Carbon Monoxide Levels in Structure Fires: Effects of Wood in the Upper Layer of a Post-Flashover Compartment Fire.

Published

November 1, 1998

Author(s)

B Y. Lattimer, U Vandsburger, R J. Roby

Abstract

This experimental study was performed to determine the effects of wood pyrolyzing in a high-temperature, vitiated compartment upper layer on the environment inside the com-partment and an adjacent hallway. This was done by comparing species concentrations and temperature measurements from tests with and without wood in the compartment upper layer. Experiments were performed with a window-type opening and a door-type opening between the compartment and the hallway. In these tests, the wood in the compartment upper layer caused CO concentrations inside the compartment to increase, on average, to 10.1% dry, which is approximately 3 times higher than levels measured without wood in the upper layer. Down the hallway 3.6 m from the compartment with wood in the upper layer, CO concentrations were measured to be as high as 2.5% dry. The use of the global equivalence ratio concept to predict species formation in a compartment was explored for situations where wood or other fuels pyrolyze in a vitiated upper layer at a high temperature.

Citation

Fire Technology

Publisher Info

, -1

Pub Type

Book Chapters

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Local Download

Keywords

carbon monoxide, structures, wood, compartment fires, flashover, data analysis, fuels, experiments, oxidation, global equivalence ratio

Citation

Lattimer, B. , Vandsburger, U. and Roby, R. (1998), Carbon Monoxide Levels in Structure Fires: Effects of Wood in the Upper Layer of a Post-Flashover Compartment Fire., Fire Technology, , -1, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=916858 (Accessed April 28, 2024)