Experimental study of back-draft in a compartment with openings of different geometries

Weng, W.G.; Fan, Wenyuan; Yang, Lei; Song, Haizheng; Deng, Zuosheng; Qin, Jiajun; Liao, Guangxuan

doi:10.1016/s0010-2180(02)00521-7

Cited by 30 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 2 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…1.2m×0.6m×0.6m) was fitted with one opening (W×H: 0.2 m×0.6 m in the middle of the end wall). It was found that the key parameter determining the occurrence of backdraft is the mass fraction of unburned fuel (unburned methane in this study) [25][26]. When the mass fraction of unburned fuel exceeds a critical value, i.e., 9.8%, backdraft will take place.…”

Section: Backdraftmentioning

confidence: 76%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Progress Of Fundamental Fire Research In China

Fan¹,

Liu²,

Chen³

2005

Fire Safety Science - Proceedings of the Eigth International Sy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A fire-year research project "Fire Dynamics and Fundamentals of Fire Protection" (2002-2007) has been sponsored by the China NKBRSF (National Key Basic Research Special Funds), in order to gain deep understandings of natural fire phenomena and whereby facilitate the development of practical fire safety design/engineering, management and firefighting technologies. The project has been carried out for more than two years since 2002, with successful establishment of a multidisciplinary collaboration network of most famous China universities and institutions in the field of fundamental fire research. This review summarizes the new significant progress of the project during 2002-2004. A prospect of fundamental fire research in China is also presented.

show abstract

Section: Backdraftmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…When the mass fraction of unburned fuel exceeds a critical value, i.e., 9.8%, backdraft will take place. The results also showed that the critical mass fraction values of total hydrocarbons determining the occurrence of backdraft vary with inlets of different geometries [26].…”

Section: Backdraftmentioning

confidence: 85%

Progress Of Fundamental Fire Research In China

Fan¹,

Liu²,

Chen³

2005

Fire Safety Science - Proceedings of the Eigth International Sy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Subsequently, Weng and Fan [6][7][8] conducted a series of backdraft tests using an apparatus half the size of Fleischmann's, but with the same geometry. They also found the concentration of unburned methane is a key parameter in determining the occurrence of backdraft, and found that the critical value varied with the location of the inlet; for some locations, a gas concentration as low as 7% could result in a backdraft [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical Factors Determining the Onset of Backdraft Using Solid Fuels

Santamaria

Carvel

2019

Fire Technol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Backdraft is an explosive fire phenomenon which typically occurs during fire-fighting activities, occasionally leading to fire-fighter fatalities. Real backdraft incidents involve complex fuel gas mixtures consisting of the products of underventilated burning and pyrolysis following burnout. However, most experimental research into backdraft has used methane gas or flammable liquids as fuel. Some aspects of real backdraft behavior may have been overlooked as a consequence of this simplicity. A reduced scale series of compartment fire tests have been carried out to investigate the critical factors governing the onset of backdraft, using polypropylene and high density polyethylene samples as fuel. It is established that there are critical temperatures for auto-ignition of the pyrolysis gases leading to backdraft which vary with fuel properties. For polypropylene the highest temperature in the compartment must be above 350°C for auto-ignition of the fuel gases, while mixtures in the presence of a pilot source can be ignited down to about 320°C. Backdraft cannot occur when the compartment temperature is below 320°C. For polyethylene, the corresponding temperature for auto-ignition is 320°C. In parallel with these tests, a series of pyrolysis investigations have been carried out using the fire propagation apparatus, with FTIR gas analysis. The observed critical temperatures for backdraft correlate well with the evolved pyrolysis gases. Analysis shows that higher temperatures are required for backdraft when the CO/CO 2 ratio is small, and that below the auto-ignition temperature, backdraft can only occur above a CO/CO 2 ratio of about 35%. It is concluded that the crucial factors determining whether backdraft occurs or not are the maximum temperature and the CO/CO 2 ratio in the compartment, prior to opening the door.

show abstract

“…It is often difficult to categorize such fires in terms of premixed flames or NPFs. In addition, catastrophic phenomena such as backdraft in building fires, which can have fatal consequences [10][11][12], are also promoted by partially premixed combustion [13]. Hence, partially premixed combustion is an important consideration in the context of fire safety [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%