Experimental Analysis of a Pressurized Vessel Exposed to Fires: an Innovative Representative Scale Apparatus

A novel deign of test equipment has been commissioned to investigate thermal stratification and boiling during fire exposure of pressure vessels. Extensive temperature measurements and video of the internal conditions during fire exposure are possible, and the equipment has been designed for future compatibility with laser-based velocity measurement techniques. It is expected to generate data large quantities of data that will be of use in validation of two- and three-dimensional CFD models for the prediction of pressure vessel behaviour in fire. Future work will seek to characterize the boundary layer conditions in detail for a range of test fluids, fill levels and fire-induced thermal boundary conditions. Initial tests undertaken during commissioning may indicate that fire exposure of the vessel wall just above the liquid level can have a notable influence on the pressurization rate, by increasing the degree of superheat. Further experimental and modelling work is required to confirm and quantify this effect, or to rebut this conclusion.