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A Review of Fundamental Combustion Phenomena in Wire Fires

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Abstract

Electrical wires and cables have been identified as a potential source of fire in residential buildings, nuclear power plants, aircraft, and spacecraft. This work reviews the recent understandings of the fundamental combustion processes in wire fire over the last three decades. Based on experimental studies using ideal laboratory wires, physical-based theories are proposed to describe the unique wire fire phenomena. The review emphasizes the complex role of the metallic core in the ignition, flame spread, burning, and extinction of wire fire. Moreover, the influence of wire configurations and environmental conditions, such as pressure, oxygen level, and gravity, on wire-fire behaviors are discussed in detail. Finally, the challenges and problems in both the fundamental research, using laboratory wires and numerical simulations, and the applied research, using commercial cables and empirical function approaches, are thoroughly discussed to guide future wire fire research and the design of fire-safe wire and cables.

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Photo Credit: Miguel Medina

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Abbreviations

a :

Strain rate (s−1)

A :

Cross-section area (mm2)

B :

Mass transfer number (–)

Bo :

Bond number (–)

c:

Specific heat (kJ/kg/K)

d :

Diameter (mm)

Da :

Damkohler number (–)

E :

Activation energy (kJ/mol)

g :

Gravity acceleration (m/s2)

G :

Thermal conductance (W m/K)

Gr :

Grashof number (–)

h :

Convection coefficent (W/m2 K)

ΔH :

The heat of reaction (MJ/kg)

I :

Electrical current (A)

L :

External heating length (m)

Nu :

Nusselt number (–)

m :

Mass (g)

\(\dot{m}\) :

Mass-loss rate (kg/s)

\(\dot{m}^{{\prime \prime }}\) :

Mass loss flux (kg/m2 s)

n :

Index (–)

M dr :

Mass of one drip (mg)

N :

Number (–)

P :

Perimeter (m) or pressure (Pa)

Pe :

Peclet number (–)

\(\dot{q}^{\prime\prime}\) :

Heat flux (kW/m2)

r :

Radius of wire

R :

Universal gas constant (J/mol K)

R e :

Electrical resistance (Ω/m)

V f :

Flame-spread rate (mm/s)

t :

Time (s)

T :

Temperature (°C)

U :

Airflow speed (m/s)

W :

Flame width (m)

x :

Wire axial direction

Y :

Mass fraction (%)

Z :

Pre-exponential factor (s−1)

α :

Thermal diffusivity (m2/s)

γ:

Surface tension (Pa)

δ :

Thickness (mm)

θ :

Inclination angle (°)

ρ :

Density (kg/m3)

σ :

Surface tension (Pa)

λ :

Thermal conductivity (W/m K)

Λ :

Non-dimensional number (–)

ν :

Kinematic viscosity (m2/s)

μ :

Dynamic viscosity (Pa s)

φ :

Equivalence ratio (–)

χ :

Cable classification number (–)

χ r :

Radiative heat loss fraction (–)

* :

Critical

a :

Ambient

b :

Burning

c :

Core

cp :

Between core and insulation

dr :

Dripping

e :

Electrical

f :

Flame

F :

Fuel

g :

Gas

ig :

Ignition

J :

Joule heat

m :

Melting

o :

Outer

p :

Plastic insulation

py :

Pyrolysis

sr :

Surface reradiation

CEMAC:

CE MArking of Cables

ETFE:

Ethylene-tetrafluorpvco-ethylene

FEP:

Fluorinated ethylene propylene

FIGRA:

Fire growth rate (W/s)

HRR:

Heat release rate (kW)

LOC:

Limiting oxygen concentration (%)

NiCr:

Nickel–chromium

NPP:

Nuclear power plant

NRC:

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

PE:

Polyethylene

pHRR:

Peak heat release rate (MW)

PMMA:

Polymethyl methacrylate

PVC:

Polyvinyl chloride

SS:

Stainless steel

TGA:

Thermogravimetric analysis

THR:

Total heat release (MJ)

TI:

Thermal inertia (kJ2/m4 K2 s)

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Acknowledgements

XH thanks the support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) No. 51876183. YN thanks the support from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A) # 21681022.

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  1. Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

    Xinyan Huang

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Japan

    Yuji Nakamura

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Huang, X., Nakamura, Y. A Review of Fundamental Combustion Phenomena in Wire Fires. Fire Technol 56, 315–360 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-019-00918-5

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