Experimental Investigation on Flow and Thermal Characteristics of a Pool Fire in an Engine Compartment

Despite the considerable body of work on pool fires taking place in confined and mechanically ventilated environments, there are still important uncertainties in our comprehension of such phenomena and in our ability to forecast their behavior.In this context, experiments are carried out to investigate the impact of airflow velocity on the flow and thermal characteristics of a pool fire in a fullscale engine compartment of an industrial vehicle.Two-component velocity measurement using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), heat release rate (HRR) evolution, and temperature profiles are presented.The results exhibit detailed flow structures around the flame in terms of direction and intensity.A high ventilation flow rate can lead to a significant increase in HRR as well as a reduction in temperatures inside the compartment.