Medium Scale Testing of Furnace Chambers

In order to perform experimental research in advanced fire areas, it is necessary to have a fire test platform. In many cases this involves an extremely large capital investment, as for example the facilities at MSU and SwRI. At UT Tyler we are working with medium scale (~3-5 feet x 2-3 feet x 3-4 feet) temporary furnaces powered by venturi style burners.

 

 
Ceramic Fire Brick Furnace with Gypsum Board Wall Panel Installed

 

 
Failure of the gypsum board element

 

 
Interior view of failed gypsum board element

 

 
Steel (Ceramic Brick Lined) Furnace with window installed

 

 
Thermocouple temperature measurements from furnace test with window installed

 

Tests of Fire Compartment Window Boundaries

We are working to better characterize the behavior of windows in fire compartment boundaries. As these windows fail and fall out, the fire ventilation conditions change changing the fire energy evolution characteristics. We are combining thermal imaging and digital image correlation displacement measurements to study this issue. The first sets of images are from a large scale test for concept validation.

 

 
Furnace Test Platform

 

 
Thermal images of window during testing: (a) early stages of test (Glass Unbroken); (b) after approximately 7 minutes (Bottom Pane Broken); (c) after approximately 12 minutes (Top Pane Broken)

 

 
Temperatures along Line 1 and Line 2 measured from the previous set of images

The second sets of images are from a test of a glass panel where the capabilities of digital image correlation and thermal imaging are shown to be strong compliments.