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Measurements of the severity of fires involving private motor vehicles
Author(s) -
Shipp Martin,
Spearpoint Michael
Publication year - 1995
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.810190307
Subject(s) - poison control , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , occupational safety and health , suicide prevention , engineering , forensic engineering , environmental science , transport engineering , environmental health , aeronautics , medicine , political science , law
This paper presents the results of full‐scale fires in two private motor vehicles conducted under insturmented calorimeter hoods for the Channel Tunnel Safety Unit, Department of Transport. Measurements of heat release rate, temperatures and other parameters of fire severity are given. The results were used for the assessment of the specification and design of the shuttle wagons and in the subsequent computer modelling calculations to analyse the impact of such a fire within a shuttle wagon. The fires were well ventilated and allowed to develop fully before firefighting intervention. Of the two tests the first burned for 17 min with the gas temperature in the rig reaching 1250°C and with a peak total heat output of at least 7½ MW before being extinguished. The other burned for 57 min, with gas temperatures reaching 1125°C and a pead heat output of 4½ MW.