On the fire dynamics of vehicles and electrical equipment

The fire behaviour of passenger cars, electronic cabinets, and electrical ignition sources has been studied by experimental, modelling and statistical methods. The research presented in this thesis gives new quantitative information on variables essential for estimating fire safety of these subjects and structures relating to them. Full-scale fire experiments on ordinary medium-size passenger cars, equipped as in practise with oil, four tyres, spare tyre and 30 litres of petrol in the fuel tank are presented. Rate of heat release by means of oxygen consumption calorimetry, mass loss and rate of mass loss, heat flux, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide production rate, smoke production rate, gas temperatures above the car and temperatures inside the car were determined as a function of time. The experimental rate of heat release curves are parametrised by superposition of one Boltzmann curve and three symmetrical Gaussian curves. The car fire is modelled by two fire plumes, one emerging from the centre of the windscreen of the car, the other from the centre of the rear window. Gas temperatures are calculated using rate of heat release for the model plumes and Alpert's equations for maximum ceiling jet temperature, and compared to experimental temperatures from the car fire experiments. The calculated and measured temperatures were found to be in good accordance. The results can be used in design calculations for car park buildings and other structures related to passenger cars. Electrical ignitions of fires in nuclear power plants are studied by analysing statistical information from incident reports, by modelling the most frequent physical ignition mechanisms, and by experiments on some scenarios. Statistical data indicated cables have a significant role in electrical ignitions. Modelling

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