The Effect of Building Geometry and Fire Location on Smoke Production, Assignment

The Effect of Building Geometry and Fire Location on Smoke Production, Assignment The Effect of Building Geometry and Fire Location on Smoke Production, a Smoke Control, Use of Standard Fire Curves for Determining Fire Resistance â€" Assignment Example > The paper “ The Effect of Building Geometry and Fire Location on Smoke Production, a   Smoke Control, Use of Standard Fire Curves for Determining Fire Resistance” is a thrilling example of an assignment on environmental studies. Theoretically, radiation is heat energy being transferred in the form of invisible waves (International Association of Fire Chiefs, 2007, p. 126). Identical to the electromagnetic radiation coming from the sun is being absorbed by the earth; the human body also absorbs radiant heat from various sources such as an open fire. A fire produces substances that are commonly known as products of combustion. Smoke is an airborne type of combustion product consists of particles, vapors, and gases. The composition of gases from smoke depends on the substance being burned, temperature, and amount of oxygen available (International Association of Fire Chiefs 2007, p. 125). Hot burning gases including methane and ethane rise with the thermal column and once the pro per amount of oxygen is mixed with them; they begin to burn and radiate enormous heat to the surface producing more flammable gases. As the fire radiates out in all directions, the pyrolysis effect from the burning material generates a tremendous amount of flammable gases while radiated heat raise their temperatures to its ignition point (Fire 1996, p. 118). In a fire, radiation is from soot particles in luminous flames and from CO2 and H2O molecules that influence the rate of burning. Moreover, the spread of fire to other combustibles is often caused by radiative transfer. According to Friedman (1998, p. 102), a 35kW/m2 radiative flux impose on a wooden vertical particle board takes roughly only 50 seconds to ignite. Generally, the stronger the radiation, the quicker the fire will spread and the more dangerous it will be for humans. For instance, a large fire can generate radiation so intense that it can destroy human skin in just 10 seconds. As mentioned earlier, pyrolysis causes the fire to jump from one place to another. Radiation from fire ignites flammable gases that violently brakes and jumps from one building to another (Fire 1996, p. 119). According to Furness Muckett (2007, p. 187), the fire spread to another building through direct impingement or by radiated heat from the building on fire. For this reason, space separation is necessary to prevent fire spread across a certain boundary (Pulley 2008, p. 83). Space separation requires provisions for fire-resisting external walls and limitation on the size of openings particularly in the exposed face of the building (Furness Muckett 2007, p. 188). Critically analyze the effect of enclosure ventilation on combustion and the composition of smoke. Fire in an enclosure mostly depends on the enclosure geometry and ventilation (Karlsson Quintiere 2000, p. 14). Initially, combustion in an enclosure is fuel-controlled while producing increasing amounts of energy, toxic and non-toxic gases, and solids. A fire burning at the center of an enclosure will produce significant smoke and a fire plume is then produced due to buoyancy of hot gases. Cold air is entrained into the plume and a mixture of combustion products and air will impinge on the ceiling of the enclosure generating a layer of hot gases. When the temperature in the enclosure reaches a certain limit bet ween 500-600 degrees centigrade, flashover will occur and the fire will be fully developed. At this stage, combustion inside the enclosure depends on the availability of oxygen or ventilation-controlled where oxygen required for the combustion is coming from the openings or ventilation. As the fire decays or when all fuel is consumed, energy release rate and gas temperature are reduced and once again, combustion inside the enclosure will be fuel-controlled (Karlsson Quintiere 2000, p. 18).