Experimental study on flame height and temperature profile of buoyant window spill plume from an under-ventilated compartment fire

Fire experiments were carried out in a scale model, consisting of an 0.8 m cubic fire compartment with six window like geometries and an attached 3 m (wide) x 5 m (high) facade wall. A propane porous gas burner with controlled fuel supply rate was the fire source. Gas temperature profiles were measured inside the compartment and near the facade wall. The outside spill flame heights were recorded by a CCD Digital camera. Temperature and flame heights are correlated with heat release rate and the window geometry using physically non-dimensional analysis. The steady gas temperatures inside the compartment are determined by an overall energy balance between the heat release rate inside the compartment and the wall conduction and opening radiation heat losses using an effective overall heat loss coefficient. Flame heights on the facade are non-dimensionally correlated by the excess fuel heat release rate outside the enclosure and a characteristic length scale for the window. These results agree with previous results in the literature. Vertical gas temperatures near the facade wall outside the enclosure are non-dimensionally correlated with the total convective heat flow rate above the flames and the same characteristic window length scale as the flame height, with the additional necessary determination of a virtual origin of the convective flow above the flame. These results and correlations are new and a significant improvement over previous results in the literature. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.