Abstract
Fire propagation and burning characteristics of upward flame spread over flexible polyurethane (FPU) foam board were investigated under coupling effects of pressure and orientation. As a further comparative research of our previous work, three pressures (70, 85 and 100 kPa) and four fuel surface inclination angles (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°) were applied, respectively, as before, to study the variation of typical parameters including flame spread rate (FSR), burning rate, heat transfer components, flame length, etc. First, a phenomenological interpretation was taken to show the special spreading process with melting flow combustion and flash burning observed. Second, an overall theoretical analysis was proposed to reveal the individual or coupling effects of pressure and inclined burning surface on spreading behavior. A semi-quantitative correlation was developed and formulated to show the tendency of FSR as a function of pressure, inclination and other burning parameters, which was validated by data in paper. Meanwhile, comparison of detailed differences between upward and downward spread was conducted to give a full insight on FPU fire development. At last, comprehensive discussions of coupling effects on variation of spreading characteristics and heat transfer mechanisms were performed based on fire dynamics.
Highlights
Pressure effects on flame spread over solids has been studied for several decades to provide guidance for fire protection in aircraft and high-altitude buildings
As the essential parameter related to oxidation and flow in combustion, pressure was confirmed to have obvious influences on fire spreading behavior and burning characteristics for solid fuels, e.g., wood [1,2,3,4], rigid polyurethane (RPU) foam [5,6], flexible polyurethane (FPU) foam [7,8,9], extruded polystyrene (XPS) [10,11], or other polymers [12,13,14]
Three different ambient air pressures (70, 85 and 100 kPa) were applied to investigate the influences of pressure on upward flame spread over an FPU foam board with various inclinations
Summary
Pressure effects on flame spread over solids has been studied for several decades to provide guidance for fire protection in aircraft and high-altitude buildings. As the essential parameter related to oxidation and flow in combustion, pressure was confirmed to have obvious influences on fire spreading behavior and burning characteristics for solid fuels, e.g., wood [1,2,3,4], rigid polyurethane (RPU) foam [5,6], flexible polyurethane (FPU) foam [7,8,9], extruded polystyrene (XPS) [10,11], or other polymers [12,13,14]. In 2000, a further developed theory by de Ris et al known as Radiation Fire
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