Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

A reduced-scale experimental study was carried out to collect knowledge of the effect of external side wind on the flow behavior of a flame/plume which is ejected from an opening of a fire compartment .The external side wind was given to the flame/plume at the various speeds of 0.06rnIsec to 1.88mlsec. Upward velocities and temperatures of the flame/plume were measured systematically along the wall for vertical and horizontal directions and which gave the trajectory (trace of main flow axis). Decreasing temperature and upward velocity for vertical direction showed similar behavior to those obtained in the flow from a line fire source. The slope of the trajectory inclined by side wind and of which slope was estimated based on the experimental data. A simplified model on the trajectory slope (or flame inclination slope) can be described by the coupled function of dimensionless heat release rate, Froude number and the aspect ratio of the opening base on the balance of buoyancy and inertia force of side wind as well as the aspect ratio of the opening and heat release rate.