Main Deck Mudular
Cabin Sections

Position System Upper Platform

Figure 9. Artist's Concept Commuter/Narrow Body Simulator

ll



A crew of two to four technicians and investigators
working four to six weeks will be able to disassemble
a configured cabin, and erect a different cabin.

The exterior appearance of the cabin is not impor-
tant, but the interior appearance resembles a current
commercial airliner. Within the cabin, it will be
possible to locate any size and/or design of an aircraft
exit anywhere along the length of the cabin. Exits can
be located and used from either or both sides of the
cabin. Interior monuments and bulkheads of varying
size and shape can be installed anywhere within the
cabin. Seat pitch is adjustable.

Evacuation slides are an important part of the
emergency escape system. As such, the simulator must
be able to use any current (or future) design of an
aircraft slide. This requires that the door sill height be
adjustable within the range of current aircraft. An
open area at the end of each slide must be available so
that research subjects using the slide can tumble at the
end of the slide without hitting anything (e:g., a
building wall).

Both cabin interior and cabin exterior illumination
levels are variable to control for the influence of
lighting levels on evacuation. A non-toxic theatrical
smoke can be introduced into the cabin. This smoke
completely obscures vision to simulate the visual
impairment of smoke from an aircraft fire. After a
smoke filled cabin evacuation is conducted, the air in
the simulated cabin can be quickly exchanged with
clean air so that subsequent experimental runs can be
conducted.

Requirements for a Building

Early concepts for the flexible simulator envisioned
a series of modules that would be built up to represent
the cabin configuration of interest. It was determined
that such a system could not be practically built if it
would be outdoors and required to be weatherproof.
In addition to the need to weatherproof the simula-
tors, there are other requirements for the facility that
dictate the need for the facility to be enclosed. Among
these requirements is the ability to schedule and
conduct experiments without regard to weather or
time of day. Current research facilities that may be
located outdoors cannot be practically used to inves-
tigate issues related to cabin exterior illumination

levels. Evacuation experiments require months of
preparation, and coordination with hundreds of
people. Everything must be ready at the same time in
order to run an experiment. When research facilities
are located outdoors, weather conditions at the time
of the test may make conduct of the test unsafe. If a
cabin side pool is available for water survival studies,
use of this pool also requires that it be in an enclosed
building. Thus, the ability to design, schedule and
conduct experiments with full contro! of illumination
and environmental conditions requires that a flexible
simulator be enclosed in a building.

In addition to a large area to house the simulator,
with an appropriately sized open area around the
simulator for research subjects to tumble without
striking the building when exiting a slide, the building
is required to house laboratory and workshop space to
devise and maintain experimental equipment. Among
this experimental equipment are the modules and
fixtures required to configure the simulator. The
largest size cabin for which the simulator may be
configured is the triple aisle, triple deck transport.
Experiments with this cabin configuration require as
many as 500 research subjects. All of these subjects
need to attend a safety briefing and provide informed
consent to participation in the experiment. Basic
subject information, such as height, weight, gender,
and age must be collected and recorded. Subjects are
interviewed about health problems that may make
them unsuitable for an experiment. To ethically con-
duct such health reviews, a semi-private area is re-
quired where a subject may be interviewed bya research
investigator. When many people gather in a single
location, requirements for bathroom facilities and
parking for their automobiles become important con-
siderations.

The simulator requirement for a cabin side pool to
investigate evacuation into water imposes a number of
requirements on the building. The pool must be wide
enough to properly deploy aircraft slide/rafts, and it -
must be long enough so thata plane load of people can
be in the water without being so crowded that colli-
sions are likely between subjects in the water and
subjects jumping from the cabin. The pool must be
deep enough and wide enough so that subjects will not
hit the sides or bottom of the pool. The requirement


a i. =
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Figure 13. Elevation of Proposed Facility

15


Figure 3. Artist's Concept Wide Body Simulator (Shown at Rest Position)


the viewing gallery on the third level. From this
viewing gallery, research scientists will be able to view
experiments in the simulator area. The same area also
permits monitoring during an experiment by the
medical and safety staff required when using human
research subjects.

The facility envisioned in the concept design fea-
tures approximately 36,000 square feet of space for
the simulator area, including a water survival tank 45
feet wide by 80 feet long by 15 feet deep. The associ-
ated administrative area, including the subject brief-
ing/lobby area, offices, locker rooms, and equipment
maintenance areas is 14,000 square feet.

Estimated Facility Cost

As partofACI’s concept design study, detailed cost
estimates were performed. The wide body simulator
cost was estimated as $4 million, and the narrow Lody
simulator cost was estimated as $1.8 million. The
building required to house the simulators is estimated
to cost $9.3 million, exclusive of land cost. The pool
required for water survival studies adds $900,000 to
the cost of the building. Thus, the total facility,
including wide and narrow body simulators, the re-
quired building, and a water survival tank, is esti-
mated to cost $16 million.

SUMMARY

Aircraft cabin evacuation research relies on experi-
ments conducted in retired transport aircraft, or in
cabin simulators designed to represent one, or a lim-
ited number of aircraft. Current facilities significantly
limit the ability of research scientists to design experi-
ments. The locations, size, and shape of exits cannot
be varied, nor can multi-deck or multi-aisle cabins be

investigated. New, possibly radically different cabin
designs, such as those associated with a flying wing,
cannot be investigated. This paper describes the re-
sults of a concept design study to build a flexible
simulator and its associated facilities.

The flexible simulator proposed features a number
of unique and useful features. Any cabin size, width,
and length could be simulated from a small “com-
muter” category aircraft cabin through a three aisle,
three deck mega-jumbo transport seating 700-1,000
passengers. The simulator sits on a hydraulic posi-
tioning system, allowing door sill height to be ad-
justed. The simulator uses a modular design allowing
for the rapid and inexpensive fabrication of cabin
components, such as exits, essential to the study of
future cabin safety issues. Interior and exterior iflumi-
nation levels can be controlled, and a non-toxic,
vision obscuring theatrical smoke can be introduced
into the cabin. A cabin side pool allows the investiga-
tion of evacuation into water. The pool can be cov-
ered, allowing evacuation from both sides of the
cabin.

The proposed simulator would be housed in a
building permitting the scheduling and conduct of
experiments without regard to the weather. The build-
ing is also required, because a weatherproof flexible
simulator is not a practical design. The building has a
large enough open area at the end of the evacuation
slides so that research subjects can safely tumble
without impacting building walls while exiting a
slide. A large lobby, which can be reconfigured as a
subject briefing room, is included in the building as
are locker rooms for as many as 250 research subjects
of each gender. The building’s size is approximately
36,000 ft? in the simulator area, and 14,000 ft? of
administrative space.


for evacuatipn from either or both sides of the simu-
tacor implieechkacetoker ote pou! must be movable, the
simulator myst be movable, or that suitable covers for
the pool are available. Research subjects participating
in water survival studies need an atea to change clothes
and securely store their persona} belo ngings. Thus,
locker room facilities are needed for as many as 250 of
each gender,

Concept Design Study

Allen Congulting, Inc. (ACI) was commissioned by
the FAA to perform a concept design study of a
flexible cabin simulator facility!. The resulting study
provided guidance as to the feasibility and cost of a
flexible simulator and building. The requirements
described earlier guided the design, Because of the
wide variation in cabin width, two simulators are
proposed. One can be configured for any cabin, from
asmall commuter category plane, to as large asa single
aisle airliner with 3-3 seating. This simulator is re-
stricted to a single deck. The second simulator can be
configured for a multi-deck cabin, with as many as
three aisles. Both simulators are in a building with a
water poo! in between them. Covers can be placed
over the poo} when evacuations from both sides of a
cabin onto dry land are being studied. Both simula-
tors are on hydraulic positioning systems that can lift
and tilt the simulators to any desired sill height and
angle.

A series of artist concept drawings illustrating the
flexibility of the simulator are shown in Figures 1-4.
In these figures the dark area to the viewer's right of
the cabin is the water pool. The simulator is shown in
the rest position (i.e., door at floor level) with evacu-
ation slides mounted on the rear floor level exit.
Figures 1 and 2 show the commuter and narrow body
simulator configurations, while Figures 3 and 4 illus-
trate the wide body, and the triple aisle, triple deck
mega jumbo transport configuration. Figures 5-8 il-
lustrate seating plans for the commuter category,
narrow body single aisle, wide body main deck dual
aisle, and mega jumbo transport triple aisle main deck
cabin configurations.

The flexible simylacor uses a modular design. Simu-
fated cabins are cteated by matching a number of
modules representing a short section of a cabin. This
module, in turn, is built from a number of compo-
nents representing such items as floors, ceiling, exits,
and walls. Use of the modular design maximizes the
flexibility of different cabin arrangements and designs
possible. Use of a modular design allows, at some
future date, the rapid fabrication of new cabin design
features, and the easy incorporation of new cabin
design features at some point 15-20 years after the
simulator is completed. Because only the module
needs to be fabricated, these new features can be
studied for minimum expense. Future modules may
be as simple as different exit size or orientation,
through new and different door operations, as well as
the study of radically different designs of cabins such
as those being considered for a flying wing.

Figures 9-11 illustrate this modular design. Figure
9 shows an exploded view of the modules that might
be used to configure a commuter/narrow body cabin.
Figure 10 shows the same view for a triple deck mega-
wide body cabin. Figure 11 shows an exploded view of
a single module illustrating the components used to
build a module.

The resulting building needed for such a facility is
shown in Figures 12-14, Figure 12 shows a plan view
of the building. Note the two simulators located
adjacent to the evacuation pool. A bridge crane above
this area allows the movement of pool covers from the
storage area (shown on the left of Figure 12). The’
lobby of the building, shown on the lower tight corner
of Figure 12, can be transformed into a subject brief-
ing area when large experiments are being conducted.
Figure 12 shows the lobby as it might be set up with
tables and chairs for processing subjects through their
safety briefing, and in providing informed consent.
Figures 13 and 14 show-two cross sectional elevation
views through the building, illustrating the simulators
up on their positioning system. Note the location of
the pool in Figure 13, In Figure 14, the orientation
area/lobby is shown. Note in Figure 14 the adminis-
trative space above the lobby. Also nore on Figure 14

‘Design Concept Prepared for the FAA Flexible Aircraft Cabin Simulator, FAA Contract DTFA-02-94-D94303, August 1, 1995


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Figure 14. Elevation View of Proposed Facility

16 ‘WU.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1997 - 559-079/60021


Figure 2. Artist's Concept Narrow Body Simulator (Shown at Rest Position)


DOT/FAA/AM-97/18

Office of Aviation Medicine
Washington, D.C. 20591

A Flexible Cabin Simulator

Jeffrey H. Marcus

Civil Acromedical Institute
Federal Aviation Administration

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73125

August 1997

Final Report

EE |
‘ Approved for wuble release

~enripes uUnismted

This document is available to the public
through the National Technical Information
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161.

© 19970912 019

U.S. Department
of Transportation

Federal Aviation
Administration prc QUALITY LNSPEUTED 8



80’

BEREEEREREREEBERERR

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Figure 5. Commuter Body Floor Plan (No Scale)

Figure 6. Narrow Body Ficor Pian (No Scale)


Figure 4. Artist's Concept Mega Body Simulator (Shown at Rest Position)


Figure 1. Artist’s Concept Commuter Body Simulator (Shown at Rest Position)


A FLEXIBLE CABIN SIMULATOR

INTRODUCTION

Experimental research concerned with emergency
evacuation of a passenger aircraft frequently uses
aircraft cabin simulators. People serving as research
subjects are placed in these simulators, which are
configured to represent a typical airline passenger
cabin, and then asked to evacuate as quickly as pos-
sible. Some aspect of cabin design or operational
procedures, such as the width of aisles leading to exits,
is then varied. Interactions between experimental sub-
jects, their time and behavior while evacuating, and
the cabin design are studied with the goal of evacuat-
ing the cabin in as short a time as possible.

Current cabin simulators are either retired aircraft,
or a special purpose simulator that faithfully dupli-
cates a single, or limited number of aircraft. The use
of such simulators places many restrictions on the
ability to conduct research. With these types of simu-
ators, the location, size, and design of exits cannot be
changed. New cabin designs, such as multi-deck,
multi-aisle mega transports carrying 700-1,000 pas-
sengers cannot be simulated, nor can radically differ-
entaircraft designs, such as the flying wing, be studied.
Consideration is currently being given to such aircraft
designs that will present new unanswered questions
related to emergency passenger evacuation. Finally,
current simulators are not generally located adjacent
to a water tank or swimming pool. This precludes the
study of issues related to evacuation from an aircraft
into water. :

Regulatory issues related to emergency evacuation
are a continuing concern. In many cases, decisions
must be made for which there is little or no scientific
research on which to base the decision. Frequently,
the lack of research is due to lack of appropriate
facilities for conducting the research. For example:
1) The requirement for a maximum of 60 feet be-

tween exits. The safety of a greater spacing could
not be shown experimentally because no facility
exists for varying the distance between exits.

2) The use of exits of a different size or design from
those specified in airworthiness regulations is
difficult. Determining appropriate ratings, and
allowing their use is difficult.

3) The use of evacuation slides with multi-deck
aircraft presents a number of new issues. Will
there be slides from each deck, or will passengers
need to make their way to a main deck before
leaving in an emergency? If each deck has a set of
slides, will people exiting from a slide from one
deck interfere with people exiting from an adja-
cent slide connected to a different deck?

4) Limited ability of current evacuation research
facilities to reconfigure their arrangements has
hampered development of parameter data sets
and validation exercises for computerized evacu-
ation models. For the same reason, there has been
only limited study of analytical techniques to
address certification issues related to evacuation.

This document describes the requirements of an
aircraft cabin simulator flexible enough to be
reconfigured to study whatever evacuation issue needs
to be examined. The requirements of the simulator, as
well as required support facilities, are described. Pro-
jected construction costs of both the simulator and
associated building are summarized. Finally, the cur-
rent status of a Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA) project to construct a flexible cabin simula-

tor is discussed.

Requirements of a Flexible Simulator

The most fundamental requirement of a flexible
simulator is the ability to simulate any type of a
passenger aircraft cabin, from a small, “commuter”
category aircraft through a large multi-deck, multi-
aisle jumbo transport. The jumbo transport is limited
to a maximum of three aisles and three decks, with 3-
5-5-3 seating. Within these constraints, any width
and/or length of a passenger cabin can be simulated.



Third Deck Modular
Cabin Sections

Second Desk Modular
Cabin Sections

“7h

<a \

\

Main Deck
Modular Cabin
Sections

Position System Upper Platform

Figure 10. Artist's Concept Wide/Mega Body Simulator

12


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Figure 12, Plan View of Proposed Facility

14



Technical Report Documentation Page

7. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.
DOT/FAA/AM-97/18 .
‘4. Title ond Subtitie - 5. Report Date
A Flexible Cabin Simulator August 1997
. 6. Performing Organization Code
7. Author(s) 8, Performing Organization Report No.
Marcus, J.H.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address © 10. Work Unit No. CIRAIS)
FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute
P.O. Box 25082 11. Contract o Grant No.

Oklahoma City, OK 73125

12. Sponsoring Agency name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Office of Aviation Medicine
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20591 14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplemental Notes

16. Abstract

Experimental research on issues related to emergency evacuation of a passenger aircraft cabin have tended to use existing
aircraft cabins. While a great deal of useful information has been collected, these facilities have limited capabilities to be
configured to investigate new or unusual cabin arrangements. A concept design for a flexible cabin simulator has been
completed and is described. The proposed facility can simulate any aircraft cabin from a small, commuter category
aircraft chrough a multi-aisle, multi-deck mega-jumbo transport: The simulator allows full flexibility in terms of exit
type and placement, location and design of interior monuments, and the size and layou: of the passenger cabin.
Experimental control is possible of interior and exterior illumination levels, the presence of vision obscuring smoke, and
the door sill height when using evacuation slides. Built from modular sections, it might be used in the future to
investigate new and unusual cabin designs, such as the flying wing. The proposed simulator is described to illustrate its
versatility. The associated building and project costs are also discussed.

17. Key Words 78. Distribution Statement
Passenger aircraft evacuation, Evacuation, Document is available to the public through the
Experimental cabin simulator National Technical Information Service
. Springfield, Virginia 22161
19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classi, (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price
Unclassified Unclassified 19
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page

authorized


NOTICE

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of
the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of
information exchange. The United States Government
assumes no liability for the contents thereof.


Body Deck Floor Pian (No Scale)

8. Mega

Figure


CENLING FRAME MODULE

OVERHEAD BINS

WALL LINERS

WALL FRAME MODULE

FLOOR FRAME MODULE

Figure 11. Artist's Concept Typical Cabin Module Assembly
(WMBS Shown, CNBS Similar)