Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

A new, consistent and objective methodology, using a CCD camera to map flame luminosity, was applied for measuring wall flame heights. Experiments in six distinct wall configurations were conducted by simulating a wall fire via gaseous burners. The wall width was fixed at 0.4m and the burner height was set at 0.25m, at 0.5m, or at 1m. In a first time, the wall, 2m high, was confined by water cooled (65°C) sidewalls a) over its total height so that the flames were entraining air from the front only or b) over its lower part beyond which flames were unconfined and could also entrain air sidewise. Then, the wall was unconfined over its total height (2.5m high) and the air was entrained from the front and at the side. Three fuels were tested: methane, propane, and acetylene. The present consistent and objective wall flame height measurements were essential for the development of new wall flame height correlations that include effects of burner (pyrolysis) height, wall width and confinement by sidewalls.