Abstract
A numerical investigation is described wherein expected gas temperatures in compartment fires where the fuel consists of a pool of thermoplastic material are determined. Natural ventilation from a single rectangular window is assumed and only steady-state, well-stirred, flashed-over fire is considered. The fuel is assumed to pyrolyze radiatively only. The dominant variable is shown to be the ratio of ventilation parameter to fuel area. A stable higher and an unstable lower solution are obtained for gas temperature. The stable solution corresponds to fuel-rich burning; the unstable solution would indicate fuel-lean burning. For ventilation parameter/fuel area ratio in excess of that at stoichiometry, no real solution is obtained, indicating that a well-stired fire does not occur under this condition. The dependence of gas temperature on the ratio of ventilation parameter to fuel area and window height is developed. Predicted results are compared to experimental data from small-scale fire tests where polyethylene and polymethylmethacrylate were used as fuel and show agreement. The finding that a flashed-over fire does not occur for fuel-lean conditions is verified by this comparison.
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