Full-scale fire test in atria, The MURCIA FIRE ATRIUM, Spain
This week researchers from the University of Jaén, The University of Comillas (ICAI) with the collaboration of the Imperial College of London, MAPFRE and the fire consultancy JVVA Fire and Risk have undertaken several full scale fire tests in the Fire Atrium test facility in Murcia (Spain).
One of the main aims of this project is to compare and contrast the tools available to the fire engineering community and compare them with real data obtained from large scale tests in the Fire Atrium test facility in Murcia, Spain. This unique test facility is 20m x 20m x 20m, making it comparable to many real atria and its simple geometry enables broad application of the data obtained from experiments conducted at the facility.
The data obtained in the Murcia facility enables comparison of results from the empirical approaches, not only amongst themselves but against real test data, giving a better understanding of the difference between the predicted mass flow and that measured in the experiments.
The test facility that has been used to perform the fire tests in an atrium is the Fire Atrium of the Centro Tecnológico del Metal (CTM), in Murcia, Spain.
The Murcia Fire Atrium is a full-scale facility consisting of a prismatic structure of 19.5 m x 19.5 m x 17.5 m and a pyramidal roof raised 2.5 m at the centre. The walls and roof are made of 6 mm thick steel sheets whilst the floor is made of concrete. The atrium is provided with four exhaust fans (with two velocity, provided by Sodeca) installed on the roof, each with a nominal flow rate of 9.2m3/s approximately. As per make up air, there are eight grilled vents arranged at the lower parts of the walls.
The burning fuel was heptane contained in circular steel pans placed at the centre of the atrium floor for an approximate HRR of 2MW and 4MW.
The atrium has been equipped with temperature, pressure and velocity sensors, in order to study the thermal and flow fields induced by the fire. Load cells have been installed top estimate the burning rate and consequently the HRR. Up to 60 sensors have been installed.
Measurements of walls and roof metal temperature, and air temperature at several locations (next to the walls, at a central section, through the exhaust fans and through the inlet vents) have been recorded. Differential and absolute pressure sensors at the exhaust fans have been also installed to check, from the fan performance curves, the mass and volume flow rate evacuated.
The smoke layer interface was measured by an aspiration detection system installed at different heights in the atrium (detection system provided by Xtralis).
One of the main aims of this project is to compare and contrast the tools available to the fire engineering community and compare them with real data obtained from large scale tests in the Fire Atrium test facility in Murcia, Spain. This unique test facility is 20m x 20m x 20m, making it comparable to many real atria and its simple geometry enables broad application of the data obtained from experiments conducted at the facility.
The data obtained in the Murcia facility enables comparison of results from the empirical approaches, not only amongst themselves but against real test data, giving a better understanding of the difference between the predicted mass flow and that measured in the experiments.
The test facility that has been used to perform the fire tests in an atrium is the Fire Atrium of the Centro Tecnológico del Metal (CTM), in Murcia, Spain.
The Murcia Fire Atrium is a full-scale facility consisting of a prismatic structure of 19.5 m x 19.5 m x 17.5 m and a pyramidal roof raised 2.5 m at the centre. The walls and roof are made of 6 mm thick steel sheets whilst the floor is made of concrete. The atrium is provided with four exhaust fans (with two velocity, provided by Sodeca) installed on the roof, each with a nominal flow rate of 9.2m3/s approximately. As per make up air, there are eight grilled vents arranged at the lower parts of the walls.
The burning fuel was heptane contained in circular steel pans placed at the centre of the atrium floor for an approximate HRR of 2MW and 4MW.
The atrium has been equipped with temperature, pressure and velocity sensors, in order to study the thermal and flow fields induced by the fire. Load cells have been installed top estimate the burning rate and consequently the HRR. Up to 60 sensors have been installed.
Measurements of walls and roof metal temperature, and air temperature at several locations (next to the walls, at a central section, through the exhaust fans and through the inlet vents) have been recorded. Differential and absolute pressure sensors at the exhaust fans have been also installed to check, from the fan performance curves, the mass and volume flow rate evacuated.
The smoke layer interface was measured by an aspiration detection system installed at different heights in the atrium (detection system provided by Xtralis).
