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Multiple Item Transient Combustion Calorimetry (TCC) Project

Research Overview

Experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between the peak heat release rate (HRR) and the number of multiple combustible items. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) collaborated on a set of experiments to measure the (HRR) of transient combustibles. These are items one might find in industrial spaces on a temporary basis, in particular nuclear power plants. For example, during maintenance work, items such as trash bins, pallets, cardboard boxes, and so on, might remain in an area for a limited time period. These items are typically not accounted for when designing the fire protection system, but they are considered as part of a probabilistic risk analysis (PRA). A key parameter in such an analysis is the maximum heat release rate an item can generate if it accidentally catches fire, and the time to reach that peak following ignition.

Experiment Name Plot of Heat Release Rate Ignition Photo Date/Time Sort descending Specimen Fuel Type Test Duration (min) Total Heat Released (MJ) Peak HRR (kW)
NGQC_6m_20kgs_3MW
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
tube gas burner Natural Gas
25.95
2,372
3,094
Test1_1box_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with paper Cellulose
22.42
116.3
328
Test2_2box_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with paper Cellulose
31.37
236
481
Test3_4box_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with paper Cellulose
44.22
479
944
Test4_8box_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with paper Cellulose
49.32
979
2,581
Test5_2Pallet_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood pallets and paper Cellulose
39.52
502
934
Test6_4Pallet_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood pallets and paper Cellulose
39.23
1,073
1,801
Test7_4Pallet_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood pallets and paper Cellulose
49.73
1,092
2,049
Test8_8Pallet_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood pallets and paper Cellulose
53.47
2,229
4,174
Test9_8Pallet_r1b
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood pallets and paper Cellulose
54.85
2,186
3,141
Test10_1boxRags_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with cotton rags Cellulose
46.07
61.9
113.9
Test11_4boxRags_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with cotton rags Cellulose
61.77
250
345
Test12_4boxRags_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with cotton rags Cellulose
56.67
246
342
Test13_woodCrib_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood cribs Cellulose
55.73
597
396
Test14_2woodCrib_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood cribs Cellulose
61.68
1,263
907
Test15_4woodCrib_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood cribs Cellulose
79.17
2,523
1,402
Test16_8woodCrib_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood cribs Cellulose
115.43
5,120
2,301
Test17_Trashcan_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic trashcans filled with paper Cellulose, Plastic
56.27
131
159
Test18_2Trashcan_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic trashcans filled with paper Cellulose, Plastic
48.08
257
445
Test19_4Trashcan_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic trashcans filled with paper Cellulose, Plastic
68.97
512
587
Test20_4Trashcan2pallet_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood pallets and plastic trashcans with paper Cellulose, Plastic
38.77
1,028
2,319
Test21_8box2pallet_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
wood pallets and cardboard boxes with paper Cellulose
48.95
1,506
3,240
Test22_1tarp_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic tarp Plastic
16.93
4.0
12.0
Test22_1tarp_r2
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic tarp Plastic
23.65
below detection limit
10.5
Test24_2tarp_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic tarp Plastic
20.68
8.3
15.8
Test25_1plasticCommodity_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with polystyrene cups Cellulose, Polystyrene
17.12
174
619
Test26_2plasticCommodity_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with polystyrene cups Cellulose, Polystyrene
22.75
355
888
Test27_4plasticCommodity_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with polystyrene cups Cellulose, Polystyrene
33.13
700
1,430
Test28_8plasticCommodity_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with polystyrene cups Cellulose, Polystyrene
34.07
1,438
2,826
Test29_1trashCanRagsPaper_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic trashcan filled with cotton rags and paper Cellulose, Plastic
51.27
190
225
Test30_2trashCanRagsPaper_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic trashcan filled with cotton rags and paper Cellulose, Plastic
61.08
370
462
Test31_4trashCanRagsPaper_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic trashcan filled with cotton rags and paper Cellulose, Plastic
70.55
772
972
Test32_box_r2
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with paper Cellulose
51.85
103.6
132.6
Test33_2box_r2
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with paper Cellulose
47.45
223
267
Test34_4box_r2
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with paper Cellulose
72.87
442
288
Test35_8boxRags_r1
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with cotton rags Cellulose
77.60
433
290
Test36_2Trashcan_r2
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
plastic trashcan with crinkle paper Cellulose, Plastic
56.65
253
409
Test37_4box_R3
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with paper Cellulose
34.95
459
930
Test38_4box_R4
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with paper Cellulose
35.37
471
1,964
Test39_4trashcan_R2
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
trashcans filled with paper Cellulose, Plastic
55.08
453
705
Test40_4Commodity_R2
Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
Ignition
cardboard boxes filled with polystyrene cups Cellulose, Polystyrene
26.37
710
2,071

Bryant, R. and Bundy, M. The NIST 20 MW Calorimetry Measurement System for Large-Fire Research, Technical Note (NIST TN) 2077, 2019
https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2077

NIST Fire Calorimetry Database (FCD)
https://doi.org/10.18434/mds2-2314

Last Updated October 21, 2020