Citation

Gratkowski MT, Dembsey NA, Beyler CL. Fire Safety J. 2006; 41(6): 427-443.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.firesaf.2006.03.006

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of self-heating in the smoldering ignition of 18 mm (three-quarter inch) thick maple plywood exposed to radiant heat fluxes between 6 and 15 kW/m2 in the cone calorimeter for up to 8 h. The minimum heat flux for smoldering ignition was experimentally determined to be 7.5 kW/m2. This compares favorably to predictions made using classical self-heating theory. The role of self-heating was explored via temperature measurements distributed within the specimens. Elevated subsurface temperature profiles indicated self-heating was an important ignition factor resulting in ignition at depth with smolder propagation to the surface and into the material. The ignition depth was shown to be a function of the heat flux with the depth moving towards the surface as the heat flux increased.