Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A method of determining flame radiation fraction induced by interaction burning of tri-symmetric propane fires in open space based on weighted multi-point source model

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers in Energy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The interaction of multiple fires may lead to a higher flame height and more intense radiation flux than a single fire, which increases the possibility of flame spread and risks to the surroundings. Experiments were conducted using three burners with identical heat release rates (HRRs) and propane as the fuel at various spacings. The results show that flames change from non-merging to merging as the spacing decreases, which result in a complex evolution of flame height and merging point height. To facilitate the analysis, a novel merging criterion based on the dimensionless spacing S/zc was proposed. For non-merging flames (S/zc > 0.368), the flame height is almost identical to a single fire; for merging flames (S/zc ⩽ 0.368), based on the relationship between thermal buoyancy B and thrust P (the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the flame), a quantitative analysis of the flame height, merging point height, and air entrainment was formed, and the calculated merging flame heights show a good agreement with the measured experimental values. Moreover, the multi-point source model was further improved, and radiation fraction of propane was calculated. The data obtained in this study would play an important role in calculating the external radiation of propane fire.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ji J, Wan H X, Gao Z H, et al. Experimental study on flame merging behaviors from two pool fires along the longitudinal centerline of model tunnel with natural ventilation. Combustion and Flame, 2016, 173: 307–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Fan C G, Ji J, Li Y Z, et al. Experimental study of sidewall effect on flame characteristics of heptane pool fires with different aspect ratios and orientations in a channel. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2017, 36(2): 3121–3129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. He K, Cheng X, Yao Y, et al. Characteristics of multiple pool fires in a tunnel with natural ventilation. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2019, 369: 261–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Shi C, Liu W, Hong W, et al. A modified thermal radiation model with multiple factors for investigating temperature rise around pool fire. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2019, 379(5): 120801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Liu N A, Zhang S, Luo X, et al. Interaction of two parallel rectangular fires. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2019, 37(3): 3833–3841

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Wan H X, Ji J, Li K, et al. Effect of air entrainment on the height of buoyant turbulent diffusion flames for two fires in open space. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2017, 36(2): 3003–3010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Putnam A, Speich C. A model study of the interaction of multiple turbulent diffusion flames. Symposium (International) on Combustion, 1963, 9(1): 867–877

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Thomas P, Baldwin R, Heselden A. Buoyant diffusion flames: some measurements of air entrainment, heat transfer, and flame merging. Symposium (International) on Combustion, 1965, 10(1): 983–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Sugawa O, Takahashi W. Flame height behavior from multi-fire sources. Fire and Materials, 1993, 17(3): 111–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Wan H X, Gao Z H, Ji J, et al. Experimental study on merging behaviors of two identical buoyant diffusion flames under an unconfined ceiling with varying heights. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2019, 37(3): 3899–3907

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Wan H X, Gao Z H, Ji J, et al. Effects of pool size and spacing on burning rate and flame height of two square heptane pool fires. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2019, 369: 116–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Delichatsios M A. A correlation for the flame height in “group” fires. Fire Science & Technology, 2007, 26(1): 1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Fukuda Y, Kamikawa D, Hasemi Y, et al. Flame characteristics of group fires. Fire Science & Technology, 2004, 23(2): 164–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Weng W, Kamikawa D, Hasemi Y. Experimental study on merged flame characteristics from multifire sources with wood cribs. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2015, 35(3): 2597–2606

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Wan H X, Gao Z H, Ji J, et al. Predicting heat fluxes received by horizontal targets from two buoyant turbulent diffusion flames of propane burning in still air. Combustion and Flame, 2018, 190: 260–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Gong C Z, Ding L, Wan H X, et al. Spatial temperature distribution of rectangular n-heptane pool fires with different aspect ratios and heat fluxes received by adjacent horizontal targets. Fire Safety Journal, 2020, 112: 102959

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Shokri M, Beyler C. Radiation from large pool fires. Journal of Fire Protection Engineering, 1989, 1(4): 141–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Liu Q, Liu N A, Huang X. Radiative heat transfer from multiple discrete fires. Journal of Fire Sciences, 2017, 35(6): 535–546

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  19. Markstein G. Radiative properties of plastics fires. Symposium (International) on Combustion, 1979, 17(1): 1053–1062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Bennett G. The SFPE handbook of fire protection engineering: By P. J. DiNenno, C. L. Beyler, R. L. P. Custer, W. D. Walton and J. M. Watts, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA and Society of Fire Prot, Elsevier, 1990

  21. Mudan K S. Thermal radiation hazards from hydrocarbon pool fires. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 1984, 10(1): 59–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. May W, Mcqueen W. Radiation from large liquefied natural gas fires. Combustion Science and Technology, 1973, 7(2): 51–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Yan W G, Wang C J, Guo J. One extended OTSU flame image recognition method using RGBL and stripe segmentation. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 2012, 121–126: 2141–2145

    Google Scholar 

  24. Otsu N. A threshold selection method from gray-level histograms. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, 1979, 9(1): 62–66

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  25. James G Q. Fundamentals of Fire Phenomena. New York: Springer, 2005

    Google Scholar 

  26. Gao Z H, Ji J, Wan H X, Li K, Sun J. An investigation of the detailed flame shape and flame length under the ceiling of a channel. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2015, 35(3): 2657–2664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Dupuy J, Marechal J, Morvan D. Fires from a cylindrical forest fuel burner: combustion dynamics and flame properties. Combustion and Flame, 2003, 135(1–2): 65–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Shintani Y, Nagaoka T, Deguchi Y, Ido K, Harada K. Simple method to predict downward heat flux from flame to floor. Fire Science & Technology, 2014, 33(1): 17–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Lowesmith B J, Hankinson G, Acton M, Chamberlain G. An overview of the nature of hydrocarbon jet fire hazards in the oil and gas industry and a simplified approach to assessing the hazards. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2007, 85(3): 207–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Markstein G H. Radiative energy transfer from turbulent diffusion flames. Combustion and Flame, 1976, 27: 51–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Hankinson G, Lowesmith B J. A consideration of methods of determining the radiative characteristics of jet fires. Combustion and Flame, 2012, 159(3): 1165–1177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Souil J, Joulain P, Gengembre E. Experimental and theoretical study of thermal radiation from turbulent diffusion flames to vertical target surfaces. Combustion Science and Technology, 1984, 41(1–2): 69–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Hurley M J, Gottuk D T, Hall J R, et al. SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. New York: Springer, 2015

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52036009 and 51722605).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Jie Ji, Junrui Duan & Huaxian Wan

  2. Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230088, China

    Jie Ji

Authors
  1. Jie Ji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Junrui Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Huaxian Wan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jie Ji.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ji, J., Duan, J. & Wan, H. A method of determining flame radiation fraction induced by interaction burning of tri-symmetric propane fires in open space based on weighted multi-point source model. Front. Energy 16, 1017–1026 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-020-0716-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-020-0716-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation