MSc Lecture 8:

Heat Release Rate and

Cone Calorimeter
Professor W.K. Chow
Department of Building Services Engineering
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong, China
20 Oct 2015
MScCone.ppt

 How big is a fire?

Answer:
Heat release rate!
One of the most important parameters that
can be used to characterise an unwanted
fire is the rate of heat release.
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 It provides

an indication of the size of the fire,

the rate of fire growth, and consequently

the release of smoke and toxic gases,

the time available

suppression,

the types of suppressive action that are

likely to be effective, and

other attributes that define the fire hazard.

for

escape

or

Example:
Change of HRR
due to fire system

Plots showing momentary and sustained increases in the heat release rate of heptane and
diesel pool fires with application of water mist.
From A Closer Look at the Fire Extinguishing Properties of Water Mist Fire Safety
Science Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium, pp. 47-60
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Most Important: Input to Fire Models

Although Fire Model EPBFC,
Fire Model is a key element in EPBFC
Combustion Chemistry
Turbulence
Radiation

cannot be
simulated
successfully !

Mass Loss Rate Method:

The amount of heat given out per unit time:
(unit in W kW MW)

H c
Q m
where

Hc

= mass loss rate of fuel: kgs-1

= calorific value: Jkg-1 MJkg-1
= combustion efficiency: 0 to 1

is easy to determine but not for !

m

Oxygen Consumption Method:

Methods based on the oxygen consumption principle for
measuring the rate of heat release reliably and
accurately are now available.
The principle depends upon the fact that the heat of
combustion of organic materials per unit of oxygen
consumed are approximately the same.
This is because the processes in the combustion of all
these products involve the breaking of C-C and C-H
bonds (which release approximately the same amount of
energy) with the formation of CO2 and H2O.
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 It has been shown that the measurement of the rate of

oxygen consumption is a simple and reproducible
method of measuring the rate of heat release.
It may be shown that the heat release from most fuel
commonly encountered in fires are approximately the
same, namely 13.1 106 J per kg of oxygen consumed.
Hence, the measurement of the precise concentration of
oxygen in the exhaust duct and the volumetric flow of
air give the rate of oxygen consumption.
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 To determine the amount of oxygen consumed,

with the universal constant Hox, i.e. giving out
about 13.1 MJ of heat per unit mass of oxygen
consumed:
Hox = 13.1 MJkg-1
Instrument:
Air flow rate
Temperature
Oxygen level

Exhaust Hood with fan + duct

 Key element: Duct Section + Oxygen Analyzer

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Cone Calorimeter:

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BSE Calorimeter

Layout
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BSE Calorimeter

Cone
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BSE Calorimeter

Cone with humidity cabin

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FURNITURE Calorimeter:

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ROOM Calorimeter:

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INDUSTRY Calorimeter:
at SP, Sweden

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Heat release rate/kW

Heat release rate/kW

UL, USA

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A site is needed for

full-scale burning test !
A full-scale burning facility
was developed by Professor
Chow at Harbin.
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