Fire Pattern > Propagation through Openings-Burn Tests

As part of research sponsored by General Motors, instrumented vehicles were subject to front or rear crash tests. The

	Vehicle Model	Crash/Ignition	Flame Penetration into the Passenger Compartment
1	1996 Dodge Caravan	Front crash; electrical ignition around the battery in the engine compartment	Through broken windshield, AC evaporator and condenser-line pass-through and HVAC air intake
2	1996 Plymouth Voyager	Rear crash; ignition of gasoline pool under the vehicle in the rear	Through split weld seams
3	1997 Chevrolet Camaro	Rear crash; ignition of gasoline pool under the vehicle in the rear	Through crashed induced seam openings, gap between the driver’s door and door frame, and drain hole in the floor panel
4	1997 Chevrolet Camaro	Front crash; ignition of sprays and pools of mixtures of hot engine compartment fluids by a propane torch in and below the engine compartment	Through windshield and HVAC module in the dash panel, both of which were broken in the crash test
5	1998 Ford Explorer	Rear crash; ignition of gasoline pool under the vehicle in the rear	Through crashed induced seam opening, ignition of quarter trim panel by fire plume and heat conduction across the floor pan.
6	1998 Ford Explorer	Front crash; ignition of gasoline pool under the vehicle in the rear	Through openings in the floor panel
7	1998 Honda Accord	Front crash; ignition of sprays and pools of mixtures of hot engine compartment fluids by a propane torch in and below the engine compartment	Through windshield and pass-through openings in the dash panel
8	1998 Honda Accord	Rear crash; ignition of gasoline pool under the vehicle in the rear	Through crashed induced seam openings
Effectiveness of Fire Retardant Treatment of HVAC Unit
9	1999 Chevrolet Camaro, Non-FR HVAC (control)	Front crash; ignition by electrical igniter installed in the air cleaner housing in the engine compartment	Through windshield and HVAC module in the dash panel
10	1999 Chevrolet Camaro, FR HVAC		Through windshield and HVAC module in the dash panel
Effectiveness of Intumescent coating of the Underbody of the Vehicle
11	1999 Ford Explorer, Test #6 is the control	Rear crash; ignition of gasoline pool under the vehicle in the rear	Through electrical pass-through openings in the floor panel similar to test #6 (control)
Effectiveness of Fire Suppression System for Engine Fires
12	1999 Honda Accord	Front crash, ignition of fluids in the engine compartment in the crash test	Test terminated well before flame penetration into the passenger compartment