The Experimental Study of Fire Behavior in a Compartment - Assignment Example

The behavior of fire in conditions of controlled ventilation such as in compartments of tunnels has not been extensively researched, yet it is a vital aspect of fire hazard analysis and disaster investigation especially in offshore platforms (Chamberlain, 1996). Despite the fact that the literature reviewed contains accounts of both under-ventilated pool and cellulosic fires, though, on small scales, the behavior of compartment fires especially remains hugely unexplored.

The burning environment inside the compartments is expected to result in various phenomena such as enhanced mixing, incomplete combustion, and recirculation of smoke into the burning flame. These phenomena were assessed together with the burning parameters of PMMA samples to develop a simple burning profile of compartment fires. It can be noted that it is difficult to quantify the effects of exhaust gases such as carbon (II) oxide and carbon (IV) oxide on the walls of the compartment, heat fluxes, and volume of the compartment. Regardless, fire detectives and hazard analysts need this burning information so as to adequately define the severity of fire hazards and assist fire engineers to design appropriate protective measures.

Shell Research, Thornton at the Norwegian Fire Laboratory has carried out experimental studies on the behavior of large-scale compartment fires, results of which were reported and reviewed by (Chamberlain, 1996). The literature looked into in this dissertation focused on the analytical and theoretical plastics burning models that are currently in place. It was found that these models tend to ignore the effects of the melting behavior of plastics or fail to illustrate it completely. In the experimental study of compartment fires on non-standard cases (Lindholm et al, 2012), keen attention needs to be paid to the inherent relationship between the heat release rate and rate of combustion i.e. total heat release. In such cases, the surfaces of the samples in question do change as a result of melting during the burning process. Furthermore, the tendency of the plastic samples tested to ignite, ought to be complemented by heat release rate and oxygen consumption vs time records of cone calorimeter tests under a radiant exposure of 25kW/m2