• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.3-17
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• 1999

Smoldering is a non-flaming combustion mode, characterized by thermal degradation and c charring of the virgin material, evolution of smoke and emission of visible glow. A big fire may @ occur even in a confined environment having a limited amount of oxygen, due to smoldering c combustion through a porous solid material. This paper presents a theoretical analysis on the effect of smoldering combustion on fire occurrence based on a report about fire investigation of a real f fire accident. It is assumed that the propagation of the smolder wave is one-dimensional, d downward, opposing an upward forced flow and steady in a frame of reference moving with the s smolder wave. Smoldering combustion is modeled by a one-step reaction mechanism, without c considering pyrolysis. It is found that dominant parameters controlling smoldering combustion i include mass flux of oxidizer entering the reaction zone and void fraction of solid fuel. It is also found that the mechanism of transition to flaming is critically influenced by these two parameters.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

A smoldering ground fire can be a probable cause of reignition of surface fire when transmitted from Fermentation layer to Humus layer with temperature higher than that of ignition. Purpose of this paper is to identify experimental methodology on the potential risk of a smoldering ground fire, which is similar to the real surface fuel bed, and its combustion characteristics. The fuel model designed in this study is composed of 3 layers such as Litter layer, Fermentation layer and Humus layer and 8 Thermocouples are set through 3 layer at each boundary and in between to detect the temperature change and duration of smoldering and propagation velocity. As a result, it was observed that ignition conditions in the boundary between L layer and F layer determined transmission and non-transmisstion to F-H layer. In addition, range of critical humidity at which a smoldering ground fire was transmitted in a material layer was 33~44% and when temperature exceeds $350^{\circ}C$, likelihood of transmission of a smoldering ground fire was high. In the research, the experimental model for multi-layer smoldering ground fire is suggested and information about propagation of smoldering fire, possibility of reignition according to moisture content, propagation velocity and temperature change are obtained, Also, the built-up methods were established to help analyze basic characteristics of smoldering ground fire.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.67-72
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• 2015

A series of fire tests was conducted to examine the fire characteristics of flaming and smoldering combustion of engineered wood products, which have been widely used for furniture and finishing materials in buildings. The engineered wood products of MDF, plywood, and chipboard were ignited by a radiant cone heater with incident heat flux of $50kW/m^2$. During the fire test, key parameters representing the fire characteristics such as the heat release rate, yield rate of combustion product, and effective heat of combustion were quantified in terms of thickness. The tests show two peak points of HRRPUA due to lateral fire propagation in the initial stage, followed by later fire penetration through the specimen thickness. The mass loss rate of flaming combustion was 5 times higher than that of smoldering combustion, while the CO yield rate of smoldering combustion was 10 times higher than that of flaming combustion. This study can contribute to the understanding of fire behavior of wood combustibles and provide useful data for fire analysis.

• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Fire Science and Engineering Conference
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• 1997.11a
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• pp.185-192
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• 1997

The combustion of cellulose insulation treated with Borax, Boric acid and Aluminum Sulfate as combustion retardants is examined by candle type combustion tester. The cellulose fibers in cellulose insulation are classified by diameter as less than 0.2mm, 0.2mm-0.5mm, 0.5mm-2mm and more than 2mm. The burning behavior of cellulose insulation are studied by LOI (Limit Oxygen Index: Beginning point of smoldering), L- point (Lower point of combustion transition from smoldering- flaming to flaming combustion), LOI, L-point and H-point rise with the increasing particle size of cellulose fibers because thermal decomposition rate of cellulose fiber decreases. The phenomena of combustion transition from smoldering to flaming combustion are determined by the generating rate of combustible gas and the formation rate of combustible gas mixture within the zone of cellulose fiber heated.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.1-5
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• 2001

We had investigated combustion properties of starch. Decomposition of starch scavenged by pre-cipitator of spinning factory with temperature were investigated using DSC and TGA. Combustion properties of starch according to amount were checked as temperature variation according to time using spontaneous ignition apparatus. Moreover, combustion properties with blowing or without blowing condition were checked in spontaneous ignition apparatus. As results of thermal analyses, increase in raising temperature causes initial smoldering temperature to move towards low temperature section. In addition, as amount of starch was increased, initial smoldering temperature was lowered. All of combustion forms were smoldering combustion. Initial smoldering temperature was low more slightly with blowing condition than without blowing condition in spontaneous ignition apparatus, which condition made heating value high.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Fire Investigation
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.111-126
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• 2007

In this study, we drew identification techniques of cigarette fires through the cases analyses of the combustion characteristics, the combustion time, the combustion temperature, the combustion test of smoldering materials and the reappearance experiments of cigarette fires. To initiate fires by cigarette fire, the conditions of oxygen supply, combustible materials must be satisfied. On the other hand, fires were not spreaded easily under the insufficient combustion conditions.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.12-17
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• 1999

We intended to investigate combustion properties of rice bran dust. Combustion properties of h rice bran dust according to size distribution and amount were measured as temperature v variation with time using spontaneous ignition apparatus. Moreover, combustion properties w with blowing or without blowing condition were checked in order to investigate combustion p properties in spontaneous ignition apparatus according to flow condition of air. A As the mass and size of rice bran dust was increased, i띠ti외 smoldering temperature was l lowered. All of combustion forms were smoldering combustion. Initial smold얹ing temperature w was slightly lower with blowing condition than without blowing condition in spontaneous i ignition apparatus, which condition made heating value high.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.6-9
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• 2003

Recently, forced ventilating air conditioning system has been widely used in modern buildings. However, It is obvious that this kind of system may affect on the response of fire detectors at real fire incidents, especially, on the ionization smoke detector, which is critically influenced by air stream. Therefore we studied to verify the response characteristics of air stream by ionization smoke detector for the design of facilities in practice. In this study, experiments were executed to examine the correlation between air velocity and the ionization detector's responses with var-ious air velocity and smoke densities in the simulated test room. As a result of experiments, ionization detector's operating time is in reverse proportion to air velocity. And the detector shows more sensitive reaction when the velocity of smoke stream increase over 60 cm/s. In addition, it was shown that ionization smoke detector is more sensitive to smoldering fires in paper than that in petro-chemicals.

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.6-10
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• 2012

This paper presents a study on the analysis for reducing the number of false alarms in fire detection system. In order to intelligent algorithm fuzzy logic is adopted in developing fire detection system to reduce false alarm. The intelligent fire detection algorithm compared and analyzed the fire and non-fire signatures measured in circuits simulating flame fire and smoldering fire. The algorithm has input variables obtained by fire experiment with K-type thermocouple and optical smoke sensor. Also triangular membership function is used for inference rules. And the antecedent part of inference rules consists of temperature and smoke density, and the consequent part consists of fire probability. A fire-experiment is conducted with paper, plastic, and n-heptane to simulate actual fire situation. The results show that the intelligent fire detection algorithm suggested in this study can more effectively discriminate signatures between fire and similar fire.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 1999

We had investigated combustion properties of natural textile dusts. Decomposition properles of natural textile dusts scavenged by precipitator of spinning factoη were investigated using D DSC(Differential Scanning Calorimeter) and TGA(Thermogravimetric Analysis) by temperature c changes. Combustion pro야rties of natural textile according to size distribution and amount were c checked as temperature variation according to time using spontan$\infty$us ignition apparatus. M Moreover, combustion properties with blowing or without blowing condition were checked in order to investigate combustion prope$\pi$ies in spontaneous ignition apparatus according to flow c condition of air. As results of thermal analyses, increase in r머sing tern야:rature causes initial smold벼ng t temperature to move towards low temperature section 뻐d i띠디떠 smoldering temperature was d de$\sigma$eased more remarkably in atmosphere than in inert gas and that condition allowed heating v value to increase considerably. In addition, as amount and size distribution of natural textile d dusts were increased, i띠ti머 smoldering temperature was lowered. All of combustion forms were s smoldering combustion. Initial smold밍ing temperature was low more slightly with blowing c condition than without blowing condition in sp$\alpha$ltaneoUS ignition apparatus, which condition m made heatim;!; value high.