- Author
- Pitts, W. M.
- Title
- Algorithm for Estimating Carbon Monoxide Formation in Enclosure Fires.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Book or Conf
- International Association for Fire Safety Science. Fire Safety Science. Proceedings. Fifth (5th) International Symposium. March 3-7, 1997, Intl. Assoc. for Fire Safety Science, Boston, MA, Melbourne, Australia, Hasemi, Y., Editors, 535-546 p., 1997
- Keywords
- fire research | fire safety | fire science | carbon monoxide | enclosures | algorithms | compartment fires | fire models | global equivalence ratio | room fires
- Identifiers
- carbon monoxide production
- Abstract
- This paper introduces an engineering approach for estimating the generation rate of carbon monoxide (CO) within a room containing a fire. Four CO formation mechanisms: 1) quenching of a turbulent fire plume upon entering a rich upper layer, 2) mixing of oxygen directly into a rich, high-temperature upper layer with subsequent reaction, 3) pyrolysis of wood in a high-temperature, vitiated environment, and 4) approach to full-equilibrium combustion product concentrations in a rich, high-temperature upper layer - identified in recent experimental and modeling investigtions are incorporated into a step-by-step algorithm. The understanding required to implement the algorithm in fire models is briefly discussed.