Abstract
Severe building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) fires enhance the need of precise risk assessment on photovoltaic (PV) modules. In the current study, two widely used photovoltaic (PV) panels with different coverings are tested using a cone calorimeter under a wide range of incident heat fluxes (from 18 to 70 kW/m2) to characterize the influence of window flame radiation on the burning behaviors of the samples. Several key parameters including the ignition temperature and time, heat release rate (HRR), and concentration of toxic gases are investigated. The experimental results show that glass covering instead of polyethylene terephthalate covering could effectively improve the flame-retardant and smoke-suppression properties of PV composites. In addition, exposing the two samples to high incident heat fluxes would be very dangerous for the peak HRR and fire growth rate index, and fractional effective exposure dose values rise as the incident heat flux increases from 18 to 70 kW/m2, while the ignition time and time to peak HRR reduce. Further, three different decomposition regions of the two composites, which are identified within the range of the applied external heat flux, represent the different roles of flame retardants and covering glass, respectively. This work provides a method for fire safety specialists to evaluate the fire hazards of PV modules, which include thermal and toxic hazards, in BIPV safety assessments.
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