Introduction to

ELECTRICALLY- CAUSED FIRE

Richard Nute Product Safety Consultant San Diego

0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute

Rev A.01, 0 23-Feb-08

agenda
DEFINITION
ELECTRICALLY-CAUSED FIRE

VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS
FIRE SAFETY and TV SETS, FIRE CONCEPTS and BEHAVIOR GE COFFEEMAKER FIRE

PYROLYSIS, IGNITION, FLAMING, FIRE, and COMBUSTION ELECTRICAL ENERGY CONVERSION TO THERMAL ENERGY
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Electrically-caused fire

Electrically-caused fire is electrical heating of a material to ignition temperature followed by ignition and combustion.

0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute

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Fire
Video Demonstration

European Flame Retardants Association Fire Safety and TV Sets

17 minutes

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Fire
Video Demonstration

NFPA Fire Concepts and Behavior

circa 1970

> Note the physical state of the fuel necessary for flame. <

18 minutes

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Fire
Video Demonstration

ABC News GE Coffeemaker Fire

Excerpted from Prime Time, October 17,1991

> Note the description of the physical state of the flaming fuel. <

3 minutes

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Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is the transformation (usually chemical decomposition) of a compound into one or more other substances by heat alone. Pyrolysis products include
non-combustible gases combustible gases liquids solids, including soot

Fuel

Li qu id s

Gases
s lid So

Jurgen Troitzsch, International Plastics Flammability Handbook, Hanser Publishers, 1990. 0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute Rev A.01, 6 23-Feb-08

Conservation of energy
Radiated power output Convected power output Conducted power output Electrical power input
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Fuel

Ignition process
Flames

Ig

O xy ge n

ro te at ni e he

Gases

or

Fuel

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Ignition and ignition types

Ignition is the process of initiating self-sustained combustion of gases.
Flash/pilot ignition is ignition of the gases evolved from the fuel by a spark or flame.

Flames

g g IIIg

xy ge

m m m

o o ro er er ttte at n h n h ni he

Gases

r re or

Auto-ignition/self-ignition is ignition in the absence of a spark or flame. Spontaneous ignition is ignition by an internal chemical or biological reaction producing sufficient thermal energy to raise the material temperature to auto-ignition temperature.
r r r

Fuel

Fire and explosion investigations, NFPA 921, National Fire Protection Association, 1992. 0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute Rev A.01, 9 23-Feb-08

Flaming combustion processes

Flames
H ea n ge xy O t ea H O xy ge n t

Fuel

0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute

Gases

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Flame and flame types

Flame is the luminous portion of burning gases.
Pre-mixed flame has the oxygen-gas composition fixed prior to combustion, e.g., a Bunsen burner flame, a gas stove.

Diffusion flame has the oxygen diffused into the gas mixture from the surrounding atmosphere, e.g., a candle flame, a cigarettelighter.
Jurgen Troitzsch, International Plastics Flammability Handbook, Hanser Publishers, 1990. 0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute Rev A.01, 11 23-Feb-08

Flame behavior
Flames are burning gases.
The path of the burning gas is the same as the path of a hot gas. The flame is always vertically-oriented unless deflected by an object or by air currents. The volume of the flame is nearly constant.

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Fire and fire types

Fire is a rapid oxidation process evolving thermal, chemical, and light energy in the form of flames.
Fuel-regulated fire is a fire where the heat release rate and fire growth rate are controlled by the fuel characteristics. The supply of oxygen is relatively unlimited. Oxygen-regulated fire is a fire where the heat release rate and fire growth rate are controlled by the supply of oxygen. The supply of fuel is relatively unlimited.

Jurgen Troitzsch, International Plastics Flammability Handbook, Hanser Publishers, 1990. 0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute Rev A.01, 13 23-Feb-08

Combustion
Combustion is a self-sustained hightemperature oxidation reaction.
Flaming is a gas-phase combustion process. Glowing is a solid-phase combustion process. Smoldering is an oxygen-regulated solid-phase combustion process.

Jurgen Troitzsch, International Plastics Flammability Handbook, Hanser Publishers, 1990. Vytenis Babrauskas, Ignition Handbook, Fire Science Publishers, 2003. 0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute Rev A.01, 14 23-Feb-08

Glowing combustion process

Gases Fuel
Li qu id s s lid So

Glowing
O xy ge n

0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute

H ea
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Electrical heating
Electrical heating occurs when ELECTRICAL ENERGY is converted to THERMAL ENERGY. Electrical energy is converted to thermal energy in a RESISTANCE.

Electrical heating is expressed in WATTS. 1 watt = 1 joule/second P = I2 * R P = E2 / R P = E*I

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Conversion to thermal energy

Power distribution devices

I Z source E source Rdist Z load

I Z source E source Rdist Z load

Rdist

Rdist

Effects of load faults

P = I2 * R
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Effects of distribution faults

P = I2 * R
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Conversion to thermal energy

Power consuming devices

I Z source E source Z load

I Z source E source Z load

Effect of component faults.

P = E*I
0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute

Effects of source faults.

P = E2 / R

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Heating
All heating (temperature rise of an object) is an exponential rise as a function of time. Start temperature is objects initial temperature. End temperature is heat sources temperature minus coupling and environmental losses.

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Thermal Time Constant

400 350 Temperature, degrees C 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 0 5 10 Time, minutes
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15

20

Thermal Time Constant

Effect of TC on curve shape
100

90 80

70 Thermal t ime const ant 60 TC =10 TC =7.5 50 TC =5 TC =2.5 40 30 Tt = Tf (1- e

-t/ T C

TC =1

20 10

T t is t emperat ure at any t ime T f is f inal t emperat ure t is t ime T C is t he t hermal t ime const ant

0 0 5 10 Ti me , mi nut e s 15 20 25

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FIRE

CONCENTRATION

GASES

AND

IGNITER

OXYGEN

PYROLYTIC GASES

AND

THERMAL ENERGY

FUEL MATERIAL

AND

ELECTRIC ENERGY

RESISTANCE

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Flames

O xy ge n

H ea Ig
m

Gases

Li qu id s

Glowing
O xy ge n

0802 OC IEEE PSES 2008 Richard Nute

H ea
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t ea H

t ni ro te eat
h r e or

Fuel

s lid So

Introduction to ELECTRICALLY- CAUSED FIRE

end

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