About MYAC
What we do
What we do
What we do
MYAC designs and builds research equipment for the evaluation of materials and garments against such hazards as flash fire and contact with steam or hot water. Ackerman was the University lead for the New Generation Fire shelter project (US Forest Service), the design and construction of the Protective Clothing and Equipment Research Faci
MYAC designs and builds research equipment for the evaluation of materials and garments against such hazards as flash fire and contact with steam or hot water. Ackerman was the University lead for the New Generation Fire shelter project (US Forest Service), the design and construction of the Protective Clothing and Equipment Research Facilities Instrumented Manikin System for evaluation of Flash Fire Protective Equipment as well as a similar facility in South Korea at Dankook University.
MYAC also constructs test equipment to meet textile test methods such as ISO 9151 along with sensors and parts. We can repair your equipment or, if you prefer, replace it with a modernized computer controlled system.
More recently MYAC developed equipment and a test method for evaluating textiles for use in protection against a steam or hot water hazard. This material test equipment, located a both the University of Alberta and Iowa State University, is unique in that it allows evaluation of single layer or composites at pressures from atmospheric to 600 kPa and temperatures from boiling to 200oC. In addition to this MYAC also developed a full scale garment test for use with hot fluids (water, oil, drilling fluids) and steam that allows promising materials to be evaluated as a garment and is useful in gauging the effects of design features (link to photo’s of test). This facility (located a the Apparel Innovation Center in Calgary) is presently unique in Canada.
Projects
What we do
What we do
MYAC is a small engineering firm with a strong interest in both wild land fire operations and industrial operations. We help clients decide on appropriate test methods for evaluating their equipment, source or build the equipment and then help carry out appropriate tests. Based on the results of the tests we may suggest design changes
MYAC is a small engineering firm with a strong interest in both wild land fire operations and industrial operations. We help clients decide on appropriate test methods for evaluating their equipment, source or build the equipment and then help carry out appropriate tests. Based on the results of the tests we may suggest design changes to better performance or perhaps other industries where the materials might find a market.
Manikin Flash Fire System
This system, used in ASTM 1930, NFPA 2112 and ISO 13506, utilizes a size 42 fiberglass manikin, equipped with 110 skin simulant sensors, to evaluate clothing systems when exposed to an 84 kW/m2 flash fire for durations between 2 and 20 seconds. The output of the system is a prediction of the burn injury a person wearing the garment might receive at a given exposure level. Normally the tests are run with a 3 second duration (NFPA 2112) but the system was designed to allow much longer exposures so that multi-layer garments such as fire fighters turnout gear could be evaluated.
The system uses a skin simulant sensor designed at the University of Alberta and the sensors are easily calibrated or in the event of damage, replaced. The exposure is produced by directing propane through a series of critical flow orifices to modified torches positioned around the instrumented manikin. Twelve torches allow producing a uniform flux of 84 kW/m2 (2 cal/cm2-s) over the surface of the manikin. Duration of the exposure is controlled via computer interface and can be as short as 2 seconds or as long as 20 seconds. Calibration of the sensors in the manikin is accomplished using a high intensity lamp with the calibration heat flux set by comparison with a commercial heat flux sensor.
About Us
What we do
About Us
The principal of MYAC is a Professional Engineer registered in the Province of Alberta in Canada. He has taught courses in Engineering Measurements and Design at the University of Alberta for more than two decades and now consults on Testing of Materials to meet various Canadian, US and International Codes and Standards. He is a member
The principal of MYAC is a Professional Engineer registered in the Province of Alberta in Canada. He has taught courses in Engineering Measurements and Design at the University of Alberta for more than two decades and now consults on Testing of Materials to meet various Canadian, US and International Codes and Standards. He is a member of NFPA 1977 and CGSB 155.2 (clothing and equipment for wild land fire fighters).