- Author
-
Lee, B. T.
|
Parker, W. J.
- Title
- Naval Shipboard Fire Risk Criteria: Berthing Compartment Fire Study and Fire Performance Guidelines. Final Report.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- Department of the Navy, Washington, DC
- Report
-
NBSIR 76-1052
September 1976
86 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
fire tests
|
heat release rate
|
potential heat
|
ignition
|
room fires
- Abstract
- Judicious application of shipboard materials and choice of compartment furnishings can significantly reduce the threat of serious fire on board ship. Unfortunately the fire performance of materials is currently difficult to ascertain from laboratory fire tests on the materials. Full size and quarter-scale compartment fires in conjunction with an analytical treatment were performed to obtain an improved understanding of the relationships between th laboratory fire test assessment and the observed behavior of materials in actual fires. The compartment fire experiments indicated that the temperature of the hot air layer below the ceiling is a suitable quatitative measure of the level of fire buildup in a compartment. When this temperature exceeds 700 deg.C there is sufficient radiation from the hot air layer and the heated upper surfaces to cause ignition of all combustible materials in the compartment. For a 3 x 3 x 2.1 m(10 x 10 x 7 ft) space lined with asbestos millboard having a 0.68 x 1.9 m (27 x 75 in) open doorway a heat production rate of about 72 kW/m(2) (6.3 Btu/s/ft(2)) of deck area is enough to attain this condition. Fires in some bunk configurations alone could exceed this critical rate of heat generation. Ventilation and its points of application were found to be very important considerations. Observations of the fire scenarios in the compartment tests along with an empirical and analytical analysis of fire growth in compartment spaces have resulted in an improved application of the fire test ratings. Consequently more rat ional design rules for fire safe material usage have been developed taking into account the ignitability, flame spread, rate of heat release, potential heat and smoke generation potential of materials. The study also indicated the practicality of using quarter-scale fire tests for studying fire performance in full size compartments.