The use of rate of heat release in understanding fire

The recognition of the oxygen consumption principle provides a convenient and powerful tool for estimating the rate of heat release in fire experiments and in fire tests. The current small scale instrumentation is described, with particular reference to the Cone Calorimeter. After an outline of the theory, the final section details with applications and the use of Cone Caolrimeter rate of heat release data to predict behaviour in full scale tests. Thus those working to reduce the consequences of fire now have a most important and powerful quantitive weapon.