EFFECTS OF THIN-LAYER BOILOVER ON HYDROCARBON POOL FIRES

ABSTRACT Large scale hydrocarbon pool fire experiments with three different diameters were conducted to obtain data on the features of burning diesel oil and gasoline on water. After flame spreading from the ignition point and fire development, a steady-state period was observed for a certain time until the heal transfer from the fire plume through the fuel surface was sufficient to cause boiling of the water sublayer. At this point, a so-called thin-layer boilover phenomenon occurred, resulting in a distinct change in the fire behavior of the entire pool. Basic features of the thin-layer boilover phenomenon such as fuel burning rate, boilover intensity, burnt mass ratio at the onset of boilover, time required for the water sublayer to start to boil, and flame behavior have been analyzed. Finally, a set of conclusions were drawn from experimental results.