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Effects of static pressure, pressurization, and depressurization on n‐heptane pool fires in an airplane cargo compartment
Author(s) -
Li Cong,
Yang Rui,
Yao Yina,
Tao Zhenxiang,
Zhu Pei,
Zhang Hui
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
fire and materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-1018
pISSN - 0308-0501
DOI - 10.1002/fam.2694
Subject(s) - cabin pressurization , airplane , compartment (ship) , heptane , ambient pressure , limiting oxygen concentration , mechanics , ventilation (architecture) , partial pressure , vapor pressure , environmental science , oxygen , materials science , chemistry , composite material , thermodynamics , geology , engineering , mechanical engineering , oceanography , physics , organic chemistry
Summary The cargo compartment of an airplane in flight is a complex environment with dynamic pressure (pressurization and depressurization), nonconservative oxygen, and unidirectional ventilation. In this study, n‐heptane pool fires were performed under static pressure, pressurization, and depressurization in a full‐scale airplane cargo compartment. The static pressure included 30 and 90 kPa, the pressurization was from 30 to 90 kPa at rates of 6, 12, 19, and 25 kPa/min, while the depressurization was from 90 to 30 kPa at rates of 6, 12, 17, and 20 kPa/min. The effects of pressure, oxygen concentration, and ventilation on pool fire characteristics including fuel mass loss rate (MLR), flame centerline temperature, and flame shape under each condition were concluded. The results show that the predominant factor of MLR was different in three conditions. The flame is divided into four regimes, in which the fuel vapor regime is used to emphasize the influence of fuel vapor on flame temperature above the fuel surface. The concept of average flame shape is put forward to reflect the flame occurrence probability. And its bottom, which named average flame root, presents the negative correlation with compartment pressure.