Thesis (M.E.F.E.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). "June 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p. 198-203). Also available via the World Wide Web.

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Thesis (M.E.F.E.)--University of Canterbury, 2008. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-215). Also available via the World Wide Web.

"A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Fire Engineering." / Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-215). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.) -- Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Keywords: Fire spread; FDS. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-41).

Thesis (M.E.F.E.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). "March 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-204). Also available via the World Wide Web.

A full-scale ASTM E 1321 Lateral ignition and Flame Transport (LIFT) apparatus was constructed and compared with a Reduced scale Ignition and Flame spread Test apparatus (RIFT) adaptation of the cone calorimeter in the vertical position. The objective was to find a low cost and simple alternative to the LIFT apparatus for measuring opposed flow flame spread. Ignition tests were conducted using the LIFT, RIFT and ISO 5657 ignitability apparatus and flame spread experiments were conducted in the LIFT and RIFT. Nine different types of timber based products were tested for ignition and flame spread, and Quintiere's flame spread model was applied to the results to obtain material properties, such as thermal inertia, flame spread parameter and the minimum heat flux required for flame spread. These materials included plywood, medium density fibreboard (MDF), hardboard, particle board flooring, Melamine (Melteca) covered MDF, New Zealand Rimu, and Beech and New Zealand grown Macrocarpa and Radiata (Monterey) Pine. Further limited tests were conducted on Melteca covered particle board, and a second brand of particle board. The materials in the RIFT were tried with and without preheating to equilibrium. In addition, a view factor for the RIFT was developed, based on earlier work for the cone calorimeter element. The view factor equation was experimentally tested against measured values, and the calculated value was consistently lower than the experimental values, with similar flux profile. The standard procedure is for the material to be preheated before ignition, so that the surface is at equilibrium. The spread of the flame front past points on the sample surface after ignition is recorded, and from the flame front velocity and the model by Quintiere, material specific properties can be derived. The lack of preheating was found to affect the final results, by reducing the flame spread velocity and increasing the scatter in the experimental results. The RIFT gives comparable results to the same materials tested in the LIFT and to the published literature. The results the flame spread parameter and the minimum flux for flame spread are usually higher for the RIFT against the same material in the LIFT. There proved to be an effective limit on suitable materials able to be successfully tested in the RIFT to those that have a minimum flux for flame spread of less than 7kW/m2, with this limitation is dictated by the flux profile along the sample, and the lower resolution dictated by the smaller size. It is approximately equivalent to a minimum ignition flux of 18kW/m2.

Initial fire spread is composed of the processes of ignition, flame spread, and burning rate. The effects of a material's thermal characteristics and burning behaviors on flame spread are important. However, many zone and field models of compartment fire can not predict spread on objects accurately enough due to the neglect of these behaviors in their fire growth sub-models. As a result, a model dedicated to the early stage of fire growth is needed to provide the accuracy necessary for competent assessment of the response of safety systems, as well as satisfying the requirement for a comprehensive risk assessment. This study is undertaken to investigate the use of formulations outlined by previous researchers by review of the theory of flame spread models. A computer model is proposed that can determine the impact of the material properties with emphasis on practical engineering analyses. Through this computer program, we can obtain the pyrolysis zone, the flame height, the burnout time, the burnout portion, the mass loss rate, total heat release rate, and mean flame velocity of a material at specific time. The effort in this study has been focused on developing a relatively simple model for fire spread on a vertically oriented material which contains the most common aspect of fire growth theory such as the transit burning rate, material properties, burner affection, flame spread rate and burnout. This study used Vc++ as a program development platform which has an easy to use interface and reasonable execution times. The model is a combination of two sub-models. One is to simulate the flame spread on horizontal surface. The other is to simulate it on a vertical surface. In two sub-models, the spread process model is two-dimensioned yet symmetric. By using empirical physical equations and correlations, this model predicted flame spread by solving a set of closed coupled correlations simultaneously. Each sub-model contains several functions: ignition, mass loss rate calculation, burning area and the surface temperature calculation. The results of this proposed computer model are compared with experimental studies involving a limited number of comparisons of experimental data for early stage vertical flame spread. The model calculations and experimental measurements of the mass loss rate, heat release rate, and radiation flux were found to be in good agreement. Recommendations are made for further development of the more complex initial stage fire growth model.

Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Keywords: ignition; fire; flammability; burning; scalability; heat flux oxygen; mass loss rate. Includes bibliographical references (p.44-49).

Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-123).