Surface flame spread

A. Tewarson, "Heat Release and Surface Flame Spread," lEC TC 89-WG8 Meeting, British Standards Institution, London, Oct. 1992. 

Figure 8.2 Dynamics of opposed flow surface flame spread...

Figure 8.3 Examples of surface flame spread under natural convective conditions...

Surface Flame Spread - The Thermally Thin Case... 

We will develop an analytical formulation of the statement in Equation (8.2). This will be done for surface flame spread on solids, but it can be used more generally [1], As with the ignition of solids, it will be useful to consider the limiting cases of thermally thin and thermally thick solids. In practice, these solutions will be adequate for first-order approximations. However, the model will not consider any effects due to... 

Figure 8.4 displays a thermally thin solid of thickness d, insulated at its back face and undergoing surface flame spread. Any of the modes shown in Figure 8.1 are applicable. We consider the case of steady flame spread, but this constraint can be relaxed. The surface flame spread speed is defined as... 

SURFACE FLAME SPREAD - THE THERMALLY THIN CASE... 

Surface Flame Spread for a Thermally Thick Solid... 

SURFACE FLAME SPREAD FOR A THERMALLY THICK SOLID 201... 

Surface Flame Spread 14.3.4.1 Pertinent Material Properties... 

Quintiere, JG. 1995. Chapter 14. Surface flame spread, SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 2nd edn. Boston, MA NFPA. 

ASTM E 286 Eight-Foot Tunnel Test. This test, a smaller version of the Steiner Tuimel Test (ASTM E 84), covers the measurement of surface flame spread of materials capable of being mounted and supported within a 13.75 in. (349-mm) x 8 ft. (2.44-m) test frame. The test also includes techniques for measuring the oke density and heat... 

In the United States, tests for surface flame spread of building materials were standardized as early as 1950. This so-called Steiner or 25-ft Tunnel Test is now codified as ASTM E 84-1981a. 

Fig. 3.98 Arrangement of the surface flame spread test after BS 476 Part 7 1971 1 heat radiator 2 rear plate 3 specimen 4 igniting flame 5 gas inlet... 

BS 476 Part 7 1971 gives the surface flame spread test of building materials and includes two techniques one for characterizing building materials with large-size specimens and the other for estimative tests or quality control using small specimens. 

Rating of building materials in term of surface flame spread according to BS 476 Part 7 1971... 

Surface flame spread on building materials (rating)... 

The ASTM E162 test procednre [10] normally used for construction applications is nsed to test larger-sized electrical boxes or housings. The reqnirements for such are outlined in UL 94 [3]. In this test, the contribution of the sample to surface flame spread is measured under conditions where the sample is exposed to a specified radiant heat flux. Another application-specific procedure is the test for hot wires or contacts [5] according to DIN EN ISO 60695-5-1 [11] in which the sample is exposed to a glowing wire at a temperature between 550 and 960 °C. 

The properties derived from ASTM E1321 provide information about the flame spread characteristics of materials and can serve as an indication of their hazardous characteristics [38]. The test results provide material fire parameters that correspond to property data required by theories of surface flame spread [38]. The analysis may be used to rank materials performance by some set of criteria applied to the correlation or the analysis may be employed in fire risk growth models to develop a more rational and complete risk assessment for wall materials [38]. 

Steiner tunnel tests (ASTM E84) [127] measure the surface flame spread of a material. The specimen is exposed to an ignition source, and the rate at which the flames travel to the end of the specimen is measured. The severity of the exposure and the time a specimen is exposed to the ignition source are the main differences between the tunnel test methods [119]. The data obtained provide a measure of fire hazard, in that flame spread can transmit fire to more flammable materials in the vicinity and thus enlarge a conflagration, even though the transmitting material itself contributes little fuel to the fire. 

Surface flame spread (ASTM E 84-61 Tunnel Test ) 10-25 40-80 Non FR 100... 

Quintiere, J.Q. Surface flame spread, in SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection, Engineering, 3rd ed. Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Bethesda, MD, 2002, Chap. 2-12. 

Lyons, J. W., The Chemistry and Uses of Fire Retardants, John Wiley, New York, 1970. Hilado,C. J., Eire a (iE/ammaiij71f> 5 erlei,Technomic, West Port, 1973. Vol.l, Flammability of Cellulosic Materials Vol. 2, Smoke and Products of Combustion Vol. 3, Flammability of Consumer Products Vol. 4, Oxygen Index of Materials Vol. 5, Surface Flame Spread Vol. 6, Flame Retardants. ... 

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