Generation of Carbon Monoxide in Compartment Fires. Annual Report. September 1991-September 1, 1992.
Generation of Carbon Monoxide in Compartment Fires.
Annual Report. September 1991-September 1, 1992.
(4118 K)
Gottuk, D. T.
NIST GCR 92-619; 265 p. December 1992.
Sponsor:
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Keywords:
carbon monoxide; compartment fires; fire plumes;
flexible foams; hexanes; polyurethane foams; polymethyl
methacrylate; solid fuels; toxic gases; wood
Abstract:
A 2.23 test compartment was used to investigate the
burning of four fuels (hexane, PMMA, spruce, and
flexible polyurethane foam) in compartment fires.
Empirical correlations between the upper-layer yield of
major species and the plume equivalence ratio were shown
to exist. The results reveal that the production of CO
is primarily dependent on the compartment flow dynamics
and upper layer temperature. A chemical kinetic
analysis indicated that increased compartment
temperature affects uper-layer species yields in two
ways: 1) the generation of species in the plume is
changed, and 2) oxidation of post-flame gases in the
layer is affected. The correlations developed in the
compartment fires were qualitatively similar to those
developed by Beyler for simplified upper-layer
environments. The species yields downstream of hexane
compartment fires were investigated and compared to
upper-layer yeilds. Results showed that downstream CO
yields can be correlated to the plume equivalence ratio
when taking into account the occurrences of external
burning.
