Skip to main content
Log in

Experimental Study on Fire Plume Characteristics in a Subway Carriage with Doors

  • Published:
Fire Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The widespread use of subway system provides convenience for the fast transportation in the cities, but the subway fire accident has the risk of causing serious consequence. Therefore, it is important and helpful to do research on the characteristics of fire plume in subway carriage to recognize and control subway fires. The experiments were carried out in a 1/5th scale model subway carriage to investigate the fire plume characteristics. Two series of experiments with different door statuses (open and closed) were considered. Each series includes two fire source locations, one in the center of the carriage and one facing the door. Experimental results show that both the fire location and door status have little impact on the fire development in the current experiment. Similar to the study of Megret and Vauquelin (Fire Saf J 34(4):393–401, 2000), the average mass loss rate per unit area \(\dot{m}^{\prime\prime}\) is related to the equivalent diameter D, but the slope of the fitted line obtained from the experimental data is approximately 5.6 times that of the model of Megret and Vauquelin. The measured radiant heat flux away from the fire source (0.5 m longitudinal distance) is generally less than half of that near the fire source. The maximum temperature values in this experimental condition are higher than the literature data obtained from the common tunnel scenario, especially for the low heat release rates. Besides, an empirical correlation for predicting the maximum smoke temperature rise in the subway carriage was proposed and compared with other models. The predicted values of obtained correlation are higher than those of other models in the intermittent flame zone, while almost equal in the continuous flame zone. This related research outcomes can provide a reference for further understanding of the subway carriage fire.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

\(A_{0}\) :

Area of the opening in Eq. (6) (m2)

A s :

Surface area of the pool fire (m2)

b f0 :

Radius of the fire source (m)

C :

Empirical coefficient in Eq. (16)

C p :

Specific heat of ambient air (kJ kg−1 K−1)

D :

Equivalent fire source diameter (m)

\(F_{r}\) :

Froude number

g :

Gravity acceleration (m s−2)

\(h_{0}\) :

Height of the opening in Eq. (6) (m)

\(H_{\rm ef}\) :

Effective ceiling height (m)

\(\Delta H_{\rm c}\) :

Effective heat of combustion (kJ g−1)

k :

Empirical coefficient in Eq. (16)

L :

Length scale

\(\dot{m}\) :

Mass loss rate (g s−1)

\(\dot{m}^{\prime\prime}\) :

Mass loss rate per unit area (g m−2 s−1)

\(\dot{Q}\) :

Heat release rate (kW)

\(\dot{Q}_{\rm c}\) :

Convective heat release rate (kW)

\(\dot{Q}^{*}\) :

Dimensionless heat release rate

\(\dot{Q}_{\rm max,f}\) :

Maximum HRR during the fuel-controlled stage

\(\dot{Q}_{\rm max,v}\) :

Maximum HRR during the ventilated controlled stage

t :

Time

T :

Temperature

\(T_{0}\) :

Ambient temperature (K)

\(\Delta T_{\rm max}\) :

Maximum smoke temperature rise under the ceiling (K)

V :

Ventilation velocity (m s−1)

\(V^{\prime}\) :

Dimensionless ventilation velocity

z :

Height above fire source (m)

z 0 :

Height of virtual origin (m)

\(\chi_{a}\) :

Combustion efficiency in Eq. (12)

\(\eta\) :

Empirical coefficient in Eq. (16)

\(\rho_{0}\) :

Density of ambient air (kg m−3)

\(\delta\) :

Proportionality constant in Eq. (6)

F:

Full scale

M:

Model scale

References

  1. Ingason H, Li YZ, Lönnermark A (2015) Runehamar tunnel fire tests. Fire Saf J 71:134–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Li YZ, Fan CG, Ingason H, Lönnermark A, Ji J (2016) Effect of cross section and ventilation on heat release rates in tunnel fires. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 51:414–423

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chen C-k, Zhu C-x, Liu X-y, Yu N-h (2016) Experimental investigation on the effect of asymmetrical sealing on tunnel fire behavior. Int J Heat Mass Transf 92:55–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Blanchard E, Boulet P, Desanghere S, Cesmat E, Meyrand R, Garo J et al (2012) Experimental and numerical study of fire in a midscale test tunnel. Fire Saf J 47:18–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Cheong M, Cheong W, Leong K, Lemaire A, Noordijk L (2014) Heat release rate of heavy goods vehicle fire in tunnels with fixed water based fire-fighting system. Fire Technol 50(2):249–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Xi YH, Mao J, Bai G, Hu JW (2016) Safe velocity of on-fire train running in the tunnel. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 60:210–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Oka Y, Imazeki O (2015) Temperature distribution within a ceiling jet propagating in an inclined flat-ceilinged tunnel with natural ventilation. Fire Saf J 71:20–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ji J, Bi YB, Venkatasubbaiah K, Li KY (2016) Influence of aspect ratio of tunnel on smoke temperature distribution under ceiling in near field of fire source. Appl Therm Eng 106:1094–1102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Ji J, Wan HX, Gao ZH, Fu YY, Sun JH, Zhang YYM et al (2016) Experimental study on flame merging behaviors from two pool fires along the longitudinal centerline of model tunnel with natural ventilation. Combust Flame 173:307–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Gao ZH, Liu ZX, Ji J, Fan CG, Li L, Sun JH (2016) Experimental study of tunnel sidewall effect on flame characteristics and air entrainment factor of methanol pool fires. Appl Therm Eng 102:1314–1319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhang Q, Guo X, Trussoni E, Astore G, Xu S, Grasso P (2012) Theoretical analysis on plane fire plume in a longitudinally ventilated tunnel. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 30:124–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Jiang XP, Liu MJ, Wang J, Li KY (2016) Study on air entrainment coefficient of one-dimensional horizontal movement stage of tunnel fire smoke in top central exhaust. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 60:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Meng N, Wang Q, Liu ZX, Li X, Yang H (2017) Smoke flow temperature beneath tunnel ceiling for train fire at subway station: Reduced-scale experiments and correlations. Appl Therm Eng 115:995–1003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gao ZH, Liu ZX, Ji J, Wan HX, Sun JH (2016) Experimental investigation on the ceiling temperature profiles of confined strong plume impinging flow. In 8th international seminar on fire and explosion hazards

  15. Lönnermark A, Ingason H, Li YZ, Kumm M (2017) Fire development in a 1/3 train carriage mock-up. Fire Saf J 91:432–440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Parkes AR (2009) The impact of size and location of pool fires on compartment fire behaviour. Ph.D. thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch

  17. Li YZ, Ingason H, Lonnermark A (2014) Fire development in different scales of train carriages. Fire Saf Sci 11:302–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ingason H (2007) Model scale railcar fire tests. Fire Saf J 42:271–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Capote JA, Jimenez JA, Alvear D, Alvarez J, Abreu O, Lazaro M (2014) Assessment of fire behaviour of high‐speed trains’ interior materials: small‐scale and full‐scale fire tests. Fire Mater 38(7):725–743

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ji J, Fu YY, Li KY, Sun HJ, Fan CG, Shi WX (2015) Experimental study on behavior of sidewall fires at varying height in a corridor-like structure. Proc Combust Inst 35:2639–2646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Li SC, Huang DF, Meng N, Chen LF, Hu LH (2017) Smoke spread velocity along a corridor induced by an adjacent compartment fire with outdoor wind. Appl Therm Eng 111:420–430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Fan CG, Li YZ, Ingason H, Lönnermark A (2016) Effect of tunnel cross section on gas temperatures and heat fluxes in case of large heat release rate. Appl Therm Eng 93:405–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Hu LH, Tang W, Chen LF, Yi L (2013) A non-dimensional global correlation of maximum gas temperature beneath ceiling with different blockage–fire distance in a longitudinal ventilated tunnel. Appl Therm Eng 56:77–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Tang W, Hu LH, Chen LF (2013) Effect of blockage-fire distance on buoyancy driven back-layering length and critical velocity in a tunnel: an experimental investigation and global correlations. Appl Therm Eng 60:7–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Hu LH, Chen LF, Tang W (2013) A global model on temperature profile of buoyant ceiling gas flow in a channel with combining mass and heat loss due to ceiling extraction and longitudinal forced air flow. Int J Heat Mass Transf 79:885–892

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Chen LF, Hu LH, Zhang XL, Zhang XZ, Zhang XC, Yang LZ (2015) Thermal buoyant smoke back-layering flow length in a longitudinal ventilated tunnel with ceiling extraction at difference distance from heat source. Appl Therm Eng 78:129–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Shi L, Chew MYL (2013) Fire behaviors of polymers under autoignition conditions in a cone calorimeter. Fire Saf J 61:243–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Tewarson A (1985) Fully developed enclosure fires of wood cribs. In: Symposium (international) on combustion, vol 20, no 1. Elsevier, pp 1555–1566

  29. Karlsson B, Quintiere J (1999) Enclosure fire dynamics. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Book  Google Scholar 

  30. Parker WJ (1984) Calculations of the heat release rate by oxygen consumption for various applications. J Fire Sci 2(5):380–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Huggett C (1980) Estimation of rate of heat release by means of oxygen consumption measurements. Fire Mater 4(2):61–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Megret O, Vauquelin O (2000) A model to evaluate tunnel fire characteristics. Fire Saf J 34(4):393–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Tewarson A (1980) Heat release rate in fires. Fire Mater 4(4):185–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Tewarson A (2002) Generation of heat and chemical compounds in fires. SFPE Handb Fire Prot Eng 3:83–161

    Google Scholar 

  35. Mccaffrey B (1979) Purely buoyant diffusion flames: some experimental results, National Bureau of Standards (USA). NBSIR 79–1910

  36. Li YZ, Ingason H (2012) The maximum ceiling gas temperature in a large tunnel fire. Fire Saf J 48:38–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Tang F, Cao ZL, Palacios A, Wang Q (2018) A study on the maximum temperature of ceiling jet induced by rectangular-source fires in a tunnel using ceiling smoke extraction. Int J Therm Sci 127:329–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFC0800603), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51776192), the CAS PIFI Project 2015, and the Research Grant Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Contract Grant Number CityU 11301015). We sincerely appreciate these supports.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xudong Cheng.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Peng, M., Shi, L., He, K. et al. Experimental Study on Fire Plume Characteristics in a Subway Carriage with Doors. Fire Technol 56, 401–423 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-019-00882-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-019-00882-0

Keywords

Navigation