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EXTINGUISHING EXPLOSIVE FUEL TANKS Without a doubt, cars are traveling at higher speeds these days. Just ask any NASCAR driver. However, other than locating the fuel tank in a "secure" area away from direct impact points, there have been few advances made with regard to crash protection. Now, one has emerged. The advancement is a foam -- or more precisely, a reticulated polyurethane material known as Explosion Suppressant Foam or ESF. The foam, originally used in aircraft fuel tanks, is now being developed for a variety of automobile applications. Peter Regna, principal of Aero Tec Laboratories in Ramsey, NJ, is considered to be one of the country's leading experts in crash-resistant fuel cells and fuel tanks. His company has built fuel cells packed with ESF for a number of racing cars. He says ESF placed in fuel cells and fuel tanks are "professionally estimated to have prevented 95-98 percent of fuel fires that otherwise would have erupted in high speed racing accidents." ESF has now been mandated by the Sports Car Club of America, NASCAR, and the Federation Internationale de Automobile. One of the more popular foams is called SafeCrest, manufactured by Crest Foam Industries in Moonachie, NJ. SafeCrest has been used for many years in military transport and reconnaissance aircraft, helicopters, and battle tanks. Crest Foam produces ESF using a proprietary manufacturing process and special thermal reticulation techniques. The techniques permit production of flexible skeletal foam structures with precisely controlled pore sizes and without cell membranes. "The resultant open pore foam exhibits unique characteristics and offers advantages in fuel tanks for explosion suppression, fuel surge control, and noise mitigation applications," says Michael C. Curti, vice president and general manager of Crest Foam. In describing ESF, Curti says the material may be easily fabricated into any configuration to conform to the inside of an automobile's fuel tank, whether it is rigid metal or a rubberized fabric bladder that is subsequently installed in a metal housing. The material remains in the fuel tank without degradation or loss of physical properties. "We've seen more business in all quadrants," Regna says of ESF's rowing popularity. "We're now outfitting a fair number of offshore racing boats and military vessels with ESF materials. We've even expanded into the remotely piloted vehicle market." ESF also provides cost-cutting benefits. "It offers the lowest initial cost of any system providing explosion protection along with the lowest cost to maintain," Curti says. The foam contains no moving parts of electrical devices. It migrates fuel spray in the event of a fuel tank rupture from compressive forces, and it also effectively controls fuel surging and sloshing, according to Curti. No doubt automakers will continue to design faster cars. ESF is one measure they may be able to use to assure drivers a safer ride.
Without a doubt, cars are traveling at higher speeds these days. Just ask any NASCAR driver. However, other than locating the fuel tank in a "secure" area away from direct impact points, there have been few advances made with regard to crash protection. Now, one has emerged. The advancement is a foam -- or more precisely, a reticulated polyurethane material known as Explosion Suppressant Foam or ESF. The foam, originally used in aircraft fuel tanks, is now being developed for a variety of automobile applications. Peter Regna, principal of Aero Tec Laboratories in Ramsey, NJ, is considered to be one of the country's leading experts in crash-resistant fuel cells and fuel tanks. His company has built fuel cells packed with ESF for a number of racing cars. He says ESF placed in fuel cells and fuel tanks are "professionally estimated to have prevented 95-98 percent of fuel fires that otherwise would have erupted in high speed racing accidents." ESF has now been mandated by the Sports Car Club of America, NASCAR, and the Federation Internationale de Automobile. One of the more popular foams is called SafeCrest, manufactured by Crest Foam Industries in Moonachie, NJ. SafeCrest has been used for many years in military transport and reconnaissance aircraft, helicopters, and battle tanks. Crest Foam produces ESF using a proprietary manufacturing process and special thermal reticulation techniques. The techniques permit production of flexible skeletal foam structures with precisely controlled pore sizes and without cell membranes. "The resultant open pore foam exhibits unique characteristics and offers advantages in fuel tanks for explosion suppression, fuel surge control, and noise mitigation applications," says Michael C. Curti, vice president and general manager of Crest Foam. In describing ESF, Curti says the material may be easily fabricated into any configuration to conform to the inside of an automobile's fuel tank, whether it is rigid metal or a rubberized fabric bladder that is subsequently installed in a metal housing. The material remains in the fuel tank without degradation or loss of physical properties. "We've seen more business in all quadrants," Regna says of ESF's rowing popularity. "We're now outfitting a fair number of offshore racing boats and military vessels with ESF materials. We've even expanded into the remotely piloted vehicle market." ESF also provides cost-cutting benefits. "It offers the lowest initial cost of any system providing explosion protection along with the lowest cost to maintain," Curti says. The foam contains no moving parts of electrical devices. It migrates fuel spray in the event of a fuel tank rupture from compressive forces, and it also effectively controls fuel surging and sloshing, according to Curti. No doubt automakers will continue to design faster cars. ESF is one measure they may be able to use to assure drivers a safer ride.