https://www.mdu.se/

mdu.sePublications
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Analysis of methodologies for calculating the heat release rates of mining vehicle fires in underground mines
Mälardalen University, School of Business, Society and Engineering, Future Energy Center.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8326-2860
2015 (English)In: Fire Safety Journal, ISSN 0379-7112, Vol. 71, p. 194-216Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Four different methodologies for calculating the ignition of different components on a mining vehicle in a mine drift were analysed. The results were compared with two full-scale fire experiments on mining vehicles. The four different methods are based on physical relations for fire spread between combustible components of the mining vehicles. The first two methods use a critical heat flux as ignition criterion while the other two methods use an ignition temperature. A sensitivity analysis was performed and the most influencing parameter of the methods was further analyzed. The calculated results were compared with the measured results from the experiments. The two methodologies applying an ignition temperature criterion were ruled out at as the surface temperatures of all fuel components never achieved the corresponding ignition temperatures. For the two methods applying a critical heat flux criterion it was found that the expression not including a flame radiation term was not suitable as it was found that the flame radiation played an important part with respect to spread mechanisms. The expression containing a flame radiation term was found to come very close to the observed ignition times, except in the case of the left, rear tyre of the drilling rig where it predicted a much higher ignition time than the one observed. The difference is unclear and would have to be investigated further. It was also found that the surface heat losses had none effect on the output results and could therefore be neglected in the calculations. In the case of the wheel loader the calculated heat release rate curves did not match the measured curve as well as in the case of the drilling rig. The difficulty in this case consists of accurately predicting the mechanical failure of a component - in this case a suction hose - that would initiate the very significant hydraulic oil pool fire.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2015. Vol. 71, p. 194-216
Keywords [en]
Fire spread, Heat flux, Heat release rate, Ignition, Ignition temperature, Mine drift, Mining vehicle, Atmospheric temperature, Construction equipment, Drilling rigs, Experiments, Failure (mechanical), Fires, Sensitivity analysis, Vehicles, Heat Release Rate (HRR), Ignition criterion, Ignition temperatures, Influencing parameters, Mechanical failures, Mining vehicles, Surface temperatures, Underground mine transportation
National Category
Other Engineering and Technologies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-27222DOI: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2014.11.008ISI: 000349728000018Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84918565578OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-27222DiVA, id: diva2:774905
Available from: 2014-12-29 Created: 2014-12-29 Last updated: 2016-05-13Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Study of heat release rates of mining vehicles in underground hard rock mines
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Study of heat release rates of mining vehicles in underground hard rock mines
2015 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

A unique study on fire safety in hard rock underground mines with focus on heat release rates of mining vehicles is presented. A literature inventory was conducted with respect to fires in underground hard rock mines, which revealed that the most common fire cause in underground mines was flammable liquid sprayed onto hot surface and the most common fire object was a vehicle. A major concern was the lack of documented fire experiments in mining vehicles and heat release rate curves. It also revealed the limited research carried out on fire safety and fire development on vehicles found in hard rock underground mines.

In order to fill the gap of knowledge lack on heat release rates, fire experiments were carried out on wood cribs and wooden pallets in a model-scale tunnel with longitudinal ventilation where the distance between the fuel items were kept constant as well as varied. Different ignition criteria were applied in the ensuing calculations. It was found that the critical heat flux criterion generally showed very good agreement with the corresponding results of performed fire experiments but tended to have too short ignition times when the distance between the fuel items was increased. The ignition temperature criterion generally performed poorly compared with the measured results, but it was found that the accuracy improved considerably as the distance between the fuel items and the amount of energy accumulated on the fuel surface was increased.

As a final approach, two full-scale fire experiments were carried out in an operative underground mine using a wheel loader and a drilling rig respectively. The resulting heat release rates of the experiments were compared with calculated overall heat release rates applying the different ignition criteria. It was found that the critical heat flux criterion resulted in ignition times very close to the observed ignition times. The ignition temperature criterion resulted in surface temperatures that never achieved the corresponding ignition temperatures. Some difficulties were experienced when calculating the heat release rate curve of the wheel loader, as it was difficult to accurately predict the mechanical failure of a significant part initiating the highly significant fire in the hydraulic oil. Additional heat terms were added to the heat balance, where the added flame radiation term was found to have a large impact on the output results while the heat loss terms were found to have very little effect.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Västerås: Mälardalen University, 2015
Series
Mälardalen University Press Dissertations, ISSN 1651-4238 ; 178
National Category
Other Engineering and Technologies not elsewhere specified
Research subject
Energy- and Environmental Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-27776 (URN)978-91-7485-201-1 (ISBN)
Public defence
2015-05-27, Delta, Västerås, 13:15 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2015-04-02 Created: 2015-03-31 Last updated: 2015-06-29Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textScopus

Authority records

Hansen, Rickard

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Hansen, Rickard
By organisation
Future Energy Center
Other Engineering and Technologies

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 254 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf