Initial Fires

Lund University • Sweden
Institute of Technology
Department of Fire Safety Engineering
ISSN 1102-8246
ISRN LUTVDG/TVBB--3070--SE

Stefan Särdqvist




RHR, Smoke Production and CO Generation
from Single Items and Room Fire Tests

Research financed by the Swedish Fire Research Board (BRANDFORSK)

Lund, April 1993

Lund University • Sweden
Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Fire Safety Engineering
ISSN 1102-8246
ISRN LUTVDG/TVBB--3070--SE

Stefan Särdqvist

INITIAL FIRES
RHR, Smoke Production and CO Generation
from Single Items and Room Fire Tests

Research financed by the Swedish Fire Research Board (BRANDFORSK)
The report was edited in 1998-07-23 and published on Internet by Marcus Larsson

Lund, April 1993

Page

CONTENTS

1
2
3
35
7
8
9
10
11
13

Summary
Nomenclature
Introduction
Acknowledgements
The BSAB system
Definitions and guidelines
The database
Test methods
Conversions
Discussion
References

J4/10
K4/10
O1/10
O2/10
O3/10
O3/20
O4/10
O4/20
O5/10
O6/10
O6/20
Y0/10
Y0/20
Y0/30

Cables
Pipe insulation
Gypsum plaster boards
Metal panels
Wood panels
Plywood
Fibre boards
Particleboards
Mineral wool
Laminates
Expanded plastics
Bedrooms
Offices
Laboratories

Y1/10
Coffee makers
Y1/20
Television sets
Y3.1/10 Wardrobes
Y3.3/10 Bookcases
Y3.3/50 Pallet systems
Y3.4/10 Waste baskets
Y3.4/20 Rubbish sacks
Y5.0/10 Stacked chairs
Y5.2/10 Chairs
Y5.2/50 Armchairs and 2-cushion
mock-up chairs
Y5.3/10 Easy chairs and 4-cushion
mock-up chairs
Y5.4/10 Sofas andmock-up sofas
Y6/10
Beds and mattresses
Y6/50
Pillows etc.
Y7/10
Curtains
Y8/10
Artificial plants
Y8/20
Christmas trees
Y8/30
Stuffed animals
Z1/10
Pools
Z1/20
Wood stacks
Z1/30
Plastic stacks
Z3/10
Large vehicles
Z3/20
Small vehicles
Register

SUMMARY
This report is to be used as a guide in determining what an initial fire will look like. It is a
summary of a largenumber of full scale tests on different items and under various conditions
performed at different laboratories. The results shown are primarily the rate of heat release
(RHR), as well as the production of smoke and generation of carbon monoxide. The results
are shown as curves in this report, but are also digitally available in a database.

NOMENCLATURE
CO
D
D0
eC
HC
Heff
I0/I

[l/s]
2[m /g]
3
[obm /g]
2
[m /g]
[MJ/kg]
[MJ/kg]
[-]

L
m
mC0 / mCO2
mO2
M(x)
nCO / nCO2
nx
POD

[m]
[kg/s]
[-]
[g]
[g/mole]
[-]
[mole/s]
3
[obm /kg]

RHR
S
V
X
_
z

[kW]
3
[obm /s]
3
[m /s]
[-]
[-]
[-]

Carbon monoxide generation at NTP
2
Smoke potential (logarithm to base 10) [alt. unit: Bel m /g]
2
Smoke potential (logarithm to base 10) [alt. unit: dBm /g]
Specific extinction coefficient (natural logarithm base)
Heat of combustion
Effective heat of combustion
Intensity of a light ray / Intensity of the light ray after passing
the distance L through the smoke
Distance the light passes through the smoke
Mass loss rate
CO/CO2 fraction
Consumed oxygen mass
Molecular weight for the substance x
CO/CO2 ratio
Production/consumption of thesubstance x
Particulate optical density. 33 000 in flaming mode
and 19 000 in non-flaming mode
Rate of heat release, including the ignition source
Smoke production
Flow in the exhaust tube at exhaust gas temperature
Fraction of m that is converted into obscuring particles
Combustion efficiency factor
Carbon/Hydrogen ratio of the fuel

INTRODUCTION
There are always difficulties inchoosing the right data to put into a smoke filling or fire
spread model. This report is to be used as a guide in estimating what an initial fire will look
like and how fast it will grow. It may also be of some help in determining the rate of
production of smoke and toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide. The report is based on results
from burning tests at several laboratories, with a large number...