Scholarly record
THERMAL LOADING OF PRESSURE CYLINDERS IN A FIRE
Abstract
Pressure cylinders are commonly used in industry and in health services as well as in laboratories, ordinary households, and accommodation facilities. Their usage, however, is collocated with considerable risk during filling, transporting, and usage, as well as storing. The risk is predominantly influenced by the type of gas inside the pressure cylinder. Gases inside the pressure cylinder can be liquefied, compressed or dissolved. If the cylinder containing gas is exposed to a higher temperature or fire, destruction of the cylinder can occur. Regardless of the content in the cylinder, these situations present a considerably increased risk for users and rescue services, but also to property and the environment. The cylinders are constructed for each gas in a different way, making a prediction of the behaviour of the cylinder exposed to fire very problematic. For this reason, experimental measurements were carried out during which the cylinders were exposed to fire conditions. The results of measurements, during which the cylinders were exposed to a thermal load, are discussed in this paper. Tests were conducted to determine a source of heat, and a woodpile was finally selected as the thermal load. Pine wood with a defined humidity, quantity, and dimension of pine prisms was used in this woodpile. The ignition source for this woodpile was determined as well. Several parameters were monitored and recorded, for example the temperature on the shell of the cylinder and the heat flux density released from the woodpile. Additional parameters of the woodpile were also monitored, namely total heat release, effective heat of combustion, mass loss rate, and heat rate release.
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References12
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