Experimental Study of Upper Hot Layer Stratification in Full-Scale Multiroom Fire Scenarios.
Experimental Study of Upper Hot Layer Stratification in
Full-Scale Multiroom Fire Scenarios.
(9624 K)
Cooper, L. Y.; Harkleroad, M. F.; Quintiere, J. G.;
Rinkinen, W. J.
ASME 81-HT-9;
American Society of Mechanical Enineers. 20th Joint
ASME/AIChE National Heat Transfer Conference. August
2-5, 1981, Milwaukee, WI, 1-12 pp, 1982.
Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 104, 741-749, November
1982.
Keywords:
smoke; multiroom fires; stratification; large scale fire
tests; smoke filling
Abstract:
This paper describes an experimental study of the
dynamics of smoke filling in realistic, full-scale,
multiroom fire scenarios. A major objective of the
study was to generate an experimental data base for use
in the verification of mathematical fire simulation
models. The test space involved 2 or 3 rooms, connected
by open doorways. During the course of the study the
areas were partitioned to yield four different
configurations. One of the rooms was a burn room
containing a methane burner which produced either a
constant energy release rate of 25, 100, or 225 kW or a
time-varying energy release rate which increased
linearly with time from zero at ignition to 300 kW in 10
min. An artificial smoke source near the ceiling of the
burn room provided a means for visualizing the descent
of the hot layer and the dynamics of the smoke filling
process in the various spaces. The development of the
hot stratified layers in the various spaces was
monitored by vertical arrays of thermocouples and
photometers. A layer interface was identified and its
position as a function of time was determined. An
analysis and discussion of these results are presented.
