COMPARTMENT FIRE EXPERIMENTS - COMPARISON WITH MODELS

Twenty full-scale compartment fire experiments suitable for model comp arison were conducted. Ceiling jet temperatures, surface heat fluxes a nd heat transfer coefficients which have not been previously reported are discussed. The ceiling jet temperatures 0.10 m below the ceiling s how the effects of compartment ventilation, near-field entrainment con ditions and burner location on the ceiling jet. Net and radiant incide nt heat fluxes to the upper and lower-walls and the floor are estimate d. Combined (radiation and convection) interior heat transfer coeffici ents for the three surfaces are reported. As compartment fire models s uch as CFAST and FIRST continue to develop in sophistication, it is im portant that they be compared to experimental data. Data at three heat release rates: 330, 630 and 980 kW, are used to evaluate these compre hensive compartment fire models and two simpler models for the upper-l ayer gas temperature. CFAST predicts upper layer gas temperatures 150- 260 degrees C hotter than the measured bulk outflow gas temperatures. The increased temperatures appear to be due to insufficient heat trans fer through the compartment surfaces. FIRST predicts upper-layer gas t emperatures that are slightly cooler (on average, 20 degrees C) than t he measured bulk outflow gas temperatures. The two simpler models are within 40 degrees C, on average, of the measured upper-layer gas tempe ratures. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.