Approved for public release by the

Director of the National Institute of i Standards and Technology (NIST)

on October 9, 2015.

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS REPORT

6896

EUROPEAN PRODUCTIVITY AGENCY

MEETING OF EXPERTS ON USE OF MODELS FOR

STUDY OF FIRE EXTINCTION

by

A. F. Robertson

<NBS>

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS
TIIK NATIONAL MlIMFAl) OF STANDARDS

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NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS REPORT

ms PROJECT NBS REPORT

1002-12-10120 July 12, I960 6896

EUROPEAN PRODUCTIVITY AGENCY

MEETING OF EXPERTS ON USE OF MODELS FOR

STUDY OF FIRE EXTINCTION

by

A. F. Robertson

IMPORTANT NOTICE

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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS
'
EUROPEAN PRODUCTIVITY AGENCY

MEETING OF EXPERTS ON USE OF MODELS FOR

STUDY OF FIRE EXTINCTION

by

A. F. Robertson

ABSTRACT

A meeting was held at Charles House of

D. S. I. R. in London on 2nd June for the purpose

of discussing the feasibility of an International

co-operative study of the use of water for extinction of fires in rooms. The desirability of such

a study was generally accepted and agreed upon.

However, it was considered desirable that preliminary experiments be carried out at the Joint

Fire Research Station in Britain to better define

the variables to be studied prior to initiation

of the co-operative tests.

1. Introduction

During the last meeting, in September 1959? of this group,

it was recommended that discussions be held on the feasibility

of conducting co-operative studies on the extinction of fires

with water. The present meeting was held in the offices of

D. S. I. R. London on June 2nd i960.

The introduction was made by Col. Fackler, the Chairman

of the E. P. A. Committee on Applied Research, Working Commission

on Fire Research. He reviewed the objectives of E. P. A. in

encouraging co-operative work in N. A. T. 0. countries. He

suggested that this first meeting to discuss the planning of an

active co-operative research study might indicate the direction

in which the Committee's activities would progress. He

suggested that Mr. Lawson assume the position of Chairman for

this meeting.

2

Mr. Lawson pointed out that at least 40 per cent of all

fires attended by brigades were controlled without use of

major equipment. These fires were usually of such a nature

that extinction problems were not of major concern and joint

study of them did not seem worth while. On the other hand

there were a group of fires which got out of hand and presented

a serious fire fighting problem. It was proposed that the

discussions of the day would be concerned with them and studies

of ways in which models could be used to indicate ways in

which water could be more effectively used for fighting large

fires. In presenting Mr. Hird of the Joint Fire Research

Station Mr. Lawson suggested that three questions be considered:

1. Was the proposed study worth doing?

2. Was the method of study suggested the proper one?

3. How could a co-operative study best be implemented?

2. Presentation at Meeting

Mr. Hird briefly summarized the development of fire with

respect to the behavior of the fuel. He suggested that there

were three rather well defined stages:

1. Heating of the fuel to the point of flashover;

2. Gradual development of fire involving deepening of

char; and

3. Depletion of fuel supply and cooling of ashes.

He suggested that more than 4-0 per cent of the fires

were controlled in the first stage and we were only concerned

with those more fully developed in Stage 2. He proposed a study with the use of models, perhaps very similar to those

involved in the C.I.B. study, of the quantity of water required

for suppression of fires after reaching the stage of flashover.

- 3

-

There was some general discussion at this stage. Mr.

Eggink suggested that 60 - 70 per cent of fires were extinguished before flashover, while the very large fires usually

result in total loss. Hird agreed that only in about 20

per cent of all fires was major equipment required. Dr. Magnus

suggested emphasis on the scientific problem. He said that

the proposed study would show the minimum rate of water application for the fuel arrangement involved. Other application

methods or fuel dispersions would require more water. He

pointed out that the Vienna Fire Department had kept careful

records of fire, fuel size and character vs water required

for control of fires during the period between the wars.

Lawson indicated British experience showed that water

was used at the rate of about 170 x 10® gal/sq. mile of fire.

Dr. van Hoogstraten suggested that one of the results of

the study might be a reduction of the amount of water damage.

In many cases more severe water than fire damage was observed.

All the delegates agreed in principle with the desirability of the study and the suggestion that in performing the

extinguishment trials they should be started after flashover

had occurred.

The variables to be studied and the method of experiment

were discussed by both Mr. Hird and Dr. Scott. In general

the points covered were very similar to those presented on

pages b to 2 of EPA/AR/1767° Dr. Scott emphasized that before

the experiments could be started preliminary experiments

would be necessary to define the manner in which measurements

could be made. She suggested the need for measurements of

both the time of control as well as the time of extinction.

It was not clear how this would be accomplished in a single

experiment. Dr. Magnus suggested that the time of control be

taken as the time at which rate of weight change was reduced

to zero. It was suggested that the study should be started

on a co-operative basis in about one year's time. A poll

was taken of the delegates to determine their possible interest

in participating. In general all delegates indicated an

interest in co-operating to the extent possible.

- It- -

A review was then presented of the paper "The use of

High and Low Pressure Water Sprays against Fully Developed

Room Fires". F. R, Note 388 of March 1959® This study

seemed to show that the effectiveness of water sprays for

control of fires in a room was insensitive to variations

of water supply pressure.

3. Discussion and Recommendations

Following, as it did, three days of meetings of the

C.I.B. group during which over thirty papers were presented,

this meeting with its discussion of two papers seemed rather

a let-down. From discussions with several delegates it

seems that there are several who would prefer to see the

two groups merged (C.I.B. and E.P.A.). However, there

appears to be some reluctance in both parent groups towards

such a merger of the fire research groups. While the objectives of the E.P.A. group appear well worth while, it does

not appear desirable to encourage our attendance through

special trips to further meetings of this group when

discussions of such limited scope are planned.
.
DELEGATES IN

FRANCE:

BRITAIN:

NETHERLANDS:

AUSTRIA:

GERMANY

ITALY:

SWEDEN:

CANADA:

- 5-

ATTENDANCE AT E. P.

2nd May i960

Col. Fackler

D. I. Lawson

J. F. Fry

D. Hird

Dr. Scott

Dr. Kingman

Dr. vhn Hoogstraten

Ir. W. Eggink

Dr. Rister

Dr. Magnus

Mr. Roux

General Piermarine

Mr. Cuomo

P. A. Johannesson

Mr. G. Shorter

Mr. R. Leggett

. MEETING

Chairman

Acting Chairman

Secretary

USCOMM-NBS-DC

UiS. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Frederick H. Mueller, Secretary NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

A. V, Ah i in. Director THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

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;