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MSc Lecture 3:
Fire Plume
Growth stage:
Preflashover stage.
Development stage:
Ceiling jet
Hot gas buoyant layer
Hot gas out
Convection
Plume
Radiation
FIRE
Fuel
Conduction
Cool air in
Decay stage:
Temperature
Growth
stage
Decay
Stage
800 oC
500 oC or
600 oC
Ignition
Flashover
Time
Fire Plume
McCaffrey (1979) :
Results on a 30cm square burner showed that there are 3
distinct regions :
(i) The near field above the burner surface :
there is persistent flame and an accelarating flow
of burning gases (the flame zone)
(ii) Intermittent flaming region :
a near-constant flow velocity (intermittent zone)
(iii) Buoyant plume characterized by decreasing
velocity and temperature with height
(Most important, relevant to fire engineering)
Upward
Velocity
Flame
Intermittent
Height
Plume
Flame height
10
Plume
11
3 Regions :
Persistent flame,
Intermittent flame,
Buoyant plume.
12
Buoyancy/Natural Convection.
13
gl ( ) gl
Gr
2 T
2
l:
linear dimension ;
l3 ~
14
Buoyant Plume :
15
u0
b
Air
Entrainment
z
z=0
16
17
18
d
(o u o2 b 2 ) g(o )b 2
dz
d
( o uo b 2 ) v b
dz
...(1)
Momentum
uo b
...(2)
Mass
19
C p o u o b 2 To
To
Q
conv
...(3)
Energy
Q conv : Convective heat output from the source
i.e. source strength
20
To zn
21
bz
1/3 1 / 3
-1/3
u
A
Q
z
o
conv
T (A 2/3 T ) Q 2 / 3 z -5/3
o
conv
where
g
A=
C p T
T : Ambient Temperature
22
Buoyancy :
Continuity :
Momentum :
d 2
b ug
0
dz
d 2
(b u) 2 bu
dz
AS WELL
d 2 2
2
(b u ) b g
dz
Air entrainment
rate 2 bvdz ~ z dz ~ z
2
bz
v u z-1/3
0
23
Real sources :
z
z0
virtual source
24
25
26
Flame
Height
(m)
0.5
% probabilities having
20 1
combustion
60
0.5
Horizontal Position
(m)
27
0.3 x 0.3
Fuel bed area (m2)
28
Intermittency I :
Fraction of time that at least part of the flame lies
above the height z. I
1.0
No flame at above
this region
0.5
0
z
L
29
1
the distance above the fire source with I = .
2
Q
L
log ( ) Vs log ( 5c/ 2 ) is linear
D
D
D : Fuel bed diameter (m)
Q
c: Rate of heat released (kW)
30
Confined plume :
31
Fire plume :
Entrainment
32
Ceiling Jet
carry the combustion products to the ceilingmounted fire detectors/ sprinkler heads
Near ceiling
Flow
H
H
Fire plume
Fuel package
33
Tmax
2/3
5.38 Q
- T
( c)
H
r
r 0.18 H
Tmax
2/3
16.9Q
c
- T
H 5/3
r 0.18H
34
35
Practical Applications
36
McCaffrey (1974) :
Maximum upward velocity in a fire plume
1/5
u o 1.9 Q m/s
in kW
37
Upward force
(air drag + upthrust)
4
3
i.e. 6a (v T u o ) ( w - o ) g a
3
Partial vacuum
2( w o )ga 2
vT
- uo
9
Vertical
speed
Fluid
Downward
weight
Drag
38
39
Development Stage
40
Oxygen
Hot Combustible
Burning front
Gas
Oxygen
41
42
43
Air density 1
h
v'
H" H
H'
Air density o
Neutral plane
44
(4)
a = coefficient of discharge.
H' = height of opening under the neutral plane.
B = breadth of the window.
vm = average velocity of the inflowing air.
45
V
Rate of burning R =
aHBv m
From equation (4): R =
(5)
1
O v' 2 gh' (O - 1 )
2
O - 1
v' 2gh' (
)
O
H
1
vm
v' dh'
H O
O - 1
2
2gH' (
)
3
O
(6)
46
47
O - 1
a H' B 2
R
2gH' (
)
3
O
H' B H'
48
H H
HB H
A H
R CA H
C = Constant
A = Area of opening = HB