Modeling propellant fires radiant heat flux

One of the main dangers associated with any fire is the radiant heat emitted during the event. The heat radiated by a fire can cause unwanted consequences, such as weakening nearby structures, igniting new material and harming people. Propellants are designed to burn at high velocities in the pressure regime of their applications. At atmospheric pressure, the smaller burning velocities of propellants result in a slower energy release and thus in large radiant heat doses being emitted. This study presents the results of experimental tests on various propellant fires. The conclusion is a general model predicting the maximum heat flux emitted during a propellant fire. This model relies on variables which are simple to obtain in a laboratory setting with any propellant sample. Comparing with previously published models reveals some differences that show the proposed conclusion to be a more general result. The final model shall be useful in designing safety guidelines and studying flame propagation in propellants.