Experimental study on the transitional behavior of the room fire under sub-atmospheric pressures

Fuel diffusion combustion and flame behavior within a confined space is a fundamental scientific problem in the energy and combustion field, it involves complicated chemical reaction, fire behavior, thermal dynamics, heat transfer, room-opening flowing and sub-processes of over-ventilated and under-ventilated room fire. However, previous classical knowledges and models about it are usually at standard atmospheric pressure (100 kPa), no work considers the fire evolution and flame behavior within the room for various sub-atmospheric pressures. In this paper, the experiment is carried by utilizing a 0.3 m x 0.3 m x 0.3 m reduced-scale cubic room with an opening of various dimensions, and using propane as fuel to simulate fuel combustion inside, which was placed at the Low Pressure Chamber creating various atmospheric pressures. The flame behavior and temperature evolution within the room was recorded and measured with 693 experimental conditions. The experimental results show that, (1) the air inflowing rate through opening into room and heat release rate within the room increase with atmospheric pressure; (2) the flame extinction or reaching well-mixed condition are more easily occurred for lower atmospheric pressure and opening dimension. These characteristic parameters and fire behaviors could be well described by new corrected opening ventilation factor involving effect of atmospheric pressure and the opening dimension. The research work fills the gap in basic scientific research of building fire at sub-atmospheric pressures, which also has important practical applicability of urban building fire protection design code (such as the materials in wall) in different altitudes, room fire suppression, and protecting urban safety.