The Measurement of Heat Release from Oxygen Consumption in Sooty Fires

Abstract

This paper is a further contribution to the development of practi cal relationships based on oxygen consumption calorimetry to calculate the rate of heat release (RHR) in fires. The measurement of the RHR based on oxygen consumption was promoted in the 1980s. Previous workers introduced and as sessed the significance of adequate correction factors to take into account in completeness of combustion as reflected by carbon monoxide release. This paper focuses on materials releasing large amounts of soot in combustion. Classical oxygen consumption relationships are reviewed to derive adequate calculation procedures integrating the soot contribution. An analysis 1Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sylvain.brohez@fpms. ac.be of the significance of the suggested soot correction factor is discussed through theoretical considerations as well as from results of lab-scale experiments.