Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

Experimental study was carried out to understand the flame merging behavior from multiple fire sources placed in 2 arrays consisted of three separate fire sources within each array (2 by 3 configuration) without external winds. The sand burner with a diameter of 0.2m was used as a unit burner and LPG was employed as a fuel. The distances between two arrays, Sy, and between fire sources separated, Sx, in each array were changed systematically to characterize the flame height and merging behavior due to space effect of multiple fire sources. The height from the edge of the burner to artificial floor level was also changed to estimate the floor effect on flame merging behavior. Visual observation of merged flame height was performed aided by video images to estimate the averaged flame height. Temperatures and upward velocities in the regions of flame(s) and lower part of the plume(s) were measured using a rake of thermocouples and bi-directional probes. Empirical formulae to estimate the merged flame height were developed considering spacing effect between the fire sources separated. The validity of these models was confirmed from the comparison with the experimental data.