Applicability of Correlations Between the Species Formation and the Global Equivalence Ratio in a 1/2-Scaled ISO Compartment With Nongaseous Fuel.
Applicability of Correlations Between the Species
Formation and the Global Equivalence Ratio in a
1/2-Scaled ISO Compartment With Nongaseous Fuel.
(890 K)
Wieczorek, C. J.; Vandsburger, U.; Lattimer, B.; McKay,
C.
Fire Safety Science. Proceedings. Sixth (6th)
International Symposium. International Association for
Fire Safety Science (IAFSS). July 5-9, 1999, Poitiers,
France, Intl. Assoc. for Fire Safety Science, Boston,
MA, Curtat, M., Editor(s), 965-976 pp, 2000.
Sponsor:
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD
Keywords:
fire research; fire safety; fire science; compartments;
experiments; compartment fires; global equivalence ratio
Abstract:
Lifestyle developments on the global scale which
manifest themselves in increased travel, increased
elderly populations in assisted care facilities, and
urbanization require increased attention to fire safety
in dense occupation environments. Statistics spanning
decades have shown that the key factor in fire
fatalities is CO inhalation, termed loosely "smoke
inhalation," not only in the fire enclosure but in areas
remote from the flames. The current study was geared at
developing correlations to relate the levels of CO, CO2,
and UHC produced and the amount of O2 depleted during
compartment fires to the burning compartment global
equivalence ratio (GER). This is a first step in a
study, which will include a study of fire products
transported to adjacent enclosures, and the development
of engineering correlations. Tests were conducted in a
1/2-inch scale ISO compartment with fully scaled door
openings, using n-hexane pool fires within the center of
the compartment. Two fire scenarios were simulated, a
fully and partially opened door, by varying the door
width. The results, in form of concentrations of the
fire products as a function of equivalence ratio
(corrected for various transport times) were compared
with previous hood and special configuration compartment
studies. The present work indicated that the residence
time of the gases within the compartment has an effect
on both the carbon monoxide levels and the carbon
dioxide levels. The narrow door configuration yields the
lowest CO levels and the highest CO2 levels. This is
expected since the residence time of the gases within
the narrow door (19.5 sec) is more than twice that of
the baseline door (9.3 sec), therefore the there is more
time for the CO to oxidize to CO2. The unburned
hydrocarbon levels are not effected by the residence
times in this study since UHC's have a higher reaction
rate than CO under the present fire condition.
Therefore, the levels of UHC's will be dependent only on
the availability of free oxygen.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899