Journal of Fire Protection Engineering 

About: Journal of Fire Protection Engineering is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Poison control & Fire protection. It has an ISSN identifier of 1042-3915. Over the lifetime, 289 publications have been published receiving 5550 citations.

Ignition of Wood: A Review of the State of the Art

Abstract: This review encompasses the available practical and experimental data on the ignition of solid wood. Only solid, natural wood is considered, not sawdust, chips, or products that have been treated with fire retardants or other substances, nor is the ignition of living trees. Panel products such as plywood or particleboard have ignition properties very similar to solid wood, so the solid-wood results will generally be applicable to them. Wood may ignite by flaming directly, or it may ignite in a glowing mode, which may or may not be followed by flaming. It is shown that the ignition temperature is around 250oC for wood exposed to the minimum heat flux possible for ignition, and that it invariably ignites, at least initially, in a glowing mode under these conditions. The ignition temperature rises rapidly as the heat flux is increased. Piloted ignition at heat fluxes sufficient to cause a direct-flaming ignition normally occurs at surface temperatures of 300 – 365oC. Autoignition temperatures at fluxes higher than minimum are essentially unknown. No theory is available which encompasses the possibility of glowing, glowing followed by flaming, or direct-flaming ignition modes. Most published studies have dealt with radiant or radiant+convective heating, and knowledge is extremely poor for ignition from direct contact by hot bodies or by flames. A speciesindependent correlation is derived for the radiant, piloted ignition of thermally-thick wood, but the fit is only fair. The minimum flux for ignition is 4.3 kW m -2 , based on a single study; most reported tests have been much too brief to produce useful data on this point.

An Updated International Survey of Computer Models for Fire and Smoke

Abstract: In 1992, a comprehensive survey of computer models for fire and smoke was conducted at the request of the Forum for International Cooperation on Fire Research. This study serves as an update to that work. One hundred sixty eight computer modeling programs for fire and smoke from several countries were identified and categorized. The developers were contacted and given an opportunity to supply information about their particular model via an electronic survey. The results of the survey will be made available on the internet at www.firemodelsurvey. com. A discussion of the categories of computer fire models is included, followed by lists of the identified models.

A Review of Water Mist Fire Suppression Systems— Fundamental Studies:

Abstract: The progress on the research and application of water mist systems in fire suppression has been substantial over the last decade. To bring this work into focus, a review has been undertaken to identify future developments and potential efficacy improvements for water mist fire suppression systems. This paper, as a first step, provides a review of the fundamental research in water mist fire suppression systems. This includes a review of extinguishing mechanisms and the factors that influence the performance of water mist, such as spray characteristics, enclosure effects, dynamic mixing, the use of additives and methods of generating water mist. Recent studies on the use of computer modeling for the development of water mist fire suppression systems are also reviewed and discussed.The review shows that the extinguishing mechanisms and the role of spray characteristics in fire suppression have become well understood and identified. Water mist does not behave like a "true" gaseous agent in fire suppression. T...

An International Survey of Computer Models for Fire and Smoke

Abstract: At the request of the Forum for International Cooperation on Fire Research, a worldwide survey was conducted of operational computer programs relevant to fire protection. A total of 62 programs, from 10 countries, were identified, and include compartment fire models, fire-sprinkler interaction models, and submodels for fire endurance, building evacuation, thermal detector actuation, fire spread on a wall, and smoke movement. These are listed, plus 12 additional models, including models from three additional coun tries. Then a general discussion is provided of the difficulties in achieving an accurate model of a growing fire in an enclosure, and of assessing the accuracy of a given model.

The EXODUS evacuation model applied to building evacuation scenarios

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of the EXODUS evacuation model in building environments. The latest PC/workstation version of EXODUS is described and is also applied to a large hypothetical supermarket/restaurant complex measuring 50 m x 40 m. A range of scenarios is presented where population characteristics (such as size, individual travel speeds, and individual response times), and enclosure configuration characteristics (such as number of exits, size of exits, and opening times of exits) are varied.The results demonstrate a wide range of occupant behavior including overtaking, queuing, redirection, and conflict avoidance. Evacuation performance is measured by a number of model predicted parameters including individual exit flow rates, overall evacuation flow rates, total evacuation time, average evacuation time per occupant, average travel distance, and average wait time.The simulations highlight the profound impact that variations in individual travel speeds and occupant res...