Maximum air flow rate into a roof-vented enclosure fire

Journal Article · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Journal of Heat Transfer (Transactions of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), Series C); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2911312· OSTI ID:7265359

Epstein, M ^[1]

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1. Fauske and Associates, Inc., Burr Ridge, IL (United States)

An important problem related to the storage of flammable chemicals and waste materials and to fires in buildings or ships involves the combustion of liquid (or sometimes solid) material in an enclosure (i.e., tank, compartment, hold, etc.) that is open to the atmosphere through a vent compartment fire, there is ample air in the compartment to support the fire. At a later stage, however, inadequate air is present in the room and the air must be supplied through the vent. Historically, the compartment fire has been treated by a steady-state analysis in which the compartment pressure is assumed constant in time and a countercurrent flow of outflowing hot combustion products and inflowing fresh air is established within the vent. The objective of the analysis given in this note is to determine the maximum possible steady-state combustion rate within a roof-vented enclosure. This is accomplished by considering the case in which the burning rate is controlled by the rate at which air (oxygen) from the ambient enters the enclosure through the vent. An expression for the maximum possible steady-state rate-of-burning in a roof-vented enclosure has been derived by Cooper. His analysis is based on the assumption that the air flow rate into the tank is a linear function of the pressure drop across the vent. In the present study, available empirical correlations on combined natural convection and forced flow through openings in horizontal partitions provide the necessary information concerning the rate of air flow into the enclosure.

• OSTI ID: 7265359
• Journal Information: Journal of Heat Transfer (Transactions of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), Series C); (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Heat Transfer (Transactions of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), Series C); (United States) Vol. 114:2; ISSN 0022-1481; ISSN JHTRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420205* -- Engineering-- Transport & Storage Facilities-- (1980-)
570000 -- Health & Safety
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
AIR
BUILDINGS
CAVITIES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
CONTAINERS
FIRES
FLOW MODELS
FLOW RATE
FLUIDS
GASES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OXIDATION
SHIPS
STORAGE
TANKER SHIPS
TANKS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE