Multilayered Fire Protection System

The Multilayered Fire Protection system uses technology from the space craft flexible heat shield for future planetary missions. By optimizing this material for the fire environment, utilizing heat shield test methods, and experimenting with different materials, the NASA team developed a multilayered fire protection system. This system includes an outer textile layer which reflects over 90 percent of the radiant heat, an insulated layer which protects against convective heat and hot gases, and a non-porous film layer which is a gas barrier layer. NASA Langley has developed a flexible, light weight and portable thermal protection system. The flexible thermal protection systems are multilayer thermal blankets that are designed to handle external temperatures of up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Flight tests clearly demonstrate how these new heat retardant materials can protect from the extreme conditions. This system creates an environment for protecting equipment, facilities, and people from a high intensity incident heat source, such as a fire. The system can be formed as a sleeping bag, a tent, a blanket, a vertical barrier, a curtain, a flexible rollup doorway, or a wrap.