Investigation of the impact of initial fuel depth on the burning rate of pool fires in an enclosed compartment: A study based on different extinction modes

Abstract

In this study, the impact of initial fuel depth on the burning rates of pool fires in an enclosed compartment was investigated through experimental research. The burning rates of pool fires, the oxygen concentration and the temperature distribution of the fire plume under different initial fuel depths were measured experimentally in the enclosed compartment. Results showed that the whole burning process of the pool fire could be divided into four stages: the initial growth stage, the transition stage, the steady burning stage, the boiling stage and the decay extinguishing stage. The dimensionless number $C_{{\delta }^{\ast }}$ was proposed to be a power function relationship with the initial fuel depth ${\delta }_0$. The temperature distribution along the fire plume centerline in an enclosed compartment contained the flame region, the intermittent region and the plume region as the initial fuel depth varied. A modified model for the temperature distribution of the fire plume coupled with the initial fuel depth was established. In addition, a prediction model of the burning rate was established on the basis of heat balance analysis for the burning out and self-extinction modes, incorporating parameters such as initial fuel depth, oxygen concentration and fuel pan diameter.