Temperature Distribution Induced by Fires in a Small Chamber with Forced Ventilation

Experimental studies on the temperature distribution in forced- ventilation fires at preflashover stage were conducted in a small test chamber with ethanol pool fires. A total number of twenty-eight tests divided into four cases of ventilation conditions were performed. The effect of ventilation rate, ven tilation positions and the size of the pool fire on the heat release rate, temperature rise, height of hot layer and heat flux on the wall surface were studied. The rate of heat release was determined by the methods of mass loss rate and oxygen con sumption. With the calculated heat release rate, the experimental results on the smoke temperature rise were compared with the results predicted by using the energy balance equation as recommended by Deal and Beyler and the correlation relations derived by Foote, Pagni and Alvares. It is found that the equation pro posed by Foote, Pagni and Alvares gave a reasonable prediction on the tempera ture for this set of experiments.