Alarifi, A, Dave, J, Phylaktou, HN et al. (2 more authors) (2014) Effects of fire-fighting on a fully developed compartment fire: temperatures and emissions. Fire Safety Journal, 68. 71 - 80. ISSN 0379-7112
Abstract
This study evaluates the effects and consequences of fire-fighting operations on the main characteristics of a fully-developed compartment fire. It also presents data and evaluation of the conditions to which fire-fighters are exposed. A typical room enclosure was used with ventilation through a corridor to the front access door. The fire load was wooden pallets. Flashover was reached and the fire became fully developed before the involvement of the fire-fighting team. The progression of the fire-fighters through the corridor and the main-room suppression attack - in particular the effect of short, medium and long water pulses on either the hot gas layer or the fire seat - was charted against the compartment temperatures, heat release rates, oxygen levels and toxic species concentrations. The fire fighting team was exposed to extreme conditions, heat fluxes in excess of 35 kW/m2 and temperatures of the order of 250 oC even at crouching level. The fire equivalence ratio showed rich burning with high toxic emissions in particular of CO and unburnt hydrocarbons very early in the fire history and a stabilisation of the equivalence ratio at about 1.8. The fire fighting operations made the combustion temporarily richer and the emissions even higher.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2014. Elsevier. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Fire Safety Journal. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Fire Safety Journal, 68,(2014) DOI:10.1016/j.firesaf.2014.05.014 |
Keywords: | Compartment fires; Fire-fighting; Fire temperatures; Fire toxicity; Full scale fire |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Chemical & Process Engineering (Leeds) > Energy Research Institute (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 11 Mar 2015 12:57 |
Last Modified: | 16 Jan 2018 06:04 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2014.05.014 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.firesaf.2014.05.014 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:83285 |