Development of a data base for assessing plastics fire hazards

Summary In offshore plant and FPSO topsides, the probability against fire hazard is existed due to complicated processing such as production, storage and offloading oil and gas. High temperature and heat flux from fire accident cause a serious damage on human, environment and primary structures. The aim of this study is to analyze behaviors and reduction effect of thermal radiation by various heat shields through computational and experimental method. In this test, flat plate type, corrugated plate type, perforated plate type and wire mesh type heat shield were used. Heat flux and temperature were measured at locations behind the heat shield. CFD simulation is used to simulate radiation model through ANSYS CFX. To obtain ideal modeling technique of radiation behavior, various geometrical models were used to validate result between test and CFD simulation of four types of heat shield. The result of this study will be a useful data base for heat shield and structure design.

Recently, economic downturn and the era of ultra-high oil prices caused by the global pandemic, demand for the installation of wood boilers in home or rural houses is increasing as a means of reducing heating costs in winter. In general, wood boilers, which have been used a lot in factories and warehouses, not only reduce the burden of heating costs, which account for a large part of household spending in winter, but also are simple and economical, so the demand is gradually increasing. However, due to the nature of the fuel, it is difficult to control the fire power, and there is no accurate installation manual, so there is a high possibility of fire, such as overheating of the stovepipe and splashing on nearby combustibles. In addition, there are many problems that were not initially expected during the manufacture and installation of the wood boiler due to legal defects. This study aims to analyze fire hazards according to communication structure, material, and boiler room construction materials by conducting fire re-experiments based on fire cases by wood boilers, and provide basic data for safe installation and use of fire boilers.

The use of insulation materials in modern buildings has made a huge contribution to energy saving. However, due to the poor heat resistance of the insulation material, much heat and toxic fumes will release when burning, a serious threat to the safety of life and property, hence its shortcoming cant be ignored. The calorific value of building materials is the important parameters to characterize the potential fire hazard of building materials and its also the essential basic data to calculate its combustion releases heat and fire load; non-combustibility test can determine whether the material directly contributes to fire. The methods mentioned above were used in this paper to study the typical eight types building insulation materials in China, and further combustion performance analysis and proposal were made to give recommendations for improvement.

The development of a practical information data base covering a wide cross section of religious buildings is essential to determine the most effective approach in reducing their demand for energy without creating negative side effects. Very little information is available on religious building profiles which is of use in determining the potential hazards resulting from the misapplication of various measures. Applying energy conservation measures to religious buildings presents unique problems. For instance, attempting to apply cost-saving energy conservation measures with an unqualified committee working in its spare time with limited funds often results in structural damage, safety problems, and fire hazards to existing structures; examination of several hundred religious buildings in the province of Ontario has confirmed the existence of many problems. The most common problem is the improper application of thermal insulation to the roof and walls of buildings. This has resulted in the loss of structural integrity due to dry rot caused by inadequate moisture control. The accelerated deterioration of a building can result in prohibitive maintenance and repair costs to many heritage edifices. The various effects of insulation on fire safety are also a major concern. For instance, when insulation is applied around heat-producing devices such as lighting fixtures, lack of adequate ventilation can result in dangerous levels of heat accumulation to adjacent combustible materials. Insulation applied to linings under 5 mm (for example, plywood) can accelerate ignition when exposed to an ignition source. The presence of plastic foam insulating materials is also a major concern due to the potential for vertical spread of fire in cavity walls. Materials such as urea-formaldehyde foam insulation can cause eye and nose irritations in some people and is linked to other health risks. In geographic areas experiencing heavy snowfalls, the snow loads on roofs can cause failure due to heavy accumulations resulting from the improper use of insulation. Serious wetting occurs inside buildings from infiltration of blowing snow where gaps in insulation exist and where moisture barriers are installed in a faulty manner. Most of these potential hazards can be significantly reduced or entirely eliminated by obtaining competent technical advice and by the adoption of proper installation and construction practices. Hundreds of questionnaires, in addition to visits to examine a wide variety of religious buildings, have revealed the existence of many of the anticipated problems. Documentation of these problems should provide a useful resource base of information for those involved in the operation, maintenance, and retrofitting of these important community buildings.