Full-Scale Fire Test of an Intercity Train Car

• Published in: Fire technology Vol. 52; no. 5; pp. 1559 - 1574
• Main Authors: Lee, Duck Hee, Park, Won Hee, Hwang, Jungho, Hadjisophocleous, George
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.09.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Calorimetry; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Civil Engineering; Classical Mechanics; Combustion; Engineering; Experiments; Fire load; Fires; Heat release rate; Heat transfer; Ignition; Load; Oxygen; Oxygen consumption; Physics; Plywood; Polyesters; Polyvinyl chloride; Recording; Thermocouples; Thermometers; Trains; Tunnels; Ventilation; Flame spread; Train car fires; Heat release rate; Window breaking; Fire development
• ISSN: 0015-2684; 1572-8099
• DOI: 10.1007/s10694-015-0482-1

Fire development inside a train car is a topic that has not been studied extensively due to the complexity of the problem and the need for a real train car and the appropriate facilities to conduct these tests in a controlled environment. This paper presents detailed experimental data on fire development inside a real intercity train car. The facility used for the tests is capable of conducting such large-scale fires and measuring the heat release rate using oxygen consumption calorimetry. Thermocouples and plate thermometers were installed inside the train car to provide an insight of the fire development. A number of cameras were also placed inside the car and in the tunnel providing live videos during the test. The peak heat release rate was 32 MW at 1081 s after ignition, and the fire burned 83% of the initial fire load. Flame spread data and recordings of window breaking events are discussed and compared to the heat release rate data. A local flashover-type phenomenon where the fire involved all combustibles at the rear of the car was found to occur.