A Study of the Parameters Influencing Liquid Fuel Burning Rates

Abstract

An understanding of the mass burning rate of a fuel and the factors affecting this rate is paramount when assessing the hazards associated with a liquid fuel spill/pool scenario. To date, the vast majority of mass burning rate data originate [1,2] from liquid fuel fire scenarios where the fuel layer is deep'. However, recent studies This study investigates the factors affecting the mass burning rate of several different liquid fuels using both fixed area and unconfined fire scenarios. A test program comprised of over 500 small-and large-scale tests was conducted on various substrates using various fuels. The results of the study demonstrate a dependence of the mass burning rate on both duration of fuel supply and substrate, among others. Correlations were developed to modify the peak mass burning rates as a function of fuel supply duration (which can be depth). The impact of substrate relative to the thermal properties of the substrate is also discussed.