Heat Transmission in Fire Test Furnaces

This theoretical and experimental study, complementary to that discussed in Reference 1, examines those factors that affect the ‘test efficiency’ in fire resistance testing. Convective heat transfer in the test chamber may become an essential part of the heat transmission process if, due to small furnace size or non-luminous furnace gases, the radiative transmission is not sufficiently intense. The standard technique of measuring and controlling the temperature conditions in the furnace chamber, though not in line with strict scienctific practices, appears to provide insurance against poor test result. A calibration procedure is described for checking the adequacy of fire resistance test facilities and some solutions presented for improving the test efficiency.