Effect of Ventilation on the Rates of Heat, Smoke, and Carbon Monoxide Production in a Typical Jail Cell Fire

• NCJ Number: 84592
• Author(s): B T Lee
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 81 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Commerce
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The rates of heat release and smoke development from a fire in a typical prison cell configuration were examined under four doorway ventilation conditions.

Abstract

Peak heat release rates varied from about 4500 kW for a 3.34 m-squared doorway opening down to 340kW for a 0.17 m-squared opening. However, the total and rate of smoke generation were greater with the small opening. The peak carbon monoxide production rate varied from 0.03 kg/s for the large opening to 0.01 kg/s for the smallest opening. The quantity of carbon monoxide generated, however, was highest for the smallest opening with 5.3 kg produced over the fire duration of 1800s. During the peak fire development in the configuration with the larger openings, temperatures inside the room reached about 1000 degrees centigrade with roughly two-thirds of the heat lost to the cell room boundaries. Peak thermal fluxes inside the room generally exceeded the ignition threshold value of about 20 kW/ m-squared for the clothing, bedding, and other light combustible fuel for all of the tests. A total of 11 references, 7 tables, and 35 figures are supplied. (Author abstract modified)