Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering pp 138–150Cite as

Thermochemistry

  • Chapter

Abstract

Thermochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry that is concerned with the amounts of energy released or absorbed when a chemical change (reaction) takes place [1–3]. Inasmuch as fire is fundamentally a manifestation of a particular type of chemical reaction, viz., combustion, thermochemistry provides methods by which the energy released during fire processes can be calculated from data available in the scientific and technical literature.

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

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   869.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   1,099.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. W.J. Moore, Physical Chemistry, 5th ed., Longman, London (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  2. P Atkins and J de Paula, “Atkins’ Physical Chemistry” 9th Edition (Oxford University Press, 2009)

    Google Scholar 

  3. D.D. Drysdale, Introduction to Fire Dynamics, 3rd ed., John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK (2011).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  4. J.F. Griffiths, “Combustion Kinetics,” in SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 4th ed. (P.J. DiNenno et al., eds.), National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA, pp. 1-220–1-230 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  5. A.F. Roberts, Combustion and Flame, 8, p. 245 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  6. G M Barrow, “Physical Chemistry” 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill Book Co. (New York, 1961)

    Google Scholar 

  7. NIST-JANAF Thermochemical Tables: see http://kinetics.nist.gov/janaf/

    Google Scholar 

  8. R.A. Strehlow, Combustion Fundamentals, McGraw-Hill, New York (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  9. R.C. Weast, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Chemical Rubber Co., Cleveland, OH (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  10. V. Babrauskas and R. Peacock, “Heat Release Rate: The Single Most Important Variable in Fire Hazard,” in Fire Safety Journal, 18, pp. 255–272 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  11. A. Tewarson, in Flame Retardant Polymeric Materials (M. Lewin, ed.), Plenum, New York (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  12. M. Khan, A. Tewarson, and M. Chaos, “Combustion Characteristics of Materials and Generation of Fire Products,” in SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 5th ed. Springer, New York, 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  13. O. Pettersson, S.E. Magnusson, and J. Thor, Fire Engineering Design of Structures, Swedish Institute of Steel Construction, Publication, 50 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  14. W.D. Walton and P.H. Thomas, “Estimating Temperatures in Compartment Fires,” in SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 4th ed. (P.J. DiNenno et al., eds.), Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Bethesda, MD, pp. 3-204–3-221 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  15. M.L. Bullen and P.H. Thomas, Seventeenth Symposium (International) on Combustion, Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, PA (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  16. P.H. Thomas and A.J.M. Heselden, “Fully Developed Fires in Compartments,” CIB Report No. 20; Fire Research Note No. 923, Conseil International du Batiment, France (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  17. D.T. Gottuk and B.Y. Lattimer, “Effect of Combustion Conditions on Species Production,” in SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 4th ed. (P.J. DiNenno et al., eds.), National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA, pp. 2-67–2-95 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  18. V. Babrauskas, “The Cone Calorimeter,” in SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 4th ed. (P.J. DiNenno et al., eds.), National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA, pp. 3-90–3-108 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  19. V. Babrauskas and S.J. Grayson (eds.), Heat Release in Fires, Elsevier Applied Science, London (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  20. M.L. Janssens, “Calorimetry,” in SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 5th ed. Springer, 2015.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

    D. D. Drysdale

Authors
  1. D. D. Drysdale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Aon Fire Protection Engineering, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    Morgan J. Hurley P.E., FSFPE (Editor-in-Chief) (Editor-in-Chief)

  2. Hughes Associates, Baltimore, USA

    Daniel Gottuk Ph.D., P.E.

  3. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, USA

    John R. Hall Jr. Ph.D.

  4. Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Kazunori Harada Dr. Eng.

  5. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, USA

    Erica Kuligowski Ph.D.

  6. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, USA

    Milosh Puchovsky P.E., FSFPE

  7. The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia

    José Torero Ph.D.

  8. The Fire Safety Institute, Quincy, USA

    John M. Watts Jr. Ph.D., FSFPE

  9. FM Global, Johnston, USA

    Christopher Wieczorek Ph.D.

Nomenclature, Subscripts and Superscripts

A

Area (Equation 5.5)

A w

Area of ventilation opening

C p

Specific heat

E

Internal energy

F

Force (Equation 5.4)

H

Height of ventilation opening

H

Enthalpy

ΔH c

Heat of combustion

ΔH f

Heat of formation

ṁ

Mass rate of burning

ṁ air

Mass flow rate of air

n

Number of moles

p

Pressure

q

Energy

Q c

Rate of heat release

R

Universal gas constant

T

Temperature

V

Volume

w

Work

c

Combustion

F

Final

f

Formation

o

Initial

p

Constant pressure

v

Constant volume

Pr

Products

R

Reactants

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Society of Fire Protection Engineers

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Drysdale, D.D. (2016). Thermochemistry. In: Hurley, M.J., et al. SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2565-0_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2565-0_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2564-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2565-0

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation