- Author
- Hinkley, P. L. | Wraight, H. G. H. | Theobald, C. R.
- Title
- Contribution of Flames Under Ceilings to Fire Spread in Compartments.
- Coporate
- Fire Research Station, Borehamwood, England
- Journal
- Fire Safety Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3, 227-242, 1984
- Keywords
- flame spread | ceilings
- Abstract
- An experimental investigation has been made of flames spreading beneath both combustible and non-combustible ceilings. Experiments were performed in a model representing the ceiling of a corridor with a fire at one end: a gas burner was used to represent the fire, this was replaced by wooden cribs in experiments to be described in later part of this report. The flames rising vertically from the fire in effect drew air up into the horizontal layer of flames and gases beneath the ceiling. Depending on the rate of flow of fuel gas (or rate of burning of the cribs) this air could be sufficient for complete combustion of the fuel gases and the flame lenght was then apparently determined by mixing processes within the layer. When this air was not sufficient, the remaining air for combustion was entrained vertically into the horizontal layer from the cool air beneath and the flames became much longer.