FireDOC Search

Author
Steckler, K. D.
Title
Calculations of Wall Fire Spread in an Enclosure.
Coporate
National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
Sponsor
Armstrong World Industries, Lancaster, PA Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC
Report
NBSIR 83-2765; LA-9911-C-Vol. 1; LA-9911-C-Vol. 2
November 1983
74 p.
Distribution
AVAILABLE FROM National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000; Fax: 703-605-6900; Rush Service (Telephone Orders Only) 800-553-6847; Website: http://www.ntis.gov
Book or Conf
CSNI Specialist Meeting on Interaction of Fire and Explosion with Ventilation Systems in Nuclear Facilities. Volume 1 and Volume 2. April 25-28, 1983, Los Alamos, NM, 495-514 p., 1983
Keywords
burning rate | fire models | flame spread | flashover | walls | mathematical models | oxygen concentration
Abstract
Mathematical models of fire growth in enclosures offer a potential for assessing the risk of materials with respect to a hazard such as flshover. The development of a model for fire spread over wall lining materials is presented. The work covers the development of a transient two-layer zone model, initially formulated for crib fires in a room then adapted to simulate a spreading corner wall fire. The local wall flame spread rate and burning rate per unit area are expressed in the model as functions of the external radiation incident upon the burning surface and the oxygen concentration in the adjacent gas layer (zone). Flame spread is limited to the horizontal direction. Results for a fictitious wall lining material are presented. Major elements of the results are shown to be in qualitative agreement with experience. Finally, areas for improvement and the direction of future efforts are noted.