Research in our section focuses on characterizing phenomena during fire suppression and developing predictive models of suppression processes. Three primary research areas include 1) Developing novel measurement techniques to track fire suppression in optically obscured environments. 2) Developing scaling relationships for complex fire suppressants, such as firefighting foams, across bench-, intermediate-, and large-scale fires. 3) Modeling suppression environments using database metrics, advanced regression techniques, and machine learning to predict fire extinction times.  Expertise in absorbance spectroscopy, laser-based detection systems, sensors, MATLAB, LabVIEW, Python, fire protection engineering, database development, and machine learning can support research in these areas. Several laser-based and optical diagnostic techniques are currently used to monitor suppression environments, with an emphasis on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS). Our laboratories are equipped with high-speed visible and infrared video cameras, FTIR spectrometers, Czerny–Turner spectrographs, holographic spectrographs,  and CCD cameras. Additional information about ongoing research in our section, Code 6185, Combustion & Reacting Transport, can be found at the following web address: https://www.nrl.navy.mil/chemistry/research/6180/6185.

1.        Hinnant, K. et al. Comparative Measurements of TDLAS and Multi-Gas Sensor to Monitor Fire Extinction Inside Small-Scale Backdraft Compartment Using CO2 and CO Concentrations. Fire Technology, 7, 2025.

2.        Hinnant, K.M. et al. Correlations between Bench-Scale and Large-Scale Extinction Metrics for Firefighting Foams. Fire Safety, 151, 2025, 104286.

3.        Hinnant, K. M. et al. Database for developing structure-property correlations for environmentally-friendly, fire-suppressing, surfactants and foams. ACS Omega, 10(37), 2025, 42270-42281.

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Additional Benefits

Awardees who reside more than 50 miles from their host laboratory and remain on tenure for at least six months are eligible for paid relocation to within the vicinity of their host laboratory.

A group health insurance program is available to awardees and their qualifying dependents in the United States.