CFD Simulations of Fire Propagation in Horizontal Cable Trays Using a Pyrolysis Model with Stochastically Determined Geometry

In this paper, a pyrolysis model for a PVC cable is constructed using results from thermogravimetric analysis, microscale combustion calorimeter and cone calorimeter experiments. The pyrolysis model is used to simulate fire propagation in horizontal cable trays. The simulated arrangement corresponds to a cable tray fire experiment from OECD PRISME 2 project. As laying the cables loosely along the horizontal trays is a random process, a novel stochastic method is developed for making the simplified cable tray geometries for the computational fluid dynamics model. In addition, as the simplified cable tray geometry has significantly smaller surface area than a real tray full of cables, the surface area was parametrically adjusted. In contrast to most of the earlier published numerical approaches for simulating cable tray fires, the presented approach does not use empirical correlations for predicting fire propagation and does not require any results from full-scale experiments for calibrating the model. The simulation results are compared to experimental results in terms of heat release rate, mass loss, tray ignition times and lateral flame spread rates. The maximum heat release rate was overpredicted by 8% on average.

     

聚磷酸铵和三氧化钼对聚氨酯软泡阻燃性能的影响

以聚磷酸铵（APP）和三氧化钼（MoO3）为阻燃剂,采用一步发泡法制备阻燃聚氨酯软质泡沫（FPUF）,通过扫描电镜、氧指数仪、热重分析仪和锥形量热仪等测试手段研究了MoO3和APP对聚氨酯软泡的泡孔结构、热稳定性、阻燃性能以及产烟量的影响规律。研究表明：MoO3和APP均能提高聚氨酯软泡的阻燃性能,与纯聚氨酯软泡相比,当APP和MoO3的添加量均为7.5%时,阻燃聚氨酯软泡的总热释放量和总产烟量分别降低了44.2%、66.3%,表现出很好的阻燃和抑烟性能;探讨了APP和MoO3阻燃聚氨酯软泡的阻燃作用机理,APP在气相和凝聚相发挥阻燃作用,在气相中通过生成含磷官能团捕获气相中的自由基,在凝聚相中发挥催化成炭的作用,MoO3能促进热裂解聚氨酯催化成炭,提高成炭率,使炭层致密,并提高聚氨酯软泡的热稳定性,有效提高聚氨酯软泡的火灾安全性。     

Full scale fire tests for ship accommodation quarters

Ten full-scale test fires were conducted in a chamber simulating a three person ship accommodation quarter. The test fires used three different ventilation conditions, two types of bunks and furnishings with either polyurethane foam or chloroprene foam. The chamber was instrumented to follow the development of the fire.The furnishings with polyurethane foam were readily ignited and produced an intense fire within 2 to 4 minutes. The furnishings with chloroprene foam ignited but burned slowly with a small flame or in smoldering combustion.The ventilation conditions had a significant effect on the development and intensity of the fire as the test fires were burning under oxygen-limiting conditions.The solid pan bunks retarded the early development of the fire compared to open bunks for polyurethane furnishings. However, once the mattresses on the three bunks were ignited the intensity of the test fires was similar for both types of bunks.     

Material fire properties and predictions for thermoplastics

Ignition and burning rate data are developed for nylon 6/6, polyethylene, polypropylene and black polycast PMMA in a cone calorimeter heating assembly. The objective is to examine a testing protocol that leads to the prediction of ignition and burning rate for thermoplastics from cone calorimeter data. The procedure consists of determining material properties, i.e. thermal inertia, specific heat, thermal conductivity, ignition temperature, heat of gasification and flame heat flux from cone data, and utilizing these properties in a model to predict the time to ignition and transient burning rate. The procedure is based on the incident flame heat flux being constant in the cone calorimeter which occurs for flames above the top of the cone heater. A constant net flame heat flux of approximately 20 kW/m² for nylon 6/6, 19 kW/m² for polyethylene, 11 kW/mP² for polypropylene and 28 kW/m² for black PMMA is obtained for irradiation levels ranging from 0 to 90 kW/m². The burning rate model is shown to yield good accuracy in comparison to measured transient burning in the cone assembly.     

基于CONE和MCC的典型电缆燃烧性能研究

采用锥形量热仪和微燃烧量热仪对4类不同护套材料电缆的8种电缆样品进行燃烧性能分析研究,研究结果表明:电缆燃烧热释放过程与护套、绝缘材料、电缆结构密切相关;对于护套材料相同而大小或结构不同的电缆,点燃时间和到达第一个峰值的时间以及第一个峰值最大热释放速率基本一致;聚烯烃无机阻燃材料电缆能够有效降低热释放速率峰值,CO2、CO释放量也明显低于橡胶电缆、普通PVC电缆和阻燃PVC电缆;微燃烧量热仪和锥形量热仪实验数据存在一定的相关性,微燃烧量热仪实验数据可以对锥形量热仪实验的第一燃烧阶段燃烧行为进行预测。     

Designing fire safe interiors.

Any product that causes a fire to grow large is deficient in fire safety performance. A large fire in any building represents a serious hazard. Multiple-death fires almost always are linked to fires that grow quickly to a large size. Interior finishes have large, continuous surfaces over which fire can spread. They are regulated to slow initial fire growth, and must be qualified for use on the basis of fire tests. To obtain meaningful results, specimens must be representative of actual installation. Variables--such as the substrate, the adhesive, and product thickness and density--can affect product performance. The tunnel test may not adequately evaluate some products, such as foam plastics or textile wall coverings, thermoplastic materials, or materials of minimal mass. Where questions exist, products should be evaluated on a full-scale basis. Curtains and draperies are examples of products that ignite easily and spread flames readily. The present method for testing curtains and draperies evaluates one fabric at a time. Although a fabric tested alone may perform well, fabrics that meet test standards individually sometimes perform poorly when tested in combination. Contents and furnishings constitute the major fuels in many fires. Contents may involve paper products and other lightweight materials that are easily ignited and capable of fast fire growth. Similarly, a small source may ignite many items of furniture that are capable of sustained fire growth. Upholstered furniture can reach peak burning rates in less than 5 minutes. Furnishings have been associated with many multiple-death fires.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Full Scale Burn Tests of Television Sets and Electronic Appliances

Ten full-scale burn tests of television sets and electronic appliances were performed to: (1) demonstrate the ignition propensity and fire performance characteristics of materials used in the construction of television sets marketed in the United States and to compare these to the fire performance of television sets marketed in Europe; (2) document the damage to television sets when exposed to nearby burning materials; (3) evaluate and compare the damage to television sets when subjected to different size, duration and types of fires; (4) evaluate fire damage to television sets and electronic appliances when exposed to post flashover conditions; and (5) evaluate electrical damage caused to components of electronic appliances while they are powered and subjected to exposure fires.Ignitability tests showed that television sets constructed with cabinets made of V-0 rated plastics (for the U.S. market) will not ignite and propagate a flame under the test conditions. Television sets made of HB rated plastics (for the European market) will ignite and propagate a flame under the same test conditions and the television set will be consumed in the ensuing fire. The UL 94 tests do not provide rate of heat release data; however, calorimetry test data showed that the rate of heat release and the burning of the electronic appliances and television sets were in part dependent on the size of the exposure fire.Examination of the television sets and electronic appliances after the burn tests showed that the severity of damage and type of damage varied significantly. Electrical fault activity was noted to have occurred both exterior and interior to the powered television sets as well as other powered electronic appliances. In all cases, the fire source was external to the appliance.Post fire examination after the flashover fires showed that fire pattern analysis and burn damage are not necessarily indicative of the area of origin or cause and can be misleading to even experienced fire investigators.     

Benchmarking the Single Item Ignition Prediction Capability of B-RISK Using Furniture Calorimeter and Room-Size Experiments

This paper benchmarks B-RISK’s capability to predict item ignition in multiple object compartment fire simulations. A series of fire experiments have been conducted which measured single item ignition times under the furniture calorimeter and in the ISO 9705 room. These experiments used mock-up armchair, TV and cabinetry furniture items created from three common materials found in most households in New Zealand exposed to a 100 kW gas burner flame. B-RISK uses the flux-time product (FTP) method as the criterion to predict ignition of items, based on radiation received using the point source model (PSM). This paper presents an analysis of the B-RISK predictions compared to the experimental measurements. Due to the mathematical formulation of the PSM and FTP method, it is found that the predicted ignition time is sensitive to the distance between the radiative source and the item. Predicted ignition times of armchairs constructed of polyurethane foam were within 14% of the ISO 9705 room experimental results. However, for the furniture calorimeter experiments it is found that to get reasonable predictions of the ignition times for the mock-up armchair and TV items there is a need to account for the burner flame movement by adjusting the radial distance by 10–30 mm. Direct flame contact was required to ignite the mock-up cabinetry items and B-RISK was unable to successfully predict this ignition time.     

A simplified characterization of upholstered furniture heat release rates

The technology for measuring uphostered furniture heat release rates was established with the development of the furniture calorimeter. Analysis of a large number of tests in the furniture calorimeter has now demonstrated that for most specimens a good approximation to the rate of heat release as a function of time may take the form of a triangle. Methods of generating such curves, suitable for fire protection engineering hazard assessment purposes, have been developed.     

Ignition,Heat Release Rate and Suppression of Elastomeric Materials

The focus of this paper is to determine flammability characteristics of rubber materials that are common to vehicle tires, conveyor belts, and electrical power cable insulation and to compare the thermal magnitude of cargo quantities of these materials to other fuels that are publicly transported. Although a literature review was performed, very little data was found on this topic. Standard flammability test procedures were used to measure the critical flux for ignition, critical ignition temperature, and heat release rates (HRR) of rubber compounds common to tire tread materials and conveyor belt covers. Both the intermediate scale calorimeter: ISO 14696, ASTM E-1623 (ICAL) and the cone calorimeter: ISO E-5660, ASTM 1354 (Cone) provided the bulk of the data. Critical ignition flux and vertical flame spread data for rubber based electrical insulations were determined using a radiant panel from a modified ASTM flame spread apparatus: ASTM E-162. thermogravimetric analysis was also used to evaluate thermal decomposition progression of selected test materials. Further, suppression tests were conducted on tire piles to evaluate agents to extinguish and control tire fires. Also, the HRR of the tire piles were measured and compared to work performed by others. Results confirm that the area heat release rate of rubber materials is directly proportional to exposure flux intensity. The critical exposure flux for ignition of a variety of rubber-based materials is approximately 20 kW/m² to 30 kW/m² and the critical temperature for piloted and non-piloted ignition were independent of exposure intensity at ~400°C and ~600°C respectively. In large quantities, rubber tire loads have total HRR comparable to the heat released from similar areas of liquid hydrocarbon spills.     

甲醇和异丙醇池火泡沫灭火试验研究

对直径2.5 m的甲醇和异丙醇池火发展过程、冷却保护和泡沫灭火进行了试验研究.结果表明,异丙醇池火的发展较甲醇池火迅速;采用冷却水保护储罐罐壁能够显著抑制池火的发展和热辐射;受燃液表面和火焰的破坏作用,灭火泡沫释放至燃液表面后需经历一定延迟时间才能对池火产生影响,该延迟时间随泡沫混合液供给强度的增大而缩短;推算出直径2...     

Experimental Study on the Combustion Characteristics of Primary Lithium Batteries Fire

The use of lithium batteries requires understanding their fire and explosion hazards. In this paper, a report is given on an experimental study of the combustion characteristics of primary lithium batteries. Burning tests of single and bundles of primary lithium batteries were conducted in a calorimeter to measure their heat release rates when exposed to an irradiance of 20 kW m^?2. Several variables including time to ignition, mass loss, heat release rate and plume temperature were measured to evaluate the ignition and combustion characteristics. The burning batteries were observed to have flame temperatures in excess of 1,200°C and to release corrosive compounds. The experimental results show that the combustion efficiency, carbon dioxide yield and mass loss are proportional to the number of batteries in the bundle. The total heat released by battery bundles was deduced empirically to be proportional to the number of batteries with a power of 1.26. The results provide experimental basis for the development of fire protection measures during the use, storage and distribution of primary lithium batteries.     

Applied Heat Flux Distribution and Time Response Effects on Cone Calorimeter Characterization of a Commercial Flexible Polyurethane Foam

The burning behavior of a commercial flexible polyurethane foam has been studied in a cone calorimeter using standard ASTM procedures. It is shown that burning takes place in two distinct stages, with the first primarily due to the release of species derived from the isocyanate used in the manufacture of the foam and the second due to species derived from the polyether component. Experiments showed that approximately 40% of the original foam mass is lost during the first burning stage. Due to the low density and high flammability of the foam, burning takes place at a high rate, and experimental times are relatively short. As a result, the heat release rates measured by the cone calorimeter are distorted by the non-uniform heat flux distribution of the cone heater over the sample volume and the instrument’s finite time response. Two heat release models were developed and applied to approximately correct for the effects of finite time response and non-uniform heat flux distribution. Values reported include mass loss rate, heat release rate, heat of combustion, and heat of gasification for each of the burning stages. The measurement results are compared with earlier published findings for similar foams. The results are found to fall into two distinct classes with different heat release rate behaviors. Possible reasons for the differences are discussed.     

Combustibility Parameters for Enclosure Lining Materials Obtained During Surface Flame Spread Using a Reduced Scale Ignition and Flame Spread Technique

A reduced scale ignition and flame spread technique, RIFT, was implemented in the cone calorimeter system to obtain thermocombustibility properties of enclosure lining materials during flame spread over the sample surface. Previously, a thermal model of ignition and opposed flow flame spread was used to analyze flame spread data obtained using RIFT. Here, a framework is discussed for deducing critical material combustibility parameters from the measured heat release and mass loss rates as the spreading flame proceeds to the point of flame extinction. The nature of the data and analytical framework allows users to deduce spreading flame flux from the heat release rate (HRR) and mass loss rate (MLR) data relatively economically and directly. The anomalies highlighted by comparing flame spread data in the RIFT system compared to data from the BS 476 Part 7 apparatus indicates that the RIFT system is well-suited for developing and refining models describing ignition, flame spread, and mass burning.     

Analytical and experimental study on multiple fire sources in a kitchen

Experiments were carried out earlier in a room calorimeter to study cooking oil kitchen fires with multiple fire sources under natural ventilation with burning characteristics observed. Air and fire temperatures inside the room and heat release rates were measured before. In this paper, average heat release rate, burning time and average oil mass flux were investigated by analytical studies together with those experiments. Average heat release rate, burning time and average oil mass loss rate for 2 woks, 4 woks and 6 woks were compared. Three typical burning conditions were identified and analyzed. Rapid burning rate in the experiments was observed. A mathematical model on heat transfer from the flame to the pan surfaces was developed. Analytical results were justified by the earlier experimental observations. This would compare the results better with 2 woks, 4 woks and 6 woks. In the calorimeter, each pan was placed at different distances away from the door. The burning process, mass loss rate of kitchen oil and burning time are different. Therefore, only the average values were used to get more reasonable results.     

Numerical study of under-ventilated fire in medium-scale enclosure

In an enclosure, as all the air inflow is consumed in burning with the excess fuel, the internal fire enters the decay phase, and such process is said flame exhaust. The complicated multistage process from an initial fire growth up to a flame exhaust followed by an external burning is investigated by means of a Large-Eddy-Simulation (LES). Turbulent combustion process is modelled by an Eddy Break-Up concept by using two sequential, semi-global steps for CO prediction. The numerical model solves three dimensional, time-dependent Navier–Stokes equations, coupled with submodels for soot formation and thermal radiation transfer. The critical fuel supply rate needed for flame to exhaust and the time period from the fuel ignition to the appearance of an external flaming in medium-scale facilities are previously obtained experimentally by Chamchine AV, Graham TL, Makhviladze GM, et al. [Experimental studies of under-ventilated combustion in small and medium-scale enclosures. In: Proceedings of the fourth international seminar on fire and explosion hazards; 2003. p. 97–107.], and the general trends predicted by the numerical model follow closely their experimental observation. This model is capable of adequately describing the essential simultaneous phenomena (flame height, soot generation, CO production, convection and radiation) occurring in a room fire. The distinct transient stages of fire development prior to flame exhaust and scenarios of the exhaust are analysed. An external burning is followed after the flame exhaust inside enclosure, and the flame height, H_f, past the ceiling is approximately in an order of the opening height. Even though the flame exhaust takes place under the critical conditions, the heat transferred from the hotter gases and the external fire source poses significant threat to people inside enclosure, and potentially induces an ignition of fuel package exposed near the opening of an enclosure.     

Influences of Talc on Fire Performance of Low Density Polyethylene

In this paper the effects of talc on the ignition time, the burning rate and the downward flame spread rate of low density polyethylene were studied through the cone calorimeter test, the modified UL 94 vertical burning test and a designed downward flame spread experiment. Cone calorimeter tests show that the mass loss rate (MLR) and the heat release rate (HRR) decrease with increasing the talc content, which is ascribed to the residue formed by talc. When the loading of talc is low, talc powders aggregate to form separate talc tablets during burning, leading to the slight decrease of MLR and HRR. When the mass fraction of talc is higher than 20%, possibly the percolation threshold for barrier effect of talc, an integral crust covering the whole specimen surface is generated to act as a good heat and mass barrier, resulting in the significant drop of MLR and HRR. However, no evidence of char in the residue is found. The ignition time in both the cone calorimeter test and the modified UL 94 test initially decreases and then increases with increasing the talc content. It is supposed that the wick effect of talc aggregations reduces the ignition time while the dilution effect and the barrier effect delay the ignition time. The downward flame spread rate initially increases and then decreases with increasing the talc content, which is suspected to be related with the reduction of ignition time and melt flow rate during burning caused by talc.     

EcoSmart Fire as Structure Ignition Model in Wildland Urban Interface: Predictions and Validations

EcoSmartFire is a Windows program that models heat damage and piloted ignition of structures from radiant exposure to discrete landscaped tree fires. It calculates the radiant heat transfer from cylindrical shaped fires to the walls and roof of the structure while accounting for radiation shadowing, attenuation, and ground reflections. Tests of litter burn, a 0.6 m diameter fire up to 250 kW heat release under a Heat Release Rate (HRR) hood, with Schmidt-Boelter heat flux sensors in the mockup wall receiving up to 5 kW/m² radiant flux, in conjunction with Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) modeling verified a 30% radiant fraction, but indicated the need for a new empirical model of flame extinction coefficient and radiation temperature as function of fire diameter and heat release rate for use in ecoSmartFire. The radiant fluxes predicted with both ecoSmartFire and FDS agreed with SB heat flux sensors to within a few percent errors during litter fire growth. Further experimental work done with propane flame heating (also with 30% radiant fraction) on vertical redwood boards instrumented with embedded thermocouples validated the predicted temperature response to within 20% error for both models. The final empirical correlation for flame extinction coefficient and temperature is valid for fire diameters between 0.2 and 7.9 m, with heat release rates up to 1000 kW. From the corrected radiant flux the program calculates surface temperatures for a given burn time (typically 30 s) and weather conditions (typically dry, windy, and warm for website application) for field applications of many trees and many structural surfaces. An example was provided for a simple house exposed to 4 burning trees selected on a Google enhanced mapping that showed ignition of a building redwood siding. These temperatures were compared to damage or ignition temperatures with output of the percentage of each cladding surface that is damaged or ignited, which a homeowner or a landscaper can use to optimize vegetation landscaping in conjunction with house exterior cladding selections. The need for such physics-based fire modeling of tree spacing was indicated in NFPA 1144 for home ignitability in wildland urban interface, whereas no other model is known to provide such capability.     

Piloted ignition times,critical heat fluxes and mass loss rates at reduced oxygen atmospheres

Ignition, pyrolysis and burning of materials in reduced oxygen atmospheres occur when recirculating combustion gases are mixed with the air flowing into an enclosure. Still the incoming air can be sufficient for the complete combustion of the pyrolysis gases. Thus, for the prediction of fires in enclosures it is essential to understand the ignition and burning of materials in a reduced oxygen atmosphere even when plenty of oxidizer is available for complete combustion. Previous work employing gaseous fuels has shown that under these conditions, but before extinction, burning of gaseous fuels issuing from a nozzle is complete but radiation from the flames decreases owing to the reduction of their temperature. Complementary to that work, piloted ignition of solids is investigated here at reduced oxygen concentrations by measuring the ignition times and mass loss rates of the solid at ignition.These results were obtained in a cone calorimeter modified to supply air at reduced oxygen concentrations. Two types of plywood, normal and fire retardant 4 mm thick were examined at three imposed heat fluxes 25, 35 and 50 kW/m² and at oxygen concentrations of 21%, 18% and 15% by volume. Because heating at these heat fluxes and material thickness corresponds to intermediate thermal conditions (i.e. neither thin nor thick), novel analytical solutions are developed to analyze the data and extract the thermal and ignition properties of the material. The same novel solutions can be applied to modeling concurrent or countercurrent flame spread. Moreover, a theory for piloted ignition explains why the ignition times and mass pyrolysis rates are weakly dependent on reduced oxygen concentrations.     

Polyurethane foam: Some studies relating to its behavior in fires

According to one test, polyurethane foam is “self-extinguishing,” while another classifies it as a “surface of rapid flame spread.” The author has found that its burning rate is sensitive to the applied heat flux and suggests that the fire resistance of polyurethane foam be assessed in tests using more realistic heat flux levels. Note: This paper is Crown Copyright 1971.