n-heptane pool fire and industrial alcohol pool fire in a ceiling vented compartment were studied experimentally. The parameters including mass loss rate and rate of gas temperature rise were investigated. The results suggest that the rate of gas temperature rise, whose variations were highly coincident with those of the mass loss rate, minimized at the moment of extinction. The correlation of the rate of average nondimensional temperature rise with mass loss rate was established. It was found that the rate of average nondimensional temperature rise may be correlated with mass loss rate via the gas heat absorption coefficient which was found to be a quadratic function of the nondimensional heat release rate for the ceiling vented compartment under study. The present study may be of practical use for estimation of the time-dependent changes in mass loss rate from the gas temperature curves.
Ruiyu ChenShouxiang LuBosi ZhangChanghai LiSiuming Lo
The impacts of elevation on fires in a ceiling vented compartment were investigated experimentally. The flame behavior of elevated fires was recorded. Various parameters including the fuel mass loss rate, the light extinction coefficient, the oxygen concentration and the gas temperature were measured. Results indicated that the variations of the flame behavior were consistent with that of the fuel mass loss rate. The fire location significantly impacted the light extinction coefficient, the oxygen concentration and the gas temperature, which all showed distinct stratification phenomena. For a higher elevated fire, the average fuel loss rate and the overall light extinction coefficient were smaller, the oxygen concentration was higher and the gas temperature was lower. In addition, the smoke descending was slower. From the perspective of those parameters the fire was less hazardous if the fire was elevated higher, which was totally different from the elevated fires in closed compartments.
Jiaqing ZHANGShouxiang LUQiang LIChanghai LIMan YUANRichard YUEN
