Prediction of Metal Fire Spread in High Pressure Oxygen

Abstract

Abstract The development of a model for a consistent prediction of metal fire in high pressure oxygen has been attempted. The reaction schemes and reaction rates of metal oxidation are inferred, and the burning region spread rates are predicted. The burning region spread rate V over an infinite thickness piece is shown to depend on the normal burning rate and the heat flux from the periphery of the burning region. For burning of a piece of a finite dimension, a plate or a cylinder, V is shown to increase with the decrease of its thickness or diameter. The most acceptable rate-determining step is inferred to be the incorporation of oxygen into the oxide layer. The dependency of V on the thermal conductivity is suggested to change largely with the temperature at which an intense heat release due to oxidation starts. The results obtained in the present study are shown to agree fairly well with the experimental results found in other studies.