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EN 16989 Explanation | Railway Vehicle Seat Fire Test EN 16989:2018 & EN 45545-2:2020 In EN 45545-2:2013+A1:2015 Annex A & B, introduces the complete seat fire test, testing three groups of damaged seats but not considering the case of undamaged seats. It was found that the seats that met EN 45545-2 HL3 only individually met BS 6853 Class Ia, leading to the adoption of different test regimes and producing diametrically opposed test results. Also, in most cases, the test results for the damaged seats were worse than those for the undamaged seats, but there were also times when the undamaged seats had worse combustion performance than the damaged seats. For this reasons, the CEN/TC 256 railway committee redrafted the test method for the fire behavior test of completed seats to provide detailed provisions for the fire test of complete seats, with various amendments and additions to the fire source, vandalization, test mode, sample requirements, sample arrangement, test procedure and equipment calibration verification procedures and requirements, etc., and was approved in February 2018, officially published as EN 16989:2018 in June 2018. Purpose of EN 16989 EN 16989 provides a standardized method to: Determine fire behavior: Assess how a complete railway seat (including upholstery, headrest, armrest, and seat shell) reacts when exposed to a fire, focusing on heat release, smoke production, and flame spread. Evaluate vandalism resistance: Test the seat’s ability to withstand intentional damage, which could affect its fire performance. Ensure compliance: Meet the fire safety requirements outlined in EN 45545-2 for railway vehicles, particularly for passenger seats, to minimize fire risks and enhance evacuation safety. The standard is critical for ensuring that materials used in rail vehicles do not contribute significantly to fire hazards, especially in high-risk scenarios like tunnels or crowded trains. Seat Requirements in EN 45545-2 In EN 45545-2: 2020, the previous content of the complete seat fire test in Annex A & B are removed, and the test method officially refers to EN 16989: 2018. Furthermore, EN 45545-2:2020 has certain requirements for complete passenger seats and its materials: For Non-upholstered seats, there are two principles to meet requirements. All surface material shall meet the requirement of R6, i.e. seat, front and back of backrest, armrests, etc. Alternatively, the seat & the back of the backrest materials shall meet the requirements of R6. The front of the backrest, armrest, and removable headrest shall meet the requirements of R21. The complete seat shall meet the requirements of R18. EN45545-2 R6 requirements EN 45545-2 R18 requirements EN 45545-2 R21 requirements For upholstered seats: The complete seats shall meet the requirements of R18, test method refers to EN 16989: 2018. Additionally, the seat shall be conducted with cutting vandalization test before the burning test. After cutting vandalization, the length of the cut is measured to assess its level of vandalization. EN 16989 Fire Test for Vehicle Seat Fire Tests with seats can be vandalized Four fire tests are required if the seat is to be tested fully or partially vandalized. Two fire tests shall be undertaken with the seat in a vandalized condition. Two fire tests shall be undertaken with the seat in an unvandalized condition. Fire Tests with seats cannot be vandalized Two fire tests shall be undertaken according to Clause 7 with the seat in an unvandalized condition EN 16989 Fire Test Procedure Test Setup Test Environment: The test is conducted under a calorimetry system with a stainless steel exhaust hood and ducts, ensuring a well-ventilated condition with an exhaust flow of 1.2 m³/s. Ignition Source: A 15 kW propane-fueled burner is used as the ignition source, simulating a realistic fire scenario. Test Specimen: A complete seat assembly, including upholstery, headrest, armrest, and seat shell, is tested. The seat is conditioned before testing to ensure consistent results. Vandalism Simulation: The seat undergoes a cutting vandalism test to simulate intentional damage. This involves making cuts and measuring their length to assess the seat’s vulnerability to vandalism, as damaged materials may behave differently in a fire. Test seat conditioning. Test seat cutting vandalization. Test seat positioning under the smoke hood. Burner positioning on the test seat. EN 16989 instrumentation and equipment stabilization, exhaust flow shall be 1.2 m3/s. Start of the data acquisition system. Burner ignition and flame application, the open flame output of 15kw, application time from 180s~360s from the start of the test start. Test continuous till 1560s. Measurements: Key parameters measured include Heat Release Rate (HRR): The rate at which heat is released during combustion, measured in kW/m². Maximum Average Rate of Heat Emission (MARHE): A critical metric for assessing fire intensity, also in kW/m². Total Smoke Production (TSP): The amount of smoke generated, which impacts visibility and safety during evacuation. Flame Height: The extent of flame spread, indicating how quickly a fire could propagate. If you need further details, such as specific test criteria, purchase equipment or a comparison with other standards, please let me know!

The Invention of Cone Calorimeter There are many test methods to evaluate the reaction to fire performance of materials, such as the Small Flame Source Test (ISO 11925-2), Oxygen Index (LOI) Test (ISO 4589-2, ASTM D2863), Horizontal and Vertical Flammability Test (UL 94), NBS Smoke Density Test (ISO 5659-2, ASTM E662). They are mostly small-scale test methods that test a particular property of a material, only assess the performance of a material under certain test conditions, and cannot be used as a basis for assessing the behavior of a material in a real fire. Since its invention in 1982, the Cone Calorimeter has been recognized as a test instrument for the comprehensive assessment of the reaction to fire performance of materials. It has the advantage of being comprehensive, simple, and accurate compared to traditional methods. It can measure not only the heat release rate but also the smoke density, mass loss, flammability behavior, and other parameters in a test. In addition, the results obtained from the cone calorimeter test correlate well with large-scale combustion tests and are therefore widely used to evaluate the flammability performance of materials and assess fire development. Standard Compliance The Cone Calorimeter is one of the most important fire test instruments for studying the combustion properties of materials and has been used by many countries, regions, and international standards organizations in the fields of construction materials, polymers, composite materials, wood products, and cables. ISO 5660-1 ASTM E1354 BS 476 Part 15 ULC-S135-04   The Principle of Cone Calorimeter Heat Release The principle of heat release is based on the net heat of combustion is proportional to the amount of oxygen required for combustion, approximately 13.1MJ of heat is released per kilogram of oxygen consumed. Specimens in the test are burned under ambient air conditions while being subjected to an external irradiance within the range of 0 to 100 kW/m2 and measuring the oxygen concentrations and exhaust gas flow rates. Smoke Release The principle of smoke measurement is based on the intensity of light that is transmitted through a volume of combustion products is an exponentially decreasing function of distance. Smoke obscuration is measured as the fraction of laser light intensity that is transmitted through the smoke in the exhaust duct. This fraction is used to calculate the extinction coefficient according to Bouguer’s law. Specimens in the test are burned under ambient air conditions while being subjected to an external irradiance within the range of 0 to 100 kW/m2 and measuring smoke obscuration, and exhaust gas flow rate. Mass Loss The specimens in the test are burned above the weighing device while being subjected to an external irradiance within the range of 0 to 100 kW/m2 and measuring the mass loss rate. Reports Test data can be calculated for the heat release rate per exposed area or per kilogram material lost during the test, total heat release, smoke production rate per exposed area or per kilogram material lost during the test, total smoke production, mass loss rate, and total mass loss. Time to sustained flaming and extinguished, TTI, in seconds Heat release rate, HRR, in MJ/kg, kW/m2 Average heat release rate in first 180s and 300s, in kW/m2 Maximum average rate of heat emission, MARHE, in kW/m2.s Total heat release, THR, in MJ Mass loss, in g/m2.s Smoke Produce Rate, SPR, m2/m2 Smoke production, TSP, in m2 Cone Calorimeter Apparatus Cone-shaped radiant electrical heater, producing irradiance output of 100 kW per square meter. Irradiance control device and heat flux meter. Well heat insulation load cell. Exhaust gas system with airflow measurement sensor. Combustion gas sampling system with the filtering device. Gas analyzer, including O2, CO, and CO2 concentration analyzer. Smoke obscuration measuring system. Self-calibration system. Data acquisition system. Operation software. Application Material Combustion Properties Evaluation Evaluate the combustion hazards of material according to the test data of the cone calorimeter test (e.g. HRR, Peak HRR, TTI, SPR, etc.), and identify the suitable materials for use in different applications. Flame Retardant Mechanism Study By means of repeated tests and comparison of test data, the composition of materials can be optimized to obtain materials with better flame retardant properties. Fire Model Study By analyzing the heat release rate, smoke release rate from burning materials, trend analysis, or connecting to a medium-scale test model (ISO 9705), establish different kinds of fire models. Summary The Cone Calorimeter offers a method for assessing the heat release rate and dynamic smoke production rate of specimens exposed to specified controlled irradiance levels with an external igniter. It is a critical instrument in fire testing and research that are more repeatable, more reproducible, and easier to conduct.

On March 12, 2025, UL officially released ANSI/CAN/UL9540A-2025 "Battery Energy Storage System Thermal Runaway Propagation Test". As the world's first special safety specification for thermal runaway propagation of energy storage systems, this revision took 16 months, 27 rounds of technical consultations and cross-continental voting, and the fifth edition was finally officially released. UL 9540A is not only a national standard that is mandatory for the United States and Canada, but is also widely adopted internationally and is cited in the energy storage system installation regulations of Singapore, Malaysia and Victoria, Australia to cope with specific installation scenarios. UL9540A levels When testing energy storage systems in UL 9540A, four levels of testing can be performed: Cell - A single battery cell heats the battery cell in a constant volume combustion bomb and triggers thermal runaway. The gas composition of the thermal runaway is analyzed by gas chromatography, and then the explosion limit, explosion pressure and burning rate of the thermal runaway gas are tested. This part of the test is to establish a repeatable method for forcing the battery into a thermal runaway state. These methods should be used for module, unit and installation level testing. Module - A collection of connected battery cells. The module level test triggers the thermal runaway of one or more battery cells in the module, and uses a variety of precision gas analysis instruments to comprehensively analyze the gas released by the module after thermal runaway, and evaluate its propagation characteristics and possible fire risks within the module. Unit - A collection of battery modules connected together and installed in a rack and/or chassis. According to the different installation conditions of BESS units, the test configuration is carried out. By triggering the thermal runaway of one or more battery cells in the module, the heat release rate, gas generation and composition, the hazards of deflagration and splashing, the target energy storage system and wall surface temperature, the heat flux of the target wall and energy storage system and the exit device, and the re-ignition are mainly tested. Installation - The same setting as the unit test, using an additional fire extinguishing system. Test Method 1-"Effectiveness of sprinklers" is used to evaluate the effectiveness of sprinkler fire extinguishing and explosion protection methods installed according to regulatory requirements. Test Method 2-"Effectiveness of fire protection plan" is used to evaluate the effectiveness of other fire extinguishing systems and explosion methods (such as gas extinguishing agents, water mist system combination systems). Installation level testing is crucial. It simulates the fire risk of the energy storage system in the actual installation and operation environment, and is an important part of the design to verify whether the protective measures are effective enough. Here is a sneak peek at the summary of key changes to the fifth edition of ANSI/CAN/UL 9450A (March 12, 2025) 1. Test method and measurement updates FTIR and hydrogen measurement: FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) measurement is changed to optional, and hydrogen measurement requirements in unit-level testing are added (clauses 8.2.14–10.3.13). Continuous thermal ramp option: A new test method for triggering thermal runaway by continuous thermal ramp is added (7.3.1.5). Heat flow meter and sampling rate: The use of Gardon heat flow meter is allowed, and the sampling rates for heat flow and wall temperature are revised (6.3, 9.2.15–10.3.10). Escape path heat flow standard: Update the heat flow measurement requirements for non-residential outdoor wall-mounted systems (9.5.1, 9.5.5). 2. Test Configuration and Equipment Adjustment Residential Unit Testing: Replace NFPA 286 test room with “test wall” (9.1.2, Figure 9.3). Thermocouple Location: Revise the placement of thermocouples in battery testing (7.3.1.2, 7.3.1.7–10). Ground Mount System Exception: Add exception conditions for residential systems (9.2.19–10.3.10). 3. Definition and Process Clarification Sample Rest Time: Clarify the rest time of samples after conditioning and charging (7.2.2, 8.1.2, 9.1.9). Battery Charging Method: Refine the battery charging process (7.2.1, 7.2.4). Test Report Requirements: Clarify the test report specifications for using battery systems as BESS units (7.7.1). Failure Criteria: Revise the terminology for battery, module, and unit failures (7.3.1.2, 8.2.8–9.1.8). Term Definitions: Added "Thermal Runaway Propagation" and revised the definition of "Thermal Runaway" (4.16, 4.19). Residential/Non-Residential Definitions: Clarified the distinction between the two types of use, affecting test configuration and reporting (8.4.1, 10.7.1) 4. New Test Methods Battery Type Expansion: Added lead-acid battery and nickel-cadmium battery test methods (7.3.3.1–7.10.4) and high-temperature battery test procedures (7.3.4.1–10.11.3). Flow Battery Revisions: Updated flow battery related requirements (5.4.3, 7.1.1–9.11.1). 5. Performance Standard Revisions Module Level Performance: Revised the pass criteria for module testing (8.5.1). Module Surface Temperature Range: Adjusted the measurement range (9.7.3, Table 9.1, 10.5.2). 6. Updates to Reference Standards Added NFPA 855 as the applicable code (1.2, 3.2). Replaced UL 1685 with UL 2556: Updated cable standard references (3.2, 10.2.2). 7. Safety and Structural Requirements Removed non-combustible structural exception: clarified outdoor flame propagation rules (4.16, 9.1.1–9.7.1). Deflagration risk considerations: added deflagration analysis requirements in Appendix A (A3.3.1). 8. Other Important Updates Residential Use Alignment: Revised code requirements related to residential uses (1.2, 10.1.1–A2.3.2). Deleted Residential Installation Restrictions: Removed the statement prohibiting installation in residential units. Test Report Extensions: Expanded module, unit, and installation level test reports (8.4.1, 10.4.1). Impact Overview Increased flexibility: FTIR selectability and thermal ramping methods provide testing flexibility. Expanded scope of application: Added lead-acid, nickel-cadmium and high-temperature battery tests to cover more technology types. Enhanced safety: Revised flame propagation rules, added deflagration analysis to reduce the risk of fire spread. Simplified testing: Residential testing uses test walls instead, which may reduce testing complexity. This version emphasizes clarity, safety and technical inclusiveness, adapting to the needs of battery technology development and regulatory evolution. UL 9540A evaluates the system safety of energy storage systems after the battery thermal runaway spreads. It is the reference standard for large-scale fire tests mentioned in NFPA 855 and the only consensus standard recognized in NFPA 855. The release of UL9540A-2025 marks the strategic upgrade of energy storage safety from "passive fire protection" to "active warning". If you need to obtain UL9540A test machines or technical support, please contact us!