Experimental study of fire propagation along a vertical wall in a lab scale setup

A characterization study was conducted on a novel experimental setup designed to investigate the spread of façade fires. This setup consists of a wall divided into an effusion zone, where methane injection simulates the pyrolysis process, and a large inert zone where the flame propagates. Various flow rates were applied to the effusion module and analyzed through direct visualizations, CH* and OH* chemiluminescence imaging, as well as temperature and heat flux. The results highlight and confirm the well-established influence of fuel injection rates on flame behavior and propagation. This standardized configuration serves as a benchmark for comparisons with more complex scenarios involving different arrangements of effusion and inert zones. Moreover, the data generated in this study provide a valuable basis for evaluating the reliability of fire engineering models and codes.