The effect of embedded objects on pool fire burning behavior

This study analyzes the influence of a thermally conductive object on the burning behavior of a hexane pool fire using a validated numerical model. The thermally conductive object comprises of a thin aluminum cylinder located at the center, exposed to the fire, and also immersed in the liquid pool. The physical process of the heat transfer by the flame to the cylinder and cylinder to the liquid pool is investigated using two segments: a one-dimensional model that solves the transient heat transfer in the cylinder and a transient two-dimensional scalar transport equation that solves the temperature field inside the fuel region. Different cylindrical geometries varying from 9 cm to 16 cm in height was considered in the numerical study. Experimental measurements of the temperature field and mass burning rate agree reasonably well with the predictions made by the numerical model. A parametric study of the influence of the cylinder length in the flame shows that the burning rate of the pool fire increases up to 4 times because of heat transfer from the cylinder to the liquid fuel via nucleate boiling and film boiling on the surface of the immersed portion of the cylinder. Applications of the study towards improvements in the design of burners for “skim and burn” disposal of oil spills at sea, and portable or fixed incinerators for rapid disposal of hazardous liquid waste are discussed.