An experimental study of the liquid fire evolution inside the compartment under the facing wind condition

Abstract

Compartment fire has been studied extensively based on the no wind condition, as well as using the gas fuel to achieve the “controllable” fire growth under the wind. However, no work reported on the compartment fire evolution with fire growth using the liquid as fuel considering the real accident. In the present study, ethanol (liquid) pool fire behavior inside a 30 cm cubic compartment with an opening was investigated experimentally under facing wind condition considering the “uncontrollable” real compartment fire scenario. The burning rate and flame behavior inside the compartment was recorded and measured. It is found that: (1) The stable mass loss rate inside the compartment could be divided into three types according to its evolution with facing wind speed, (I) it first increases or decreases a little, and then flame extinction occurs for lower ventilation factor; (II) it first changes a little and then increases, finally decreases for medium ventilation factor; (III) it first changes a little then increases monotonously for larger ventilation factor of over-ventilated condition. (2) The mass loss rate could be described well by the wind Froude number based on the opening flowing length scale. The mass loss rate ratio between the fuel combustion inside compartment and free condition first changes a little, then decreases with wind speed. This could be well explained as a function of the wind Froude number at the opening and wall heat losses characterizing the temperature rise. These new findings and proposed models provide a basis for understanding compartment fire evolution with liquid fuel combustion inside under the wind effect.