Experimental study of corner fires—Part II: Flame spread over MDF panels

© 2017 The Combustion Institute Having explained the characteristics of a corner fire in the configuration of Single Burning Item (SBI) test in Part I [1], the results of three flame spread experiments conducted with Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) panels are discussed. The fire growth, in terms of flame heights and spread, is examined from two different angles visually and through Video Fire Analysis (VFA) with a flame detection algorithm. Total Heat Release Rates (HRR) and Smoke Production Rates (SPR), as well as total heat fluxes at several characteristic locations, are presented. Moreover, temperature evolutions are discussed for multiple locations and through the thickness of the panels. Also the backside temperatures, important as boundary condition for numerical simulations, are reported. The corner fire tests with MDF panels yield an average peak HRR of 151 kW and an average total heat flux exceeding 60 kW/m2 close to the burner, with average flame heights surpassing 1.5 m in about 60 s.

Publication year:2018