(2) The Cylinder Array, a next-generation self-contained breathing apparatus, is nearly seven inches narrower than current designs.
May 01, 2010
BY MARY JANE DITTMAR
The Cylinder Array. This next-generation, self-contained breathing apparatus represents the most significant innovation in breathing apparatus technology in more than two decades, according to Price. The new design replaces hard, metal-based cylinders with thinner composite plastic pressure vessels wrapped and braided with carbon and Kevlar® fibers and protected by a soft, durable, fire-resistant cover. The new “array” has multiple interconnected smaller vessels of compressed air and provides 45 minutes of breathing air. The apparatus has a much flatter profile than current designs—it is about 2.60 inches deep instead of about nine inches. The thinner, flexible model will help prevent firefighters from becoming entangled in debris and will significantly reduce the weight of a firefighter’s gear, lessening stress and fatigue. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and Sanders Industrial collaborated with DHS to develop the technology.
| (1) The Cylinder Array represents the most significant innovation in breathing apparatus technology in more than two decades. (Photos courtesy of the International Association of Fire Fighters.) |
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(2) The Cylinder Array, a next-generation self-contained breathing apparatus, is nearly seven inches narrower than current designs.
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Author’s Note: At press time, the IAFF announced in a release that MSA (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was selected to build a prototype of this SCBA and that the prototype will be field-tested in fire and law enforcement departments later this year.