Heat Flux in Fire Tests

Javier O. Trevino
Sr. Project Engineer
 Outline
Basics of Heat (Conductive, Convective, Radiation)
Convective Heat Transfer in Fire Tests
Fire Basics (Hc, Fuel Flow, Temperature, Heat Release Rate)
Burner Types (diffuse, pre-mix)
Examples (Bunsen, FT4, P1717, UL1709)
Flame Impingement vs Absorbed Heat
Heat Flux vs Heat Release Rate
Radiation Heat Transfer in Fire Tests
Furnaces Types (Open vs Enclosed)
Temperature Sensors (Open TCs, Closed TCs, Plate TCs, DFT
Heat Flux Sensors (Gardon, Schmidt Boelter, Water Calorimater, Slug,
DFT)
Flame Impingement or Radiation Impingement ??
Temperature and Heat Flux Relationship??
 Basics of Heat Transfer
Conductive
Flow of Heat from Hot to Cold in Solids, Liquids
R-Value (Thermal Conductivity)

Convective
Flow of Heat from Fluid or Gas to Solid
Heat Transfer Coeff (Absorption of Heat)

Radiation
IR Radiation Absorption of Solids, Liquids
Emissivity (Absorption of Heat)
Convective Heat Transfer in Fires
Fire Basics
Hc (Heat of Combustion)
Gas Common Hydrocarbon Fuels about 50 MJ/kg BTU/lb

Fuel Flow Heat Flow

Fuel Flow (kg/sec lb/sec cfm LPM)

Temperature
Yellow Flame = 1400 F to 1800 F (65% Convective, 35% Radiative)
Blue Flame = 1900F to 2200 F (80% Convective, 20% Radiative)

Heat Release Rate (Watts, BTU/min)

Conversion (kg/sec MJ/sec kW BTU/min)
So. Gas Flow Rate = Heat Flow Rate
Convective Heat Transfer in Fires
Burner Types
Diffuse
Fuel mixes with outside air then ignites
Yellow Flame = 1400 F to 1800 F

Pre-Mix
Fuel mixes with air in mixing chamber then ignites
Blue Flame = 1900F to 2200 F
Convective Heat Transfer in Fires
Examples of Burners
Bunsen (Methane)
Pre-mix, 3 kW, 1400 to 2200 F (Air Intake Dependent)
FT4/Mod 1709
Pre-mix, 10 to 20 kW, 2000 F
P1717
Pre-mix, 50 to 80 kW, 2000 F
UL 1709 (Furnace Volume Dependent)
Pre-mix, 200 kW per burner x 12, 2000 F
Convective Heat Transfer in Fires
Flame Impingement vs Absorbed Heat
Fire Hits Specimen
% Absorbed (Convection, Radiation)
% Reflected (Emissivity, Heat Transfer Coeff, )
% Misses (Depends on Fire Size)

Burner VS Furnace (Cable Fire Test)

Both are 2000 F.
Large % of burner flame not absorbed
Cable ENGULFED in 2000 F Environment
Cable keeps absorbing until equilibrium
 Convective Heat Transfer in Fires
Heat Flux (Convective)

vs Heat Release Rate (HRR)

Example: Sand Diffusion Burner
1 ft x 1 ft sand burner

100 kW Fuel Flow Rate

Convective Heat Flux = 100 kW/1/10 sq m = 1000 kW/sq m ???

Specify HRR rather than Heat Flux in burner tests.

 Radiation Heat Transfer in Fires

Furnace Types
Open vs Enclosed Furnaces
UL 1709 Closed Furnace Large Volume No
direct Flame Impingement Radiation dominant mode
of heat transfer
Mod. UL 1709 (precursor to P1717) Open Furnace
Small Volume Direct Flame Impingement
Convective dominant mode of heat transfer
P1717 Semi-Closed Furnace Small Volume
Direct Flame Impingement 50/50
Convective/Radiation heat transfer mode
 Radiation Heat Transfer in Fire
Tests
Temperature Sensors

Open Thermocouples: Bare Thermocouple Wire

Closed Thermocouples: Inconel or Steel Sheathed

Thermocouple Wire

Plate Thermometer: Thermocouple welded to thin stainless

plate

DFT (Directional Flame Thermometer): Two plate TCs

sandwiching a layer of Cerablanket Insulation
 Radiation Heat Transfer in Fire
Tests
Heat Flux Sensors

Gardon Gauge: Electronic Plate Thermocouple (Plate-Wire Thermocouple).

Linear mV signal

Schmidt Boelter Gauge: Electronic Thermopile (Multiple TCs connected

together). Linear mV Signal

Water Calorimeter: Water Flowing through steel pipe or other shape. Calculated
based on water temperature, flow rate, absorption of steel

Slug Calorimeter: Chunk of steel with TCs inside. Calculated based on steel
properties and rate of temperature rise.

DFT: Reverse Code Calculation

 Radiation Heat Transfer in Fire
Tests
Flame Impingement
or
Radiation Impingement ??

In UL 1709 Furnace
1st few minutes
Burners fill Furnace with Hot Exhaust
Flame Dominated Volume

After 5 minutes
2000 F Hot Gas Becomes Transparent,
Walls of Furnace Glow Red Hot
Radiation Dominated Volume
 Radiation Heat Transfer in Fire
Tests
Temperature and Heat Flux Relationship??

In UL 1709 Furnace Determined by Calibration

Calibration of OPL's Horizontal Furnace
i.a.w. MIL-PRF-32161
2300

2200
Flux VS Temp
Linear (Flux VS Temp)

2100

y = 3.4996x + 1286.3
2000 2 o
188 kW/m = 1944 F
204 kW/m = 2000oF
2

220 kW/m2 = 2056oF

1900

1800

1700
140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 270
2
Furnace Heat Flux (kW/m )
 Radiation Heat Transfer in Fire
Tests
Temperature and Heat Flux Relationship??

.Followed by Proof Test

Verification of OPL's Horizontal Furnace
i.a.w. MIL-PRF-32161
Test Conducted on 6/14/05
3000 250

2500
200

2000

Heat Flux (kW/m2)

150

Furnace Temp
1500
Furnace Flux
Upper Heat Flux Limit
100
Lower Heat Flux Limit
1000

50
500

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time (min)
 Radiation Heat Transfer in Fire
Tests
Temperature and Heat Flux Relationship??

In P1717 Furnace Determined by Calibration

Heat Flux VS Temperature
Calib 250/9 mV

250

200

150
Flux (kW/sq m)

Flux w 10mV Calib (kW/sq m)

100

50

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Temperature (deg F)