Fire Safety of Wood-Burning Appliances. Part 1. State of the Art Review and Fire Tests. Volume 1. Final Report.
Fire Safety of Wood-Burning Appliances. Part 1. State
of the Art Review and Fire Tests. Volume 1. Final
Report.
(19642 K)
Peacock, R. D.; Ruix, E.; Torres-Pereira, R.
NBSIR 80-2140; 69 p. November 1980.
Sponsor:
Department of Energy, Washington, DC
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: PB81-145823
Keywords:
chimneys; fire models; fire safety; fire tests; flues;
heating equipment; heat transfer; literature reviews;
radiant energy; stoves; wood
Abstract:
A series of 18 full-scale tests was conducted in an
instrumented test room using five different wood-burning
appliances. These tests were designed (1) to establish
typical operating conditions including temperatures on
the appliances, chimneys, and adjacent combustible
surfaces; (2) to study the effects of a variety of
combinations of appliances design, clearance to
combustibles, and room construction on temperatures on
adjacent combustible surfaces; and (3) to compare these
measured values with theoretical predictions of wall
surface temperature. Additional tests were conducted to
compare a standardized fuel source with typical oak
logs. A review of literature related to wood-heating
safety included in this study revealed that current
codes are based on data almost 40 years old. The
results of these tests point out some areas where the
codes should be modernized to accurately reflect the
newer appliances and construction techniques.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899