeting, August 24-25, 2004• NFPA Regional Fire Code Development Committee, Southern Region – Little Rock, AK,September 9, 2004• NFPA Regional Fire Code Development Committee, Northcentral Region – JacksonHole, WY, September 21, 2004The members of each Committee were given the opportunity to provide feedback, ask questions,and discuss concerns regarding indoor use of composite propane cylinders. During these initialdiscussions, many of the fire professionals expressed opposition to the indoor use of compositepropane cylinders. Many of the fire professionals questioned the assumption that there was alarge demand for the use of indoor appliances equipped with composite propane cylinders. Sincethey couldn’t see the need for such appliances, they were quite against the potential added risk ifpropane cylinders are approved for indoor use. However, there was an indication that if it couldbe demonstrated that such appliances are as safe as or safer than natural gas appliances, then theymight be more likely to agree with potential code changes.General concern was expressed about the possibility for consumer misuse, tampering, andadapting the connection on a standard steel cylinder for use with the indoor appliance, basicallybypassing “composite cylinder only” connections. In fact, two attending state Fire Marshalsstated that they would not accept any changes to NFPA 58 if it permitted indoor use of 20-poundcomposite propane cylinders. During these meeting, the fire professionals mentioned that theyhave to deal with life-threatening situations everyday and most of their experiences with propanecylinders have been negative (gas-grills catching fire, the use of gas-grills on decks and ingarages that cause fires, etc.).Phase II MeetingsWith the initiation of Phase II of this project, Battelle continued their liaison efforts with the fireprotection community.Composite Propane Cylinders 2 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

NFPA Regional Fire Code Committee MeetingsBattelle attended each of the four spring NFPA Regional Fire Code Committee Meetings tocontinue discussions about the indoor propane composite cylinder effort and obtain furtherfeedback on the fire test program. Presentation slides from these meetings are included inAppendix A.• Western Region – Las Vegas, Nevada, February 16, 2005• Northeastern Region – Baltimore, Maryland, March 9, 2005• Northcentral Region – Durango, Colorado, March 15, 2005• Southern Region – Atlanta, Georgia, March 22, 2005During the Spring 2005 Regional Fire Code Committee meetings, the fire protection communityvoiced similar concerns regarding the indoor use of the composite cylinders that werehighlighted during the Phase I activities. There are a number of members who believe compositecylinders are an improvement over the outdoor steel grill cylinders, yet still have difficultyaccepting their transition to indoor use.Major issues that were expressed during the Spring 2005 Regional Fire Code CommitteeMeetings included:• Composite cylinder fire testing should be performed indoors under realistic operatingconditions involving normal household items such as furniture, rugs, etc. The testsshould address the possibility of flash-over fires and should measure heat flux andtemperature spikes.• Testing should be conducted at a listing facility like Underwriters Laboratories or FactoryMutual. The fire professionals felt that if the testing is to have any merit it should bedone through a consortium of industry members, fire professionals, and standardsinstitutions.A summary of concerns and comments to date from the NFPA Regional and NFPA 58Committee Meetings are provided in Table 1. General topics include:• Connections and adapters (to allow connection of steel outdoor only cylinders toindoor appliances)• Consumer misuse / tampering• Fire testing• International use of composite cylinders• Inspection and requalification of cylinders• Pressure relief devices / overfill• Filling procedures• Cylinder material• Carbon monoxide productionComposite Propane Cylinders 3 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Table 1. Summary of Concerns and Comments.NFPA RegionalCommittee*Comments/Concerns NE NC S WLeaks at the connection between the appliance andcylinder; leaks between the valve boss and cylinderReliability of the connection after repeatedconnecting/disconnectingCONNECTIONS AND ADAPTERSX X XUse of adapters X XWill there be a manual shut-off on the cylinder valve (ifthe valve breaks off)?Leaks at hose connections (breaking; leaking; wearingout)Can’t take the human element out of the equation;propane cylinders indoors just a bad ideaEven with a unique connection consumers will still“jerry-rig” the appliance to accept a steel cylinderCONSUMER MISUSE / TAMPERINGConsumer misuse; improper connections; not followingmanufacturer’s instructionsFIRE TESTING CONCERNSNeed to perform fire testing indoors (actual conditions;furniture; rugs); look for development of flash overfires; measure heat flux and temperature spikesNeed to perform fire testing of the entire appliance(cylinder and cabinet heater combined).What happens to a cylinder exposed to a fire startedelsewhere in a room; how will the cylinder contribute tothe fire?XXXXXXXNFPA 58CommitteeX X XNeed to perform fire hose stream testing X XWhat happens if the cylinder fire is extinguished beforeall the fuel is burned-up; will propane still leak throughthe fiberglass wrap?Concerned about reduced visibility from smokeproduced by outer plastic coveringTesting not being conducted at a UL or FM listedfacility; for testing to have merit needs to be donethrough a consortium of industry members, fireprofessionals, and standards institutions.XXXXXXXComposite Propane Cylinders 4 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

NFPA RegionalCommittee*Comments/Concerns NE NC S WINTERNATIONAL USE OF COMPOSITE CYLINDERSWhat is the European experience with compositecylinders (types of incidents; fires; leaks); any statistics?Don’t really care that these cylinders are used inEurope:• European countries do not have a natural gasinfrastructure like we do in the US• Several fire fighting professionals have seen LPGcylinders used in Europe for cooking and heating –they’re not experiencing a rash of fires.• However, European buildings are not made ofwood like they are in the US; the walls are typicallythicker and of different constructionWhat is the service life/re-qualification period?X X XINSPECTION AND REQUALIFICATION OF CYLINDERSHow will the visual inspections be performed?Concerned that visual inspection will not be enoughespecially for cylinders stored outside; small cracksfilling with water, freezing, and expandingConcerned that the appliances will not be properlyinspected and maintained since they will be used withina residenceAgainst NOT having a PRD on indoor cylinders;difficult to believe composite will not rupturePRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES (PRD) / OVERFILLWhat happens if a cylinder is overfilled without a PRD?Venting through the PRD if the cylinder is overfilled X XCylinder overfill and improper training of cylinder filloperatorsWill the cylinders be refillable, one-time use, orexchanged?Compatibility of cylinder materials with propaneimpurities/external cleaning agentsWhat is the sensitivity to UV light?XXFILLING PROCEDURESCYLINDER MATERIALHeat transfer property differences between compositeand steel cylindersConcerned about carbon monoxide production;currently have problems with other vent—freeappliancesCARBON MONOXIDEXXXXX X X XXXXXXXXNFPA 58CommitteeXXComposite Propane Cylinders 5 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

NFPA RegionalCommittee*Comments/Concerns NE NC S WNFPA 58CommitteeWill take exception if the language in NFPA 58 isrevisedGENERALPortable heaters are already a leading cause of homeheating fires – why would we want to introduce anotherappliance?Indoor use of propane cylinders is just a bad idea – it’sa conceptual problem not an engineering problemX X XNeed to perform puncture testing X XHave we considered seismic restraint provisions forearthquake prone areas?What are the intended applications for indoorcomposite cylinders (residential, industrial, commercial,etc.)XXXXX X X* NE = Northeastern Regional Committee; NC = Northcentral Regional Committee; S = SouthernRegional Committee; W = Western Regional Committee.The feedback from the fire protection professionals was taken very seriously and led tosignificant changes to the detailed fire test plan as well as guided discussions for thedevelopment of a composite cylinder and cabinet heater listing standard and training programs toeducate fire professionals and consumers.Advisory Panel on Composite Propane Cylinder Fire TestingIn addition to meeting with the Regional Fire Code Committees, Battelle contracted the FireProtection Research Foundation (the Foundation) to establish a committee of fire protectionofficials to aid in the development of the detailed composite cylinder fire testing protocol. Thiscommittee was established to allow fire professionals to remain involved in the process as wellas have input into the direction of the fire testing program.The Foundation is a charitable independent affiliate of the National Fire Protection Associationand was responsible for forming a Technical Advisory Panel for this project that included keyrepresentatives of NFPA Committee 58, the International Fire Marshal’s Association, andtechnical experts in this field. The Panel consists of eight individuals, who were involved inreviewing the test plans, witnessing the fire testing and guiding the progress of the project towardits intended goal.The Foundation facilitated the following activities of this group:• A Panel meeting whose objective was to obtain comments and feedback from the Panelon the proposed composite cylinder/appliance fire performance test plan.• Site visit by the Panel to witness demonstration testing.• Review of the testing results and any changes to the test program that may result.Composite Propane Cylinders 6 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

The Foundation documented Panel comments and concerns at each step in the process anddocumented the process used to develop the test program. Full details of the meetingscoordinated by the Foundation Technical Advisory Panel are provided in the Task 5 section ofthis report and describe the development of the detailed composite cylinder fire performancetesting protocol.NFPA State and Provincial Fire Marshals Forum, NFPA World Safety Conference& Exhibition, and PGAC National ConferenceIn the Spring 2006, Battelle was invited to present on composite propane cylinders at thePropane Gas Association of Canada (PGAC) National Conference, the NFPA State andProvincial Fire Marshals Forum, and the NFPA World Safety Conference & Exhibition. Thepresentations highlighted the design features of the composite cylinders as well as results fromthe fire tests. These efforts were a continuation of the outreach to the fire protection communityto keep them abreast of the findings from this project.UL Consumer and Fire Council MeetingsIn April 2006, Battelle was invited to attend the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Consumer andFire Council Meetings in Chicago, Illinois as observers. The UL Consumers Council ispopulated by a wide range of people including educators, government (state consumer affairsofficers and Consumer Product Safety Commission), health care, and safety consultants. TheFire Council contains fire chiefs, fire marshals, fire service organizations, and insurancerepresentatives. The Councils advise UL on standard development activities, from reviewingexisting standards to suggesting and reviewing new standards. These councils are only advisoryand as such UL is not required to accept recommendations from its councils but certainlyconsiders the feedback and concerns raised by the councils as an important part of their standardsdevelopment process.UL’s Tom Blewitt gave a presentation to the Consumers Council on cabinet heaters andcomposite cylinders. This presentation was geared toward informing the council of the proposalsfor modifications to NFPA 58 regarding indoor use of cabinet heaters equipped with compositepropane cylinders. The presentation provided information on the fire performance of thecomposite cylinders as well as the concerns UL has with consumer use and potential forconfusion between traditional outdoor applications and this "new" indoor use application.Questions raised by the UL Consumers Council echoed similar concerns of the regional fire codedevelopment committees, including:• Can the steel outdoor cylinders be adapted to indoor use? If yes, how easily?• Will the appliance have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector built-in, like some other gasappliances?• How do you prevent customers from storing cylinders indoors?Composite Propane Cylinders 7 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

• For decades, industry/regulations have educated consumers in keeping propane cylindersoutside; will it cause confusion to now say it is safe to bring indoors some cylinders, butnot others?• Although the cabinet heater system is geared toward supplemental heating; impoverished,lower education consumers are more likely to use it as their primary heating source(possibly multiple units and storage of spare cylinders indoors).• How easily will the customer be able to distinguish between the steel cylinder and thecomposite cylinder? More of a concern is how will the customer distinguish between anoutdoor composite cylinder (> 16 lbs, CGA 791) and an indoor composite cylinder (

Task 2 – Conduct Preliminary Composite Cylinder Fire TestingThe purpose of Task 2 was to conduct preliminary fire performance testing of the compositecylinder to provide background information to the Advisory Group and NPGA.Preliminary TestingBattelle and ThermDyne performed preliminary fire testing for the project from February 17 toMarch 3, 2005, at the Mining Resource Engineering Limited’s test site north of Kingston,Ontario, Canada. Six conventional steel cylinders, 18 two-piece, linerless composite cylinders,and 11 one-piece, lined cylinders were tested in various fire exposure conditions, orientations,and fill levels. All cylinders were nominally 20 pound capacity (45 to 47 pound water capacity).The three fire conditions that were used in the preliminary fire tests to mimic a liquidhydrocarbon pool fire are described in Table 2 and a summary of the test plan is provided inTable 3.In the preliminary testing, the test cylinders were oriented either vertically (Figure 1) orhorizontally (Figure 2). In the horizontal position, the flame was directed at the side (as shown inFigure 2), at the valve, or at the base for the different tests.No steel cylinders ruptured during the testing. The relief valves opened between 375 and 400psig. Some relief valves re-closed above 300 psig, and some didn’t re-close until 100 psig. In alltests, the steel cylinders emptied before the cylinder walls softened and thinned enough torupture. One steel cylinder did show a bulge (Figure 3).When tested vertically and with a nominal fill level of 75 percent, the two-piece, linerlesscomposite cylinder did not fail (Figure 4). During these tests, propane began to leak around thevalve-cylinder connection and diffused through the cylinder walls after reaching peak pressuresbetween 98 psig and 118 psig. Figure 4 shows that the propane continues to permeate throughthe wall even though the cylinder pressure was essentially zero gage. The outer protective jacketwas consumed on all composite cylinder tests.Composite Propane Cylinders 9 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Table 2. Preliminary Composite Cylinder Testing Fire Conditions.Fire ConditionFire A – a lazy, very luminous flame that justlapped the edge of the cylinder, 3 burners 7inches from cylinder side, 6.5 inches up fromcylinder bottom, burner fuel pressure < 1psigExampleFire B – slightly more intense, more jettingflame, 3 burners 7 inches from cylinder side,6.5 inches up from cylinder bottom, burnerfuel pressure 2-3 psigFire C – even more intense, more jettingflame, 3 burners, 16 inches from side, 6.5inches up, burner fuel pressure 5 psig.Composite Propane Cylinders 10 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Table 3. Composite Cylinder Test PlanVendor #1Vendor #2SteelCylinder Equipped Initial Fill Orientation Fire**with PRV?*C1 Vertical AC2 Vertical BC3 Horizontal BC4 Horizontal CC5 Vertical CYes16 lbsC6 Horizontal AC7 Horizontal BC8HorizontalBase heatingBC9Horizontal, Head heatingBC10 15 lb Horizontal AC11 16 lb Horizontal BC12 16 lb Vertical BC13 7 lb Vertical BC14 No12 lb Vertical BC15 7 lb Vertical AC16 15 lb Vertical, Fire on head BC17 15 lb Horizontal BC1815 lb Horizontal A/BC19 19 lb Vertical BC20 18 lb Horizontal BC21 19 lb Vertical CC22 19 lb Vertical CC23 19 lb Horizontal, Fire on bottom BC24 Yes, FP18 lb Horizontal BC25 19 lb Vertical, Fire on head BC26 8 lb, reduced fill Vertical BC27 6 lb, reduced fill Vertical BC28 7 lb, reduced fill Horizontal BC297 lb Vertical CS1 Vertical AS2 Vertical BS3 Horizontal BYes 80%S4 Horizontal CS5 Vertical CS6Horizontal, Base heatingB* FP = fusible plug pressure relief device** Fire A – 3 burners 7 inches from cylinder side, 6.5 inches up from cylinder bottom, burner fuel pressure < 1 psig ;Fire B– 3 burners 7 inches from cylinder side, 6.5 inches up from cylinder bottom, burner fuel pressure 2-3 psig;Fire C – 3 burners, 16 inches from side, 6.5 inches up, burner fuel pressure 5 psig.Composite Propane Cylinders 11 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Figure 1. Vertically oriented cylinder.Figure 2. Horizontally oriented cylinder.Figure 3. Steel cylinder, slightly bulged. Figure 4. Composite cylinder after tests -residual propane contunes to burn.When the two-piece, linerless cylinder was tested in the horizontal position at a medium flamesetting, the cylinder ruptured. Figure 5 shows the two separated pieces and the burningfragments of the outer jacket. This failure was repeatable and occurred when the joint within thevapor space was exposed to the flame with the cylinder in the horizontal position. The sameresult occurred with a cylinder in the vertical position and a fill level just below the lower joint.The failure mechanism appears to be that vapor space in the cylinder does not keep the wall coolenough to prevent the joint from coming apart.Under similar conditions, the one-piece cylinders did not rupture. Figure 6 shows a flame comingfrom the bottom of the cylinder where there is a gap in the filament windings but the cylinderremained intact throughout the duration of the test.Composite Propane Cylinders 12 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Figure 5. Ruptured two-piece compositecylinder.Figure 6. One piece composite cylinder, norupture.Nine of the two-piece and all of the one piece cylinders had pressure relief valves, integral to thecylinder valve. Only one of the two-piece relief valves opened, on a test where cylinder washorizontal and the flame was directed directly at the valve. The pressure on this test peaked at112 psig. We believe that the elastomers in the valve gave way and the valve opened. There wasno appreciable difference in performance between the two-piece cylinders that had relief valvesand those that did not. All of the one-piece cylinders had fusible plugs, rated at 130 C and wereobserved to open if the flame impacted the valve area. The entire summary report submitted toPERC (including the test results table) is provided as Appendix B.Quantification of Test ParametersDuring the preliminary fire tests, three fire conditions were used to determine the performance ofthe composite cylinders. Since the preliminary tests were designed to obtain a lot of data in arelatively short amount of time, little instrumentation was used to quantify the actual heat inputinto the cylinders. To better understand the heat input, additional testing was conducted byThermDyne to quantify the heat transfer rates used in the preliminary cylinder fire tests.Calorimeters made from standard 20 pound steel propane cylinders were used as part of the testapparatus to quantify the heat transfer rate from the three liquid propane fuelled utility torchesused in the preliminary testing. Each torch nominally generates 2 million BTU/hr at a fuelpressure of 40 psig. At the low fuel pressures (1-5 psig) used in the preliminary testing, thesetorches produce a low momentum luminous diffusion flame similar to a liquid hydrocarbon poolfire. The test apparatus layout is shown in Figure 7.Composite Propane Cylinders 13 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

WallCamera 3BurnersTank22"Test PadBurner Stand84"80"120"100"Camera 1Camera 266"Camera 4(180" above pad)Figure 7. Test site layout showing camera locations relative to cylinder center.The cylinders were instrumented with wall and lading thermocouples as shown in Figure 8 forthe vertical orientation and Figure 9 for the horizontal orientation. The cylinders were filled withwater to levels of 80-percent, 64-percent and 30-percent by volume during the tests while the fireintensities were varied by setting the burner fuel pressure at approximately 1 psig, 2.5 psig and 5psig.Composite Propane Cylinders 14 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Top View11,16,21,266151015,20,25,3023445°7912,17,22,27 814,19,24,2945°13, 18, 23, 2845°45°Front View67123 4 58 9101112131415161718192021222324252627282930Figure 8. Location of wall thermocouples on vertical cylinder.Composite Propane Cylinders 15 February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Front View End View3 4 567 89 101 11 12 13 14 1516 1718 19 20 21 22 2327 28 29 30 31224252615°15°30°15°15°16,1719,20,2122,239,1011,12,1314,1527,28,2930,3130°7,83,4,561,22418262532 33 34 3532,33,34,3530°Figure 9. Location of wall thermocouples on horizontal cylinder.Composite Propane Cylinders 16February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Test SetupThe test setup was designed to replicate the conditions of the preliminary fire tests 2 . The testsetup for the horizontal orientation is shown in Figure 10 while the test setup for the verticalorientation is shown Figure 11. Part of the cylinder surface was insulated to protect thethermocouple wires as they exited the cylinder. A mechanical mixer was used to eliminate liquidtemperature stratification to maintain even temperature distribution through the liquid lading.This was done to simplify the heat transfer rate calculations to the liquid.Figure 10. Horizontal calorimeter test setup.2 Indoor Use of Propane Cylinders – Preliminary Fire Testing of Composite Propane Cylinders, ThermDyne Technologies Ltd.,for Battelle Memorial Institute, March 2005.Composite Propane Cylinders 17February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Figure 11. Vertical calorimeter test setup.The following steps were followed when performing each test:1. Position calorimeter on pad 7 inches (18 cm) from front of burners2. Secure mixer in calorimeter3. Add required volume of water to calorimeter4. Record water temperature and depth, wind speed and ambient temperature5. Ignite auxiliary burners6. Adjust fuel pressure and allow to reach equilibrium7. Start recording data8. Activate cameras9. Activate mixer10. Ignite main burners and shut off auxiliary11. When liquid temperature approaches 100°C shut off main burners12. Deactivate mixer, cameras and data recording13. Record wind speed, water temperature and depth14. Drain calorimeterComposite Propane Cylinders 18February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Test MatrixThe fuel pressure, fill level and cylinder orientation were varied resulting in the test matrixdescribed in Table 4.Table 4. Summary of test conditionsTest Cylinder Date Fill LevelTargetFuelPressure(psig)QualitativeFire Conditionin PreliminaryTestAverageSteady StateFuel Pressure(psig)1 * Vertical 11/28/2005 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.5 (Faulty fuelsupply)2 * Vertical 12/5/2005 80% (17.3L) 1 A 0.93 * Vertical 12/6/2005 80% (17.3L) 5 C 5.74 * Vertical 12/7/2005 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.75 * Vertical 12/7/2005 80% (17.3L) 1 A 0.96 * Vertical 12/12/2005 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.57 Vertical 1/10/2006 64% (13.8L) 1 A 1.08 Vertical 1/10/2006 64% (13.8L) 2.5 B 2.49 Vertical 1/10/2006 64% (13.8L) 5 C 4.710 Vertical 1/12/2006 64% (13.8L) 1 A 1.011 Vertical 1/12/2006 30% (6.5L) 1 A 1.012 Vertical 1/13/2006 30% (6.5L) 2.5 B 2.213 Vertical 1/13/2006 30% (6.5L) 5 C 4.814 Vertical 1/19/2006 80% (17.3L) 1 A 1.015 Vertical 1/19/2006 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.116 Vertical 1/19/2006 80% (17.3L) 5 C 4.9H1 Horizontal 12/19/2005 80% (17.3L) 1 A 0.7H2 Horizontal 12/19/2005 80% (17.3L) 2.5 B 2.2H3 Horizontal 12/19/2005 80% (17.3L) 5 C 5.2H4 Horizontal 12/21/2005 64% (13.8L) 1 A 1.0H5 Horizontal 12/21/2005 64% (13.8L) 2.5 B Not reachedH6 Horizontal 1/4/2006 64% (13.8L) 2.5 B 3.0H7 Horizontal 1/4/2006 64% (13.8L) 5 C 6.7H8 Horizontal 1/5/2006 64% (13.8L) 5 C 5.1H9 Horizontal 1/5/2006 30% (6.5L) 1 A 1.0H10 Horizontal 1/6/2006 30% (6.5L) 2.5 B 2.4H11 Horizontal 1/6/2006 30% (6.5L) 5 C 5.2* A preliminary vertical calorimeter was used for tests 1 through 6. This calorimeter suffered several thermocouplefailures and was rebuilt. It was replaced for tests 7 to 16. Wall temperatures were invalid for tests 4 & 5 and parts oftests 3 & 6.Composite Propane Cylinders 19February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

ResultsResults were obtained to quantify the temperature rise rate of the liquid and vapor space, and theliquid and vapor wetted wall temperatures. From these, it was possible to calculate the total heattransfer rate to the liquid, to estimate the average liquid wetted wall heat flux, and the effectivefire blackbody temperature. All test results are detailed in the calorimeter test report provided inAppendix C.In general, the results showed the following trends:i) increasing heat transfer rates and flux with burner pressureii) increasing peak wall temperatures with reduced fill levelsHowever there is considerable scatter and some unusual reversals in trends. These are believed tobe associated with external effects such as wind. Every attempt was made to test under low windconditions but some wind effects were inevitable. Wind is a major consideration in this kind oftesting.The burner arrangement used in this work was intended to simulate the heat flux from liquidhydrocarbon pool fires. The estimated flame temperatures obtained from these tests is in therange of 750 to 1050 C which is in good agreement with measured hydrocarbon pool firetemperatures.The following conclusions can be drawn from the results and observations of the fire conditions:1. Increased fuel pressure increases both the effective flame blackbody temperature andthe cylinder contact area for both the vertical and horizontal cylinders.2. Lower fill levels result in higher vapor wetted wall temperatures and reduced heattransfer to the liquid.3. Wind can significantly affect the flame geometry and therefore the heat transfer to thecylinder, especially if it is blowing the flame off the cylinder.4. The fire temperatures estimated from these tests suggest that the burners simulate theheating effects of a liquid hydrocarbon pool fire.The intended use for this information is to assist with the development of a cylinder listingstandard in which the test parameters can be more easily set and monitored.Composite Propane Cylinders 20February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Task 3 – Provide Administrative Support to the Gas ApplianceManufacturer’s Association (GAMA) Task Force for AmericanNational Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard DevelopmentThe proposed NFPA 58 code language refers to the composite cylinders being used with a listedindoor appliance (specifically, a cabinet heater). To support this effort, a Task Force was formedcomprised of appliance and component manufacturers who served on a voluntary basis todevelop a listing standard for such appliances. Battelle’s role in Task 3 was to provideadministrative support for the Task Force as necessary and included coordinating and arrangingmeetings and compiling and distributing meeting minutes.Task Force members included:• Denise Beach, National Propane Gas Assoc.• Jeff Borton, Sherwood Valve• Dave Christensen, Empire Comfort Systems• Erin Clark, Battelle• Ronald R. Czischke, Underwriters Laboratories Inc.• Don Denton, Worgas Inc.• Don Fabricy, Harsco• Stephanie Flamberg, Battelle• Steve Gentry, Worthington Industries• John Gorman, CSA International• Tim Hampton, Parker• John Hart, Empire Comfort Systems• Frank Horne Jr, Gas Fired Products• Todd Hurst, Blue Rhino• Don Jamieson, CFM Majestic• Ola Johnsrud, Ragasco• Rob Jones, Ragasco• Dave Knowles, Gas Appliance ManufacturersAssociation• Ken Maitland, DESA• Sam McTier, McTier Supply Co.• John Neumann, JNS Enterprises• Charlie Olds, Marshall Gas• Cathy Rake, CSA• Rod Osborne, Battelle• Darrel Reifschneider, The Lite Cylinder Co.• Dave Slone, Ferrellgas-Blue Rhino• Ron Smith, PROCOM USA.• David Stainbrook, Rego Products• Erich Wolf, Cavagna North America• Leslie Woodward, Fairview Fittings & Mfg. Inc.• Robert Wozniak, Underwriters Laboratories Inc.• Ken Yee, DESA• Jim Zuck, Marshall ExcelsiorBeginning in January 2005, meetings and teleconferences between Task Force members wereconducted to advance the development of a cabinet heater standard. Early on in the standarddevelopment process concern was raised whether or not to submit changes to the existing ANSIZ21.11.2 Unvented Gas Room Heater standard to include cabinet heaters or to develop a new,stand-alone cabinet heater standard.Some members of the Task Force discussed this issue with the GAMA Vent-Free Division andthe Vent-Free Alliance, whose member companies represent the vast majority of products in themarket. This industry has grown considerably since the early 1980s through a huge investmentof time, energy, and money to conduct research, revise codes, change laws, and implementregulations. Legitimizing the vent-free category, opening markets, and keeping markets hasbeen a continued effort.Composite Propane Cylinders 21February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

As such, the GAMA Vent-Free Division and the Vent-Free Alliance did not want to jeopardizethe acceptance of vent-free products by tying a controversial issue like cabinet heaters to theexisting product standard. As a result, they recommended that a separate cabinet heater standardbe developed that would stand on its own merits. This new cabinet heater standard would bebased on ANSI Z21.11.2, but referenced as a different number (ANSI Z21.11.3).Beginning in October 2005, Task Force members held meetings to spearhead the development ofa standalone draft cabinet heater standard to be completed by the March 2006 NFPA 58Committee meeting. Members of the cabinet heater standard development Task Force met onNovember 17 th and 18 th , 2005 to continue the standard development process. Another meetingwas scheduled for December 5 th through 8 th , 2005 at the Battelle facilities in Columbus, Ohio tofinish development of the draft standard.The document coming out of these meetings was submitted to the Canadian StandardsAssociation (CSA) for eventual publication as a desk/bench standard. CSA is currentlydeveloping the draft cabinet heater standard and has initiated the ANSI approval process.Detailed meeting minutes from the cabinet heater standard development Task Force are providedin Appendix D.Composite Propane Cylinders 22February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Task 4 – Support the NPGA in Development of Code Language forSubmission to the NFPA 58 CommitteeTask 4 involved continuing to work with the NPGA Technology & Standards (T&S) CommitteeTask Forces (Tvfc-1644 – Composite Cylinder Specifications, Tar-1653 – Composite CylinderApplications, and Tar-1636 – Cabinet Heaters) to identify the necessary steps and documentationto approach the NFPA 58 Committee for indoor use approval. The development of the codelanguage for NFPA 58 to allow indoor use of composite propane cylinders was largely based onthe feedback obtained from the fire protection community and findings from the compositecylinder fire performance testing.2005 NFPA 58 Technical Committee MeetingIn addition to updating the NPGA T&S task forces, Battelle also presented a project review tothe NFPA 58 Technical Committee (Rapid City, South Dakota; August 15 – 18, 2005). Duringthis meeting, the Committee discussed NPGA’s proposals on cabinet heaters and compositecylinders. Battelle presented the testing results and the interaction with the fire protectioncommunity. The presentation given at this meeting is provided in Appendix E.2006 NFPA 58 Technical Committee MeetingBattelle also presented at the NFPA 58 Technical Committee in March 2006 (New Orleans,Louisiana; March 29-30, 2006), where comments on proposals were discussed (see Appendix Ffor the presentation). There were vigorous discussions regarding the proposals to allow for theindoor use of cabinet heaters with composite propane cylinders. Throughout the processcompromises were made and include the following safety advancements with respect to usingcabinet heaters and composite cylinders indoors:1. The maximum permitted input rating of a cabinet heater was reduced from 20,000 Btu/hrto 10,000 Btu/hr.2. The maximum cylinder size for use with a cabinet heater was reduced from 20 pounds ofpropane to 16 pounds of propane.3. The use of cabinet heaters was limited to one- and two-family dwellings and businessoccupancies only.4. A new safety valve connection (CGA 793) was introduced that will prohibit cabinetheaters from being connected to ordinary cylinders.5. The connection between the cylinder and cabinet heater shall be connected with abraided, metallic hose.In response to other issues raised regarding consumer and fire fighter education, NPGA and thePropane Education and Research Council (PERC) intend to provide extensive outreach activitiesto the general public on the recognition and safe use of composite cylinders and cabinet heatersupon receiving approval. The propane industry has also begun developing an outreach programto educate and inform the fire service, through such publications as Propane Emergencies, on theproperties and behavior of composite cylinders. A continuation of this outreach program willComposite Propane Cylinders 23February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

include access to the fire test reports used to substantiate the proposed changes to NFPA 58 andincluded as part of Task 6 in this report.Composite Propane Cylinders 24February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Task 5 – Develop Detailed Fire Performance Test PlanThe purpose of Task 5 is to develop a test plan to gather the necessary data on the fireperformance of composite cylinders filled with propane.Specific issues on fire performance that have been considered during the development of the testplan include:• BLEVE versus ballooning – if a cylinder yields sufficiently, there may be little to nochance that the cylinder can BLEVE, which produces the high-velocity fragments thatconcern fire fighters.• Types of fires – performance of equipment in fires may depend a great deal upon thetype of fire, whether an impinging, engulfing, or flash-over fire.• Cylinder orientation – cylinder orientation may affect the performance of a cylinderin various fire scenarios.• Cylinder fill level – fill level may also affect the performance of a cylinder in variousfire scenarios.• Pressure relief valve versus no pressure relief valve – as discussed in Phase I, the useof a relief valve may not be necessary in some cylinders, particularly those ofcomposite construction. The yielding of the cylinder material, including the diffusionof propane through softening walls, may be sufficient to prevent a catastrophicrupture, and prevent the impinging torch effect of an open relief valve.• Performance when subjected to a fire hose water stream – performance of thecomposite cylinder under fire conditions may change when cooled with a fire hosewater stream.All of these scenarios were taken into consideration during development of the detailed fireperformance test plan. In addition, feedback from the Fire Protection Research FoundationTechnical Advisory Panel was requested to help direct the development of the test plan. Theirinput is discussed further in the following section.Fire Protection Research FoundationTechnical Advisory Panel CommentsThe first meeting of the Foundation Technical Advisory Panel was held at NFPA Headquartersin Quincy, MA on June 23, 2005. Attendees included:James Burns National Association of State Fire MarshalsRichard Fredenburg State of North Carolina, Dept of Agriculture & ConsumerServices, Member, NFPA LPG CommitteeTed Lemoff NFPA staff liaisonPeter McMahon NFPA Fire Service SectionBob Morrill International Association of Fire ChiefsRoberto Rivera IAFC and NFPA Metro Chiefs SectionGary Santoro International Fire Marshals AssociationComposite Propane Cylinders 25February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Scott Stookey Special Hazards Unit, Phoenix Fire Department, Member, NFPALPG CommitteeKathleen Almand Executive Director Fire Protection Research FoundationRon Czischke Underwriters Laboratories Inc.Rod Osborne BattelleStephanie Flamberg BattelleDenise Beach National Propane Gas AssociationKathleen Almand initiated the meeting with an explanation of the purpose of the Panel – toprovide input on a research program currently under development through Battelle andsponsored by the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC). She further highlighted thatthe purpose of the Panel is to provide an independent source of input from the fire service andregulatory community on the composite cylinder fire test program with expertise in this area.The results of this meeting and other feedback from the Panel were used to refine their researchprogram.Battelle provided background information of the research project to the Panel and arepresentative from Underwriters Laboratories provided details of the proposed detailed indoorcomposite cylinder fire test plan. The presentation material presented to the Panel and thecomplete meeting minutes are provided in Appendix G.Panel Input - General Issues• Scott Stookey voiced concern that as the composite cylinder market and applicationdevelops, new designs may also emerge. He drew the analogy to composite intermediatebulk containers (IBC) for flammable and combustible liquids which are permitted by DOTregulations subject to specific tests (e.g., drop testing) but present different hazards based onmanufacturing processes in the end use application in storage warehouses. The Panelconcurred that the cylinders themselves must be listed and that a performance standard whichincludes reference to the CGA C-14 fire test and the fire tests conducted as part of thisresearch project is an essential step in the acceptance process for the system.• Roberto Rivera expressed his concern regarding the import of unregulated filled cylindersacross the Mexican border that would not be allowed to be refilled in the US (this practice ispermitted by international trade regulations). Cylinder requalification and tampering aremajor issues with existing propane cylinders. He provided a video record of a house firewith casualties in the El Paso area related to the use of propane cylinders indoors, as well asanecdotes about improper use of cylinders.• Gary Santoro expressed his concern about the maintenance issues associated with thecylinders and the impact of poor quality refilling operations on valve integrity. The issue ofCO emission is a critical one for the fire service, as requirements for CO detectors, andconsequent increased fire service calls, are beginning to enter the regulatory arena.• Jim Burns reiterated the Panel’s consensus that listing of the system is a condition of itsacceptance.Composite Propane Cylinders 26February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Panel Input - Test ProgramTest Type 1• Richard Fredenburg suggested that in addition to heat release rate, time to ignition and totalsmoke developed would be important data on the cylinders. Heat release rate will be used todetermine the commodity classification of the cylinders so that when they reach commerciallarge volume storage, say in retail applications, appropriate fire protection requirements canbe determined in accordance with other NFPA standards.• Scott Stookey suggested that less focus be placed on horizontal testing of the cylinders (notpermitted by NFPA 58); an inverted test might provide useful information. Ron Czischkenoted that the testing in the horizontal position was to simulate an abnormal condition(cylinder being knocked over) rather than being installed in a horizontal position.Test Type 2• Peter McMahon initiated a discussion about the appropriate ignition scenario for this phaseof the testing. The fire service will be seeking validation through realistic test scenarios. ThePanel agreed that the scenario should include ignition means that simulate ignition of apropane leak.• Gary Santoro suggested that, in addition to room fire condition measurements, time to breachof the cylinder and/or time to empty of the cylinder through diffusion should be measured.• Robert Rivera suggested that an impact test to simulate a falling object (i.e. ceiling falling)on the burning cylinder/cabinet combination, be added.• Peter McMahon suggested that impact with a water jet also be evaluated. In this case, timeto extinguish, post-extinguishment leakage rate, and potential for re-ignition should beevaluated. There was a general discussion that water suppression might not be the preferredfire control measure but it was agreed that there will be situations where the existence of theheater in a residence is unknown.Test Type 3• Ron Czischke noted that Test Type 3 is designed to explore performance including thepossibility of an explosion, of the cylinder and heater combination when exposed to a roomfire which is in full flashover condition. The Panel had no further recommendations aboutthis portion of testing.The comments from the Panel were taken into consideration in the development of UnderwritersLaboratories detailed fire test plan. The test plan is provided in the following section.Detailed Fire Test PlanBased on input from the propane industry and fire protection community, a performance test planwas developed for testing at the Underwriters Laboratories. The objective of the tests was toevaluate fire performance and hazard from composite propane gas cylinders used in indoorsheating appliances.Composite Propane Cylinders 27February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

The test plan was designed to address the following fire safety concerns: (i) fire hazard from anempty stored cylinder; (ii) contribution of the leaking gas from a composite cylinder to firehazards in a room fire; (iii) explosion or violent rupture of the composite cylinder when exposedto ignition source; (iv) high velocity jetting of the propane gas flames upon leakage from thecylinder; (v) contribution to room fires from a spare composite cylinder stored next to heatingappliance; and (vi) effects of fire hose spray on a burning composite cylinder.To meet the project objectives and the fire safety concerns, the following test types 3 wereidentified:• Test Type 1 – Heat and smoke release rate from empty cylinder.• Test Type 2 – Fire performance of the heating appliance with composite gas cylinderin a room with the cylinder as the item ignited.• Test Type 3 – Fire performance of the heating appliance with composite cylinder in aroom fire growing to flashover conditions.• Test Type 4 – Assess fire performance of cylinder subjected to a steady 300 kW roomfire.• Test Type 5 – Assess the performance of a burning pressurized composite cylinderafter impacted by a water hose stream.Two designs of composite cylinders were tested; a one-piece design incorporating a nonpressure-load-bearingliner, and a two-piece, unlined design. The test plan is outlined below.Test Type 1 – Heat and Smoke Release Rate from Empty CylinderTest Type 1 involves placing the cylinder on a platform with a load cell. The igniter, which is acotton bundle, soaked in gasoline, will be located at the base of the cylinder to measure the heatand smoke release rates of the empty composite cylinders. A simplified diagram of the test setupis shown in Figure 12.3 In the sections discussing the detailed fire testing, this progress report refers to Test Type whereas the UnderwritersLaboratory Draft Report refers to Task.Composite Propane Cylinders 28February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Smoke CollectionHoodInstrumented Dcut SectionOxygan sampling portBi-directional probeThermocoupleSmoke light source and photocellExhaust toSmokeAbatementSystemTest sample(Empty gas cylinder)TestsampleigniterLoad cell andsample paltformFigure 12. Test Type 1 Test Setup.Tests were conducted on the two designs of empty cylinders positioned vertically and exposed tothe standard test igniter. The heat and smoke release rates from the burning cylinders weremeasured. Visual observations of the burning, including any melting and dripping was recorded.The detailed test plan is as follows:• Hazard Assessment Scenario— Fire hazard of cylinder material assembly exposed to small ignition/heat sources− Sample tested in vertical orientation− 2 tests per cylinder (empty) x 2 cylinder types = 4 tests− Test duration: approx. 30 minutes• Ignition Source— Half standard igniter• Instrumentation— Heat release instrumentation (total and convective), video, digital photography• Test Duration— Approximately 30 minutes• Data— Heat release rate, video, digital photographsComposite Propane Cylinders 29February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Table 5. Test Variations for Test Type 1Test Type Cylinder TypeConditionOrientation Fill Level Trial1 1-piece Vertical 0% 11 1-piece Vertical 0% 21 2-piece Vertical 0% 11 2-piece Vertiical 0% 2Test Type 2 – Fire Performance of the Heating Appliance with Composite GasCylinder in a Room with the Cylinder as the Item IgnitedIn Test Type 2, a heating appliance with the composite cylinder was tested in an NFPA 286configuration test room with the cylinder exposed to a standard igniter. In this test, the test roomwas lined with gypsum wallboard. The appliance was located in the corner facing the opendoorway. In one test, an additional spare cylinder, positioned next to the heater, was exposed tothe igniter. The increases in temperatures and heat flux in the test room, as well as pressure in thegas cylinder were measured.The detailed test plan is as follows:• Hazard Assessment Scenario— Fire hazard from mal-functioning appliance which would result in small localizedfire in an occupancy• Instrumented NFPA 286 size room— 12 x 8 x 8-ft room with a single 2-ft 6-in. by 6 ft. high doorway• Ignition source applied to cylinder in the appliance— 3 in. diameter x 3 in length cotton gauze bundle soaked with gasoline• Test Arrangement— Standard NFPA 286 Test Room as shown in Figure 13— Partially (50%) and properly filled gas cylinders (vertical and horizontalorientations)— Ignition source applied to cylinder in the appliance— Gypsum board wall and ceiling materials• Duration for each Test— Approx. 30 minutes• Instrumentation— Cylinder pressure transducer, thermocouple tree (room center), ceilingthermocouples, heat flux gauges, video, digital photography• Data— Cylinder pressure, room temperature, radiation from the fire, video, photographyComposite Propane Cylinders 30February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

TC 1TC 2TC 312 ftTC 4TC 5 TC 6Heater withpropanecylinder30 in8 ft80 inTC 7IgniterinsideFlux meter8 ftPapertargetsFigure 13. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 2 Test ArrangementTable 6. Test Variations for Test Type 2TestNumberCylinderTypeHeaterOrientation Fill Level Heater On/Off1 1-piece Vertical Full OFF, cylinder not connected3 1-piece Horizontal Full OFF, cylinder not connected4 1-piece Vertical Half Full OFF, cylinder not connected7 1-piece Vertical Full OFF, cylinder not connected8 1-piece Horizontal Half Full OFF, cylinder not connected9 1-piece Vertical Full ON, connected with QCC1 (excess flowand thermal protection)10 1-piece Vertical Full ON, connected with CGA25 (withoutexcess flow and thermal protection)13 2-piece Vertical Full OFF, cylinder not connected15 2-piece Horizontal Full OFF, cylinder not connected17 1-piece Vertical 1/3 Full H , Full S OFF, cylinder not connectedH – Cylinder in HeaterS – Spare CylinderComposite Propane Cylinders 31February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Test Type 3 – Fire Performance of the Heating Appliance with Composite Cylinderin a Room Fire Growing to Flashover ConditionsIn Test Type 3 the fire performance of the heating appliance with composite gas cylinder wasassessed in a room fire scenario that grows to flashover conditions. In this test, the test room waslined with medium density fiberboard. The heating appliance incorporating a composite gascylinder was positioned against the wall facing the open doorway. A 300 kW or a 40-160 kWpropane burner located in the corner of the room was used to ignite the medium densityfiberboard resulting in flashover conditions in the test room. In one test, an additional sparecylinder was positioned next to the heater. The increases in temperatures, ensuing from the firegrowth, were measured and the performance of the heating appliance was assessed.The detailed test plan is as follows:• Hazard Assessment Scenario— Contribution to the fire hazards from appliance in an existing room fire— Instrumented NFPA 286 size room— Fire in room started with ignition of wall and ceiling panels with 300 kW propanegas burner• Test Arrangement— NFPA 286 Test Room as shown in Figure 14— Propane gas ignition source (300 kW burner) in corner— Appliance against a wall close to the ignition source− Appliance switched off to maximize pressure build-up− Horizontal and vertical orientations— Medium density fiberboard wall and ceiling materials− Fire grows to flashover• Duration of each test:— Approx. 30 minutes• Instrumentation— Cylinder pressure transducer, thermocouple tree (room center), ceilingthermocouples, video, digital photography• Data— Cylinder pressure, room temperature, video, photographyComposite Propane Cylinders 32February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

12 ftTC 1TC 2TC 4TC 3TC 5TC 6Heater withpropanecylinder30 in8 ft80 inTC 7SandBurner8 ftPapertargetsFigure 14. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 3 Test Arrangement.Table 7. Test Variations for Test Type 3TestNumberCylinderTypeHeaterOrientation Fill Level Heater On/Off2 1-piece Vertical Full OFF, cylinder not connected5 1-piece Horizontal Full OFF, cylinder not connected6 1-piece Vertical Half Full OFF, cylinder not connected11 1-piece Vertical Full OFF, cylinder not connected12 1-piece Horizontal Half Full OFF, cylinder not connected14 2-piece Vertical Full OFF, cylinder not connected18 1-piece Vertical 1/3 H Full S OFF, cylinder not connectedH – Cylinder in HeaterS – Spare CylinderComposite Propane Cylinders 33February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Test Type 4 – Fire Performance of Cylinder Subjected to a Steady 300 kW RoomFireIn Test Type 4, a heating appliance with the composite cylinder, and an additional compositecylinder as a spare cylinder, were tested in an NFPA 286 configuration test room with a steady300 kW fire in one corner. In this test, the test room was lined with gypsum wallboard. Theappliance was located in the opposite corner facing the open doorway with the spare cylinderstanding next to it. During the test, the pressures in the gas cylinders were measured and thecylinders were observed to detect any ignition of the cylinder material.The detailed test plan is as follows:• Hazard Assessment Scenario— Contribution to the fire hazards from a full spare cylinder and appliance whenexposed to radiation from a 300 kW flame— Instrumented NFPA 286 size room— Fire in room controlled by a 300 kW propane gas burner• Test Arrangement— NFPA 286 Test Room as shown in Figure 15— Propane gas ignition source (300 kW burner) in corner— Appliance placed in the corner opposite the fire radiation source− Appliance switched off to maximize pressure build-up− Vertical orientation− Cylinder filled to approximately 1/3 of the cylinder capacity— Spare cylinder− Located approximately 6 inches from the heater and 42.5 inches from the 300kW burner− Full spare cylinder— Gypsum board wall and ceiling materials• Duration of each test:— Approx. 30 minutes• Instrumentation— Cylinder pressure transducer, thermocouple tree (room center), ceilingthermocouples, cylinder thermocouples, video, digital photography• Data— Cylinder pressure and temperature, room temperature, video, photographyComposite Propane Cylinders 34February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Figure 15. Standard NFPA 286 Test Room for Test Type 4 Test ArrangementTest Type 5 – Performance of a Burning Pressurized Composite Cylinder afterImpacted by a Water Hose StreamThe purpose of Test Type 5 was to assess the performance of a burning pressurized cylinderwhen impacted by a water hose stream. The burning cylinder was filled to half its rated capacitywith water and pressurized with nitrogen.The detailed test plan is as follows:• Hazard Assessment Scenario— Effect of water hose stream on a burning cylinder filled with water and nitrogen.• Ignition Source— Two standard igniters• Test Arrangement— NFPA 286 Test Room— Gypsum board wall and ceiling materials— Composite cylinder placed in the corner 2 inches from the walls— Vertically oriented— Two threaded rods will be used to hold the cylinder in place during hose sprayimpact• Duration of test:— Approx. 6 minutes• InstrumentationComposite Propane Cylinders 35February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

— A nitrogen cylinder with a manual flow control valve connected via steel tubingto the cylinder valve.— A manual flow control valve near the nitrogen cylinder to relive pressure in thetest cylinder.— One 0-500 psig, pressure transducer connected to the cylinder valve formonitoring the cylinder pressure.— One video camera positioned to view the cylinder.— One digital still camera.• Data— Cylinder pressure, video, photographyThis fire testing plan is the basis for the actual indoor fire testing performed at the UnderwritersLaboratories in Northbrook, Illinois and is discussed in the Test Type 6 section of this report.Composite Propane Cylinders 36February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Task 6 – Perform Detailed Fire Testing of the Composite PropaneCylindersUnderwriters Laboratories Inc. was requested by Battelle to investigate the fire performance ofcomposite propane gas cylinders for use with portable heating appliances. The heating applianceequipped with the composite propane gas cylinder is intended for indoor use as a portable spaceheater and as such it is important to understand the fire characteristics within a building. The firetesting was conducted at the Underwriters Laboratories fire testing facility in Northbrook,Illinois on August 10, 11, 12, 18, and 19, 2005 and October 18 and 19, 2005.The project addressed the following fire safety concerns: (i) fire hazard from an empty storedcylinder; (ii) contribution of the leaking gas from a composite cylinder to fire hazards in a roomfire; (iii) explosion or violent rupture of the composite cylinder when exposed to ignition source;(iv) high velocity jetting of the propane gas flames upon leakage from the cylinder; (v)contribution to room fires from a spare composite cylinder stored next to heating appliance; and(vi) effects of fire hose spray on a burning composite cylinder.To meet the project objectives and the fire safety concerns, the following Test Types wereidentified:• Test Type 1 – Heat and smoke release rate from empty cylinder• Test Type 2 – Fire performance of the heating appliance with composite gas cylinder in aroom with the cylinder as the item ignited• Test Type 3 – Fire performance of the heating appliance with composite cylinder in aroom fire growing to flashover conditions.• Test Type 4 – Assess fire performance of cylinder subjected to a steady 300 kW roomfire.• Test Type 5 – Assess the performance of a burning pressurized composite cylinder afterimpacted by a water hose stream.The tests were conducted on two designs of composite cylinders: a one-piece designincorporating a non-pressure-load-bearing liner, and a two-piece, unlined design. These arereferred to as Design 1 and Design 2, respectively.Test Type 1 TestsThe tests making up Test Type 1 were conducted on the two designs of empty cylinderspositioned vertically and exposed to a standard test igniter. The heat and smoke release ratesfrom the burning cylinders were measured. Visual observations of the burning, including anymelting and dripping, were also recorded. As the jackets and the resins used in the compositecylinders are combustible, these data can be used by fire protection engineers in consideringstorage requirements of empty cylinders.The test results are summarized in Table 8.Composite Propane Cylinders 37February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Table 8. Summary of Test Type 1 ResultsTestNumberCylinderDesignMax. Heat ReleaseRate (kW)Max. SmokeRelease Rate (m 2 /s)Observations1 1 113 0.65 Melting and dripping.Pool fire size approx 3 ft 2 .2 1 98 0.64 Melting and dripping.Pool fire size approx 3 ft 2 .3 2 111 2.65 Melting and dripping.Pool fire size approx 1 ft 2 .4 2 119 2.30 Melting and dripping.Pool fire size approx 1 ft 2 .Test Type 2 TestsIn tests making up Test Type 2, a heating appliance with the composite cylinder was tested in anNFPA 286 configuration test room with the cylinder exposed to a standard igniter. In this test,the test room was lined with gypsum wallboard. The appliance was located in the corner facingthe open doorway. In one test, an additional spare cylinder, positioned next to the heater, wasexposed to the igniter. The increases in temperatures and heat flux in the test room, as well aspressure in the gas cylinder were measured.The data from these tests are summarized in Table 9.Test Type 3 TestsIn tests making up Test Type 3, the fire performance of the heating appliance with composite gascylinder was assessed in a room fire scenario that grows to flashover conditions. In this test suite,the test room was lined with medium density fiberboard. The heating appliance incorporating acomposite gas cylinder was positioned against the wall facing the open doorway. A 300 kW or a40-160 kW propane burner located in the corner of the room was used to ignite the mediumdensity fiberboard resulting in flashover conditions in the test room. In one test, an additionalspare cylinder was positioned next to the heater. The increases in temperatures, ensuing from thefire growth, were measured and the performance of the heating appliance was assessed.The results from Test Type 3 are provided in Table 10.Composite Propane Cylinders 38February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Table 9. Summary of Test Type 2 ResultsTestNo.PropaneLevelHeaterOrient.ParametersHeater on/off1 Full Vertical Off, cylinder notconnected3 Full Horizontal Off, cylinder notconnected4 Half full Vertical Off, cylinder notconnected7 Full Vertical Off, cylinder notconnected8 Half full Horizontal Off, cylinder notconnected9 Full Vertical On, connectedwith QCC1(excess flow andthermalprotection)10 Full Vertical On, connectedwith CGA2513 Full Vertical Off, cylinder notconnected15 Full Horizontal Off, cylinder notconnected17 1/3 Full HFull SVertical Off, cylinder notconnected*Violent rupture at joint. **Not including rupture.H = Cylinder in heater; S= Spare cylinderCylinderDesignMaximumCylinderPressure(psig)ResultsMaximumAverage RoomCeiling Temp.(C)MaximumHeat Flux onFloor Center(kW/m 2 )1 220 794 301 190 689 281 181 614 101 198 627 241 163 831 201 210 839 281 205 801 362 228 761 232 24246*801** 22**1 139 H 51 Not Detectable303 SComposite Propane Cylinders 39February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Table 10. Summary of Test Type 3Test ParametersResultsTestNumberPropaneLevelHeaterOrientationCylinderDesignInitial FireSource(kW)MaximumCylinderPressure(psig)Time BetweenFlash Overand CylinderMaximumPressure (m:s)MaximumAverage RoomCeilingTemperature(°C)2 Full Vertical 1 300 272 5:00 11185 Full Horizontal 1 300 236 4:31 8766 Half full Vertical 1 300 203 5:04 90711 Full Vertical 1 40/160* 212 5:15 75012 Half full Horizontal 1 40/160* 171 3:23 109014 Full Vertical 2 300 193 4:18 114418 1/3 Full H Vertical 1 40/160* 128 H 6:02 H 1028Full S 159 S 4:32 S* The initial fire size of 40 kW was after 5 minutes increased to 160 kW.H = Cylinder in heater, S = Spare cylinderTest Type 4 TestsIn tests making up Test Type 4, a heating appliance with the composite cylinder, and anadditional composite cylinder as a spare cylinder, were tested in an NFPA 286 configuration testroom with a steady 300 kW fire in one corner. In this test, the test room was lined with gypsumwallboard. The appliance was located in the opposite corner facing the open doorway with thespare cylinder standing next to it. During the test, the pressure in the gas cylinders was measuredand the cylinders were observed to detect any ignition of the cylinder material.The test was conducted for 20 minutes before the 300kW burner was extinguished. Thecylinders were monitored for an additional 10 minutes after the burner was turned off. Duringthe test, the spare cylinder pressure increased to a maximum of 231 psig at the end of 30 minutes.However, the cylinder did not ignite, and was found not to be leaking after the test wasterminated. The cylinder pressure in the heater remained fairly constant reaching a maximum of123 psig over the duration of the test.Test Type 5 TestsIn tests making up Test Type 5, a burning cylinder, filled to half of its capacity with water, waspressurized by nitrogen following a predetermined cylinder pressure-time curve obtained in TestType 2. The cylinder was impacted by a water hose stream when a cylinder pressure of 220 psigwas reached, 6 minutes into the test.Composite Propane Cylinders 40February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

The cylinder breached before the hose stream impact. However, the hose stream impact did notcause additional damage to the cylinder.Key FindingsThe key findings of this research investigation are summarized below.Fire Hazard from Empty or Filled Stored Cylinder1. The maximum heat release rates from the ignition and burning of the empty cylinderswere approximately 100 to 120 kW.2. There was pooling and burning of melted resin. The pool was approximately 3 ft 2 and1 ft 2 for Designs 1 and 2 respectively.3. A full stored cylinder sustained a 300 kW room fire for 20 minutes without beingignited or leaking propane (Test Type 4, Design 1).4. A burning, nitrogen pressurized stored cylinder (Test Type 5, Design 1) did notviolently breach or rupture when impacted with a water hose stream after it hadbreached.Contribution of Leaking Gas from an Ignited Ccylinder toFire Hazards in a Room Fire5. In each of the fire tests (Test Type 2), the ignited composite cylinder in the heaterassembly released gas resulting in flashover conditions in the room.6. In a growing room fire that goes to flashover (Test Type 3), the composite cylinderbreached and ignited after the flashover had occurred. Typically, there was a 3 to 5minute lag between room flashover and breach of the cylinder. The leaking gascylinder (only Design 1) did not rupture.7. Once the cylinder started to leak, the release of gas continued during the test. A fullcylinder was emptied approximately 10 to 15 minutes after the maximum pressurewas reached.Rupture Hazard from Propane Filled Cylinder8. Cylinder design may play a role in its fire performance. For example, Design 2 (twopiecedesign) ruptured when partially filled and in oriented horizontally during a TestType 2 test.9. None of the Design 1 cylinders ruptured during testing.High Velocity Jetting of Propane Gas Flames upon Leakage from the Cylinder10. In all the tests in Test Type 2 and 3, there was no evidence of high velocity jetting ofpropane gas after the composite cylinder had breached and ignited. In tests withpressure relief valves, the cylinder pressure when the breach was observed (128-270psig), was lower than the relief valve setting (375 psig).Composite Propane Cylinders 41February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

Appendix H contains the complete Underwriters Laboratories “Research Investigation on theFire Performance of Composite Propane Gas Cylinders”.Please note: in the sections discussing the detailed fire testing, this progress report refers to TestType whereas the Underwriters Laboratories Draft Report in Appendix H refers to Task.Composite Propane Cylinders 42February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle

ConclusionThe propane industry is supportive of developing new products to take advantage of thecomposite cylinders’ benefits, including indoor use of these cylinders. Even more importantly,the propane industry is committed to the safe use of these products through their support of thefire test programs to identify potential hazards as well as the development of educationalmaterials for firefighters and the general public on cabinet heaters and indoor use of propane.Through these efforts, data has been generated that indicate composite cylinder fire testperformance is encouraging for indoor use, specifically:• The one-piece cylinders did not rupture during any of the fire testing performed;• There was no evidence of high velocity jetting of propane; cylinders vented at pressureslower than the relief valve setting;• Composite cylinders were able to withstand exposure to a high radiant heat flux (300kW) without venting;• A burning cylinder cooled by water hose spray did not rupture or crack• The maximum heat release rates for empty cylinders are within reason for warehousetype storage.• Proposed code changes to NFPA 58 are adequate to provide for safe use indoors.- The 16 pound composite cylinder and connection are uniquely designed forconnection to cabinet heaters, thereby eliminating the possibility that a largercomposite or metal cylinder can be adapted and connected to the heater,- the heater is limited to 10,000 BTU/Hr, and- use of the heater is restricted to one- and two-family structures and commercialproperties.• If proposed changes to the National LP Gas Code (NFPA 58) are accepted, properlydesigned propane unvented cabinet heaters, when combined with composite cylinders,may present some safety advantages over other types of space heaters already approvedfor indoor use in occupied buildings; e.g. kerosene heaters. This may be especially truewhen issues such carbon accidental or intentional cross fueling is considered; e.g. pouringgasoline into a kerosene space heater. Propane is a clean burning non-toxic flammablegas.Although the fire test results are encouraging, concerns about consumer misuse (including lackof maintenance), tampering, additional fuel load within a residential structure, and the inabilityfor composite cylinders to reseal once breached in a fire still remain. Many of these concernshave been addressed through engineered systems identified in this study (CGA 793 valve;braided metallic hose; reduced fuel capacity and heater rating); however work should continue toeducate fire professionals and consumers in the safe handling, storage, use, and fire performanceof composite cylinders and associated appliances for indoor use.Composite Propane Cylinders 43February 2007for Indoor Use — Phase IIBattelle