Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of altitude and sample orientation on heat transfer for flame spread over polystyrene foams

  • Published:
Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Experiments were carried out on insulation foams of EPS and XPS in a small-scale flame spread experimental bench in the Tibetan plateau area of Lhasa and the plain area of Hefei both in China, respectively. The effects of altitude and sample orientation on flame spread behavior were quantitatively analyzed. The results show that extinction and secondary ignition occur for XPS on plateau, as the oxygen concentration in air entrainment is influenced by the generated smoke in the pool fire zone. The flame spread speed of EPS increases with the incline angle both in Lhasa and in Hefei, but for XPS (downward flame spread), the flame spread speed increases with the decrease in incline angle, especially in Lhasa. It is found that the heat transfer process is different for EPS and XPS. The transition fire zone plays an important role in heat transfer over XPS for downward flame spread resulting in total heat transfer including the flame convective and radiative heat \( q_{\text{f}}^{\prime \prime } \delta_{\text{f}} \) and the conductive heat \( q_{\text{c}}^{\prime \prime } L \) increase with the decrease in incline angle, while for EPS, the surface flame zone dominates the heat transfer in two places.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. An W, Jiang L, Sun J, Liew KM. Correlation analysis of sample thickness, heat flux, and cone calorimetry test data of polystyrene foam. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2015;119:229–38.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Xu Q, Majlingova A, Zachar M, Jin C, Jiang Y. Correlation analysis of cone calorimetry test data assessment of the procedure with tests of different polymers. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2012;110:65–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Luo F, Wu K, Lu M, Nie S, Li X, Guan X. Thermal degradation and flame retardancy of microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate in rigid polyurethane foam. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2015;. doi:10.1007/s10973-015-4425-3.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Morgan A, Chu L, Harris J. A flammability performance comparison between synthetic and natural clays in polystyrene nanocomposites. Fire Mater. 2005;29:213–29.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Doroudiani S, Omidian H. Environmental, health and safety concerns of decorative mouldings made of expanded polystyrene in buildings. Build Environ. 2010;45:647–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. An W, Xiao H, Liew KM, Jiang L, Yan W, Zhou Y, Huang X, Sun J, Gao L. Downward flame spread over extruded polystyrene: effects of sample thickness, pressure, and sidewalls. J Therm Anal Calorim. 2015;119:1091–103.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Zhou Y, Xiao H, Yan W, An W, Jiang L, Sun J. Horizontal flame spread characteristics of rigid polyurethane and molded polystyrene foams under externally applied radiation at two different altitudes. Fire Technol. 2014;. doi:10.1007/s10694-014-0443-0.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Zhang Y, Huang X, Wang Q, Ji J, Sun J, Yin Y. Experimental study on the characteristics of horizontal flame spread over XPS surface on plateau. J Hazard Mater. 2011;189:34–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Huang X, Sun J, Ji J, Zhang Y, Wang Q, Zhang Y. Flame spread over the surface of thermal insulation materials in different environments. Chin Sci Bull. 2011;56(15):1617–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Griffin GJ, Bicknell AD, Bradbury GP, White N. Effect of construction method on the fire behavior of sandwich panels with expanded polystyrene cores in room fire tests. J Fire Sci. 2006;24:275–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Tsai KC. Orientation effect on cone calorimeter test results to assess fire hazard of materials. J Hazard Mater. 2009;172:763–72.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Drysdale DD, Macmillan AJR. Flame spread on inclined surfaces. Fire Saf J. 1992;18:245–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Li J, Ji J, Zhang Y, Sun J. Characteristics of flame spread over the surface of charring solid combustibles at high altitude. Chin Sci Bull. 2009;54(8):1127–32.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang Y, Ji J, Wang QS, Huang XJ, Wang QH, Sun JH. Prediction of the critical condition for flame acceleration over wood surface with different sample orientations. Combust Flame. 2012;159(9):2999–3002.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Quintiere JG. Fundamentals of fire phenomena. London: Wiley; 2006. p. 195–231.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  16. Murrell J. Multi-layer paint surfaces-a hidden fire hazard. Fire. 1998; 19–20.

  17. Wu Y, Xing HJ, Atkinson G. Interaction of fire plume with inclined surface. Fire Saf J. 2000;35(4):391–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Jeff W, Matt K, Subrata BI, Altenkirch RA. Heat transfer pathways in flame spreading over thick fuels as a function of the flame spread regime: microgravity, thermal, and kinetic. Combust Sci Technol. 1997;127(1):119–40.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Thomas PH. Rates of spread of some wind driven fires. J Forest. 1971;44(2):155–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Hirano T, Noreikis SE, Waterman TE. Postulations of flame spread mechanisms. Combust Flame. 1974;22(3):353–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Ohlemiller TJ, Shields JR. Aspects of the fire behavior of thermoplastic materials, National Institute of Standards and Technology. 2007. p.1–30.

  22. Chow WK, Leung CW. Necessity of testing fire behaviour of plastic materials under flashover. Polym Test. 2006;25:853–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Xie QY, Zhang HP, Ye RB. Experimental study on melting and flowing behavior of thermoplastics combustion based on a new setup with a T-shape trough. J Hazard Mater. 2009;166:1321–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Wang Y, Zhang F, Chen XL, Jin Y, Zhang J. Burning and dripping behaviors of polymers under the UL94 vertical burning test conditions. Fire Mater. 2010;34:203–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Wang XG, Cheng XD, Li LM, Lo S, Zhang HP. Effect of ignition condition on typical polymer’s melt flow flammability. J Hazard Mater. 2011;190(1–3):766–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Ansari M, Hatzikiriakos SG, Mitsoulis E. Slip effects in HDPE flows. J Non-Newton Fluid. 2012;167–168:18–29.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Gollner MJ, Overholt K, Williams FA, Rangwala AS, Perricone J. Warehouse commodity classification from fundamental principles. Part I: commodity and burning rates. Fire Saf J. 2011;46:305–16.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Overholt KJ, Gollner MJ, Perricone J, Rangwala AS, Williams FA. Warehouse commodity classification from fundamental principles. Part II: flame heights and flame spread. Fire Saf J. 2011;46:317–29.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Zhang Y, Sun JH, Huang XJ, Chen XF. Heat transfer mechanisms in horizontal flame spread over wood and extruded polystyrene surfaces. Int J Heat Mass Transf. 2013;61:28–34.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Jiang L, Xiao H, Zhou Y, An W, Yan W, He J, Sun J. Theoretical and experimental study of width effects on horizontal flame spread over extruded and expanded polystyrene foam surfaces. J Fire Sci. 2014;32(3):193–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Quintiere JG, Rangwala AS. A theory for flame extinction based on flame temperature. Fire Mater. 2004;28:387–402.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Huang XJ, Wang QS, Zhang Y, Yin Y, Sun JH. Thickness effect on flame spread characteristics of expanded polystyrene in different environments. J Thermoplast Compos Mater. 2011;25:427–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study has been funded by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, Grant. No. 2012CB719702), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51206002), and the open fund of State Key Laboratory of Fire Science (No. HZ2012-KF04). The authors gratefully acknowledge these supports.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Anhui University of Technology, No. 59, Hudong Road, Ma’anshan, 243002, Anhui, People’s Republic of China

    Xinjie Huang & Jie Zhao

  2. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, No. 122, Luoshi Road, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

    Ying Zhang

  3. State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 96, Jinzhai Road, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China

    Yang Zhou, Qingsong Wang & Jinhua Sun

Authors
  1. Xinjie Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jie Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ying Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yang Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Qingsong Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jinhua Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jinhua Sun.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Huang, X., Zhao, J., Zhang, Y. et al. Effects of altitude and sample orientation on heat transfer for flame spread over polystyrene foams. J Therm Anal Calorim 121, 641–650 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-015-4615-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-015-4615-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation