Methanol Pan Fires in an Enclosed Space: Effect of Pressure and Oxygen Concentration

Abstract

Abstract : A series of fire tests was conducted in FIRE I, a large-scale pressurizable fire test chamber, to investigate the effect of pressure and oxygen concentration on methanol pan fires. As the oxygen concentration decreased from 21 vol-% to 13.5 vol-% throughout the experiments, the mass loss rate linearly decreased from 10 kg/hr to 6.6 kg/hr. Below 13.5 vol-% oxygen concentration, the mass loss rate rapidly declined. The fire self-extinguished when the oxygen concentration level approached 12 vol-%. An increase in initial chamber pressure from 14.7 psi to 23.9 psi (at 21 vol-% initial oxygen concentration) increased the burning rate by 34% Experiments are planned at combinations of higher than ambient pressures and lower than ambient oxygen concentrations in order to quantify the combined effect of these variables on the mass loss rate of methanol. Experiments are also planned to determine the effect of pressure and oxygen concentration on the burning rates of other fuels.