<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

This study deals with the Fire Growth Rate Index (FIGRA) as a key fire characteristic of electrical cables (determined by a cone calorimeter) that allows to estimate their reaction to fire class. Three power (supply) electrical cables (reaction to fire class B2ca) were tested by a cone calorimeter using different heat fluxes of 20, 30, 40 a 50 kW·m−2. The cables were three-wire (cross-section of each wire was 1.5 mm2) with a nominal voltage of 0.6 kV (alternating current), resp. 1 kV (direct current). The cable sheaths were made of an ethylene copolymer filled with aluminum hydroxide. The beddings were made of an ethylene copolymer filled with a mixture of aluminum hydroxide and calcium carbonate. The conductor insulations of one electrical cable were made of crosslinked polyethylene and the conductor insulations of the other two electrical cables were made of an ethylene copolymer filled with aluminum hydroxide. FIGRA was determined per unit length and unit area of electrical cables. FIGRA increased with increasing heat flux. At a heat flux of 50 kW·m−2, all the electric cables examined showed a very similar FIGRA (from 0.19 to 0.21 kW·m−1·s−1 and 18.4 to 21.2 kW·m−1·s−1, respectively). Conversely, at a heat flux of 20 kW·m−2, the investigated cables showed greater FIGRA variance (in the range of 0.11 to 0.16 kW·m−1·s−1 or 10.8 to 16.2 kW·m−1·s−1).
</abstract>

This study deals with the Fire Growth Rate Index (FIGRA) as a key fire characteristic of electrical cables (determined by a cone calorimeter) that allows to estimate their reaction to fire class. Three power (supply) electrical cables (reaction to fire class B2ca) were tested by a cone calorimeter using different heat fluxes of 20, 30, 40 a 50 kW·m−2. The cables were three-wire (cross-section of each wire was 1.5 mm2) with a nominal voltage of 0.6 kV (alternating current), resp. 1 kV (direct current). The cable sheaths were made of an ethylene copolymer filled with aluminum hydroxide. The beddings were made of an ethylene copolymer filled with a mixture of aluminum hydroxide and calcium carbonate. The conductor insulations of one electrical cable were made of crosslinked polyethylene and the conductor insulations of the other two electrical cables were made of an ethylene copolymer filled with aluminum hydroxide. FIGRA was determined per unit length and unit area of electrical cables. FIGRA increased with increasing heat flux. At a heat flux of 50 kW·m−2, all the electric cables examined showed a very similar FIGRA (from 0.19 to 0.21 kW·m−1·s−1 and 18.4 to 21.2 kW·m−1·s−1, respectively). Conversely, at a heat flux of 20 kW·m−2, the investigated cables showed greater FIGRA variance (in the range of 0.11 to 0.16 kW·m−1·s−1 or 10.8 to 16.2 kW·m−1·s−1).

Fire Growth Rate Index as a Key Fire Characteristic of Electrical Cables

Slovak University Of Technology In Bratislava

Faculty Of Materials Science And Technology In Trnava, Institute Of Integral Safety

Research Papers Faculty of Materials Science and Technology Slovak University of Technology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Fire Growth Rate Index as a Key Fire Characteristic of Electrical Cables"}

This study deals with the Fire Growth Rate Index (FIGRA) as a key fire characteristic of electrical cables (determined by a cone calorimeter) that allows to...

Fire Growth Rate Index as a Key Fire Characteristic of Electrical Cables

Publié en ligne: 05 août 2021

Pages: 81 - 90

Reçu: 20 avr. 2021

Accepté: 26 mai 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/rput-2021-0008

Mots clés
Cone calorimeter, heat release rate, electrical cable, fire growth rate index, reaction to fire class

© 2021 Jozef Martinka et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fire Growth Rate Index as a Key Fire Characteristic of Electrical Cables

Publié en ligne: 05 août 2021

Pages: 81 - 90

Reçu: 20 avr. 2021

Accepté: 26 mai 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/rput-2021-0008

Mots clésCone calorimeter, heat release rate, electrical cable, fire growth rate index, reaction to fire class

© 2021 Jozef Martinka et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Mots clés
Cone calorimeter, heat release rate, electrical cable, fire growth rate index, reaction to fire class