Experimental study on the influence of material width on discrete fire spread in open space

This study addresses the significant fire hazards associated with using thermoplastic materials, particularly PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate), which are prone to flammability and high calorific values. By employing a methodology that combines small-scale experiments and theoretical analysis, this paper investigates the impact of material width on the behavior of discrete flames in open spaces, using specimens ranging from 5 to 10 cm in width. The findings indicate that an increase in specimen width positively affects the burning area and brightness, while the dimensionless flame height and heat release rate per unit width exhibit a negative power law decay with increasing width. This suggests that beyond a critical width, further increases in width have little influence on flame propagation. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of fire dynamics in thermoplastics and provide valuable insights that could lead to enhanced fire safety standards and material designs. The originality of this research lies in its detailed analysis of how material dimensions influence flame behavior, a topic that has not been extensively explored before, offering significant practical value in applications where fire safety is crucial.