Jetfire lab: Jetfire at reduced scale

This article addresses the development of a bench-scale test (jetfire lab) mimicking the fire exposure of the large-scale jetfire facility. An experimental approach was addressed to develop direct correlation and to validate the similitude between bench-scale test and large-scale jetfire. Comparisons were made by testing Zaltex passive fire protection material in the form of panels. Novel setups were designed to make the jetfire lab able to measure time/temperature curves similar to those obtained at a large scale. The assembly of the tested samples was also investigated. An experimental protocol was elaborated to consider the junction between parts of the sample at the reduced scale. Direct correlation was found between the large and the bench scale and it was evidenced that jetfire lab can be used for preliminary study and development of new thermal barriers for fire protection.

Development of an ABS Nanocomposite Material and Its Application to a Fire-Resistant Glazing System - Part II: Development of a Curtain-Wall-Type Fire-Resistant Glazing System

This study is focused on the development of a curtain-wall-type fire-resistant glazing system to contribute to both energy efficiency and fire safety of a building. The development of an ABS nanocomposite material and its improvement in flammability are presented in Part I (the authors’ companion paper). In this study, the ABS nanocomposite material was scaled up for application to a fire-resistant glazing system in industries. A bench-scale test was designed to quantitatively analyze the frame’s heat transfer performance. To manufacture a pilot model of the glazing system, a glazing part was designed based on numerical simulations of thermal insulation. The performance of the entire glazing system was tested on a full scale in terms of thermal resistance and insulation.

Steatite Powder Additives in Wood-Cement Drywall Particleboards

The objective of this study was to develop a new drywall wood-based particleboard as an alternative to gypsum board. Various development iterations have led to the use of wood particles, steatite powder and Portland cement. The resulting outcome shows that screw withdrawal resistance was improved by 37% and bending properties by 69% compared to gypsum board of a similar density (0.68–0.70). The raw surface of the boards is of good quality and comparable to the paper-faced surface of gypsum board. Furthermore, the reaction to fire was evaluated through bench-scale test with a cone calorimeter. The investigated particleboard did not reveal visual signs of combustion after 20 min when exposed to a radiant heat of 50 kW/m2, while burning of the overlay paper of gypsum board occurred at about 57 s, suggesting that wood-cement-steatite powder particleboard could be classified as a quasi non-combustible material.

Effect of temperature on chlorine treatment for elimination of freshwater phytoplankton in ballast water: bench-scale test

Chlorine efficacy as a biocide for ballast water treatment was investigated under cold- and warm-water temperatures across winter and summer seasons. Freshwater phytoplankton samples were collected and acclimated under in situ environmental conditions ranging from 2 to 22 °C. Samples were exposed to seven chlorine treatments (from 0.02 to 5.0 ppm), in addition to a control (0.0 ppm). Free-chlorine concentrations, phytoplankton abundance, and photosynthetic efficiency were measured up to 48 h following treatment. After 4 h of treatment at concentrations less than 0.22 ppm, phytoplankton densities were reduced by more than 50%, without cell resurgence. Similar reduction was recorded immediately after exposure when chlorine concentrations were higher than 3.0 ppm. After 8 h, free chlorine neared 0.0 ppm for initial chlorine concentrations below 1.2 ppm, irrespective of temperature regime. Winter phytoplankton exhibited slightly lower mortality to chlorine exposure regardless of the temperature, although they also exhibited lower photosynthetic efficiency. Despite a general absence of significant effect of temperature on the chlorine decay, our results suggest that higher doses of chlorine or longer exposure times may be required during winter to achieve full treatment effect. Tests at large scales are needed to further confirm these findings.

Bench-scale test facility for evaluating the performance of thermal imagers for fire service applications

A bench-scale facility was developed for the evaluation of thermal imaging cameras. Smoke obscuration conditions in the optical smoke cell were characterized by measuring laser light transmittance through the cell. Measurements showed that the laser transmittance along the axial direction of the optical smoke cell was relatively uniform in the upper and lower halves of the cell for various smoke obscuration conditions. The thermal sensitivity of thermal imagers was investigated using the Michelson Contrast as a performance metric for a bar target viewed through the smoke-filled cell for different background thermal conditions. The results of the study indicate that the optical smoke cell can be utilized as a well-controlled and effective bench-scale test apparatus to evaluate aspects of the performance of thermal imagers for fire service applications.