An Experimental Study of Upward Flame Spread and Interactions Over Multiple Solid Fuels

Abstract

Upward flame spread and flame interactions over multiple solid fuels are experimentally studied, and the effects of flame interactions on the flame spreading rates are analyzed. Flame spreading characteristics and spreading rates are measured and compared for six different geometric arrangements of thin solids at different solid width and separation distance between solids. The flame spread rate increases as the separation distance between the parallel solids decreases because of the flow channeling effect and radiation interactions, which reaches the maximum at an intermediate separation distance and then decreases as the separation distance becomes smaller due to the flow resistance and limited thermal expansion. To compare the six types of solid geometry studied, the highest flame spread rate is enclosure type of solids, followed by ⊓-shaped solids, four parallel solids, two parallel solids, L-shaped solids, and single solid.

Keywords

flame spread flame interactions fire safety.

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