- Author
- Ziesler, P. S. | Gunnerson, F. S. | Williams, S. K.
- Title
- Advances in Positive Pressure Ventilation: Live Fire Tests and Laboratory Simulation.
- Coporate
- University of Central Florida, Orlando Orange County Fire Rescue Division, Orlando, FL
- Journal
- Fire Technology, Vol. 30, No. 2, 269-277, Second Quarter, 1994
- Book or Conf
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. Annual Conference on Fire Research, October 18-20, 1993, Rockville, MD, 1-8 p., ['1993', '1994']
- Keywords
- ventilation | pressure | fire tests | simulation | temperature measurements | air quality | visibility
- Identifiers
- Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV)
- Abstract
- Since Fall 1992, the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the Orange County Fire Rescue Division (OCFRD) have been conducting a joint research program to evaluate the effectiveness of Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) as a fire fighting technique. The objectives of the research program are to quantitatively measure temperatures, air quality and visibility during actual live fire exercises. Using the data from three residential fires, a novel technique was developed to conduct underwater, scale model PPV simulation. PPV is a technique where fans with high volumetric flow rates are used to create a slight positive gage pressure within a structure to force heat and combustion products from strategically selected exhaust openings. This rapidly reduces temperatures and retards the combustion process by hindering pyrolysis (conversion of solid fuel to gaseous, combustible fuel). Visibility is improved inside the structure by the removal of smoke and the survivability potential for victims is increased by removing toxic gases, lowering temperatures and introducing fresh air.