in fire protection engineering, design fires are required for many calculations for life safety systems and building design. These fires are based on many factors including fuel mass, room size and ventilation. This project examined how the distribution of fuel within a room could alter a design fire. Twenty-one full scale burns were conducted in a standardized burn chamber in two different labs. The fuel load constituted of simulated polyurethane furnishings. Analysis showed that the placement of the furniture units did not have a marked effect on the time to peak HRR in the cases where all fuel ignited. It was also concluded that the timing to critical events remained consistent for different tests.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Birmingham, Jared John
• Shanahan, Gregory Andrew
• Stern-Gottfried, Jamie
• Newman, Andrew Dennis
• Baker, Elisa Schulz
• Murphy, Jill Elizabeth

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 02D279M

Advisor

• Barnett, Jonathan R.

Year

• 2002

Date created

• 2002-01-01

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved