AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ABILITY OF A THIN PLATE HEAT FLUX DEVICE TO DETERMINE THE INCIDENT HEAT FLUXES DURING ENCLOSURE FIRES

Abstract

The incident heat flux (including its convective & radiative components) is considered to be the most accurate and direct quantifier of the fire induced thermal impact on a compartment boundary element. From the examination of current literature, ‘The Destructive Potential of a Fire’ has been proposed as the most satisfactory approximation of the term ‘Fire Severity’. Based on the aforementioned premise a Thin Plate Heat Flux Measurement Device (TPD) has been developed which allows the accurate and economic measurement of the incident heat flux. This paper describes the further development of the TPDs for the determination of fire severity for enclosure and furnace fires. Two one-third scale ISO fire test enclosures and an ISO room compartment were employed to assess the capabilities of this device. Tests were conducted regarding the performance TPDs in various conditions including lining tests. From the resulting analyses, improvements in the calibration techniques resulted and the ability of the devices to perform under varying conditions was verified. Consequently the information related to this project will have the potential to further contribute to the enhancement of the existing knowledge of compartment fires and allow the accurate measurement of fire severity.