Flammability Screening and Fire Hazard of Industrial Fluids Using the Cone Calorimeter

Abstract

There are numerous qualitative test methods to evaluate the flammability characteristics of industrial fluids (e.g., hydraulic fluids). These methods generally are based on potentially hazardous scenarios such as ignition of fluid droplets by a hot manifold or fluid sprays by an open flame. However, there is a need for a reproducible, quantitative, bench-scale test for screening the potential flammability of industrial fluids in such a way that good engineering data are also obtained. Preliminary laboratory evaluations were conducted using the “cone calorimeter,” according to ASTM E1354, to assess the feasibility of this technique as a standard test method for industrial fluids. Specimens ranging in volume up to 28 mL in pans up to 100 mm diameter were evaluated, although most testing was conducted using 14 mL in 77 mm diameter pans. The specimens were exposed to external radiant heat fluxes of 25 to 50 kW/m2. Measured parameters included ignition time, heat release rate, mass loss, effective heat of combustion, and smoke evolution. The seven fluids evaluated had a broad range of flammability and smoke properties. Limited large scale comparison tests were conducted with 0.9 m diameter pool fires. The versatility, reliability and accuracy of the cone calorimeter applied to industrial fluids make it a viable candidate for consideration as a standard test method for screening and fire hazard analysis.

Experimental study on ignition and combustion characteristics of typical oils

“…Apte observed that specific smoke extinction area (SEA) varied with CO and CO 2 generation, which vary with fuel type, whereas Iwata discovered by testing 14 different crude oils that heat release rate (HRR), mass loss rate (MLR), flame radiation, and smoke yield seem to have a linear relationship with crude oil density. Several researchers have also reported that different radiant heat flux may be a factor in ignition time. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=RedirectURL&_method=outwardLink&_partnerName=27983&_origin=article&_zone=art_page&_linkType=scopusAuthorDocuments&_targetURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scopus.com%2Fscopus%2Finward%2Fauthor.url%3FpartnerID%3D10%26rel%3D3.0.0%26sortField%3Dcited%26sortOrder%3Dasc%26author%3DElam,%2520S.K.%26authorID%3D6602629286%26md5%3D3ec3fc3e3c6d0e81247fc489be5068d7&_acct=C000053683&_version=1&_userid=10079680&md5=bd2e607fb9af1d847014f45cada00063 studied flammability of spilled crude oils and discovered that ignition time and external radiant heat flux were in an inverse power exponent relationship.…”

“…http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=RedirectURL&_method=outwardLink&_partnerName=27983&_origin=article&_zone=art_page&_linkType=scopusAuthorDocuments&_targetURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scopus.com%2Fscopus%2Finward%2Fauthor.url%3FpartnerID%3D10%26rel%3D3.0.0%26sortField%3Dcited%26sortOrder%3Dasc%26author%3DElam,%2520S.K.%26authorID%3D6602629286%26md5%3D3ec3fc3e3c6d0e81247fc489be5068d7&_acct=C000053683&_version=1&_userid=10079680&md5=bd2e607fb9af1d847014f45cada00063 studied flammability of spilled crude oils and discovered that ignition time and external radiant heat flux were in an inverse power exponent relationship. Grand focused on industrial fluids and employed the empirical equation of ignition time to process the relationship between ignition time and heat flux. Hshieh focused on ignition time of silicone fluids under different radiant heat fluxes.…”

“…Apte [7] observed that specific smoke extinction area (SEA) varied with CO and CO 2 generation, which vary with fuel type, whereas Iwata [8] discovered by testing 14 different crude oils that heat release rate (HRR), mass loss rate (MLR), flame radiation, and smoke yield seem to have a linear relationship with crude oil density. Several researchers [9][10][11][12][13] have also reported that different radiant heat flux may be a factor in ignition time. Elam [9] studied flammability of spilled crude oils and discovered that ignition time and external radiant heat flux were in an inverse power exponent relationship.…”

“…Elam [9] studied flammability of spilled crude oils and discovered that ignition time and external radiant heat flux were in an inverse power exponent relationship. Grand [10] focused on industrial fluids and employed the empirical equation of ignition time to process the relationship between ignition time and heat flux. Hshieh [11,12] focused on ignition time of silicone fluids under different radiant heat fluxes.…”

Combustion Characteristics of Electrolyte Pool Fires for Lithium Ion Batteries

“…For example, a large amount of experiments were conducted in cone calorimeter to address their combustion characteristics under external heat fluxes. [10][11][12][13] Apte et al 10 obtained from the experimental study of 12 hydrocarbons that the heat release rate (HRR) and mass loss rate (MLR) per unit area increased with a bigger pan diameter (D > 10 cm). Several important parameters, such as heat of combustion and gas products, were analyzed.…”