Characterization of hexane pool fires using infrared thermography

This study is an experimental investigation of the influence of shape and diameter on the radiative properties of open pool fires. Circular and square shapes of equivalent surface area are considered. The circular pool diameters are 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 m, and the lengths of the square pools are 0.26, 0.44, 0.62, and 0.89 m. Hexane is used as the fuel in this study. Radiative properties such as flame emissivity, optical thickness, temperature distribution, and emissive power distribution are studied. Mass burning rate of each pool is measured. Flame emissivity values are inferred from the mass burning rate measurements. Using these emissivity values, the temperature and emissive power distributions are computed using infrared thermography. Irradiance values at a distance from pool fires are computed.