Energetics of Small and Moderate-Scale Gaseous Pool Fires

Published

November 1, 2016

Author(s)

Anthony P. Hamins

Abstract

A series of measurements were made to characterize the global properties of moderate-sized pool fires steadily burning in a quiescent environment. A wide range of parameters were considered including lightly and heavily sooting hydrocarbon fuels (methane, propane and acetylene), burners varying from 0.1 m to 1.0 m in diameter, and total heat release rates from about 0.4 kW to 200 kW. These conditions yielded flames that were 0.1 m to 2 m in mean height. Measurements were made characterizing the time-averaged mass burning rate and the distributions of radiative heat flux emitted. The data allowed determination of the fraction of the enthalpy released as radiation, a key global parameter characterizing a fire. The heat feedback to the fuel surface was modeled and compared to measurements. Hundreds of measurements were made in scores of experiments, which were distilled into a handful of time-averaged quantities per experiment.

Citation

Technical Note (NIST TN) - 1926

Report Number

1926

NIST Pub Series

Technical Note (NIST TN)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

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DOI Link

Keywords

pool fire, radiation, radiative fraction, combustion efficiency, convection, heat feedback, methane, propane, acetylene

Citation

Hamins, A. (2016), Energetics of Small and Moderate-Scale Gaseous Pool Fires, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1926 (Accessed October 13, 2025)