Experimental Study on the Fire-Spreading Characteristics and Heat Release Rates of Burning Vehicles Using a Large-Scale Calorimeter

Abstract

In this article, large-scale experimental studies were conducted to figure out the fire characteristics, such as fire-spreading, toxic gases, and heat release rates, using large-scale calorimeter for one- and two-vehicle fires. The initial ignition position was the passenger seat, and thermocouples were attached to each compartment in the vehicles to determine the temperature distribution as a function of time. For the analysis, the time was divided into sections for the various fire-spreading periods and major changes, e.g., the fire spreading from the first vehicle to the second vehicle. The maximum temperature of 1400 °C occurred in the seats because they contained combustible materials. The maximum heat release rates were 3.5 MW and 6 MW for one and two vehicles, respectively. Since the time to reach 1 MW was about 240 s (4 min) before and after, the beginning of the car fire appears to be a medium-fast growth type. It shows the effect on the human body depending on the concentration of toxic substances such as carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide.

Keywords

• fire-spreading characteristics
• real vehicle experiments
• toxic gases
• temperature distributions
• unsteady heat release rate