- Author
- Kim, C. I. | Kulkarni, A. K.
- Title
- Upward Flame Spread on Vertical Walls Made of Practical, Finite-Thickness Materials.
- Coporate
- Pennsylvania Univ., Philadelphia
- Sponsor
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- Session B-1
- Contract
- NIST-GRANT-60NANB8D0849
- Book or Conf
- Combustion Institute/Eastern States Section. Chemical and Physical Processes in Combustion. Fall Technical Meeting, 1990. December 3-5, 1990, Orlando, FL, 49/1-4 p., 1990
- Keywords
- combustion | flame spread | walls | combustible materials
- Abstract
- Most compartment fires involve burning of vertical walls made of finite thickness combustible materials (like wood panels) or walls made of an inert substrate covered with a thin, combustible material (as in case of a metal panel covered with carpet in an aircraft cabin). Behavior of these walls under fire situation is substantially different from that of an idealized semi-infinite wall. Since the upward flame spread process often provides an important vehicle for fire growth in compartment fires, it is imperative that we are able to adequately understand and predict upward flame spread on vertical walls of thin combustible materials. The knowledge of fundamental mechanisms of upward flame spread can also help in assessing the material flammability in common fire situations. The objective of the present work was to study the upward flame spread process on vertical walls for materials actually used in practice and thereby understand the mechanisms and behavior of upward flame spread in realistic fire situations.