FIRE INVESTIGATION

Mehboob Shaikh

B. Eng. (Mech.) | AMIE | CFPS | CFI

 MODULE – 02
PART- 01

BASIC FIRE SCIENCE

Elements, Atoms, and Compounds

• There are Total 92 Naturally occurring elements

CFPS Exam Preparation- Mehboob Shaikh(CFPS, CFI, AMIE)

THE OXIDATION REACTION
• Combination of an element with oxygen; chemical conversion
involving a loss of electrons.
For Hydrogen Compounds

2H2 + O2 ---------→ 2H2O + Heat

CFPS Exam Preparation- Mehboob Shaikh(CFPS, CFI, AMIE)

THE OXIDATION REACTION
• Combination of an element with oxygen; chemical conversion
involving a loss of electrons.
Can you correlate this reaction with the
For Carbon Compounds food which you eat…?

C(Solids) + O2 ---------→ CO2 + Heat

Carboxyhemoglobin…?

2C(Solids) + O2 ---------→ 2CO Anemic Hypoxia…?

Formation of CO depends upon some

CFPS Exam Preparation- Mehboob Shaikh(CFPS, CFI, AMIE) factors..?
THE OXIDATION REACTION
• Combination of an element with oxygen; chemical conversion
involving a loss of electrons.
For Sulphur Compounds

S(Solids) + O2 ---------→ SO2 + Heat

CFPS Exam Preparation- Mehboob Shaikh(CFPS, CFI, AMIE)

What the Three Most basics Product
of any Fire..?
❑H2O
❑CO2
❑CO

CFPS Exam Preparation- Mehboob Shaikh(CFPS, CFI, AMIE)

 State of Fuel

Gas

Sublimation
Deposition

Liquids

Solid

CFPS Exam Preparation- Mehboob Shaikh(CFPS, CFI, AMIE)

Aliphatic/Paraffinic/Saturated Aromatics Pentyne (Triple
( with Straight chain structure) (Benzene Ring) Bond)
Cellulose(Wood)
Alkane Alkene(Double C-C Bond) Alkyne
Hydrocarbon Solid/Liquid/Gas
(Chemical Compounds
CH4, C4H10
Example
Fructose(Fruits)
containing only
hydrogen and carbon)
Glucose(Blood)
Looser the bond, less heat will be required to
Ideal Gas Law
Decompose
3 Most Basic reactions of Fire Organic
Compounds Carbohydrates State of Fuel PV = mRT
Combination of an (Combination of H, O & C)
element with oxygen
Saturated aliphatic straight-chain or branched alkanes

Heat of PYROLYSIS
Oxidation Combustion (Qty .of (Decomposition due to heat
in absence of O2)
Reaction Heat released in combustion)
Hc for wood = 16 KJ/ g & Hc for Charcoal = 34 KJ/g
O is element and O2 is
Diatomic Molecule,O3 Petroleum
is triatomic
Fire Distillates
molecule(Ozone) Chemistry Cycloparaffins
H is element and H2 is Ether, BT(35-60C and aromatics ( for
Diatomic Molecule & Kerosene BT( Motor Fuel
150-300 C)
Elements aliphatic straight-chain or branched alkanes Gasoline (Blended
Compounds with Distillates BP 40-190 C)
No specific Boiling point to blending with other products
 Heat transfer at the level of the fuel surface

Mass flow rate

Heat of Combustion
Latent Heat of Vaporization
Heat transfer at the level of the fuel surface

FIRE ON A SOFA
Enclosure effect on heat transfer
Enclosure effect on heat transfer
 Thermal Penetration Time for Conductive Heat Transfer

Thermal diffusivity(Motion of Heat) with an analogy of motion of dissolution

of sugar lump in a cup of coffee
Molecules of sugar and
coffee will mix together and
the concentration of sugar
will raise.

Similarly heat conduction propagation

within the CUP OF COFFEE is due to
thermal diffusion or the diffusion of heat
that excites neighboring molecules
What do you think. How much time
will it take to feel hotness of coffee
on the surface of cup…?
Lets understand this with analogy of
So how fast this thermal diffusion
diffusion of sugar lump in a cup of
will take place..? Or lets call it
coffee !!
what will be
PENETRATION TIME …?
 Thermal Penetration Time for Conductive Heat Transfer

How Fast Thermal diffusivity will take place..?

Example : Calculate Penetration time of below Given figure

Where,
x = Distance or length
𝒙𝟐 α = k/ρc
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆(𝟏%) 𝒕 =
12α K = Thermal Conductivity
Polyurethane wall
ρ = Density
c = Specific Heat

(𝟎. 𝟎𝟓)𝟐
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕 =
12( 𝟏. 𝟐 ∗ 𝟏𝟎^ − 𝟔)

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕 = 𝟏𝟕𝟒 𝑺𝒆𝒄.

Oh yes…after 174 sec I can feel the thermal

effect(hotness)on the other side of wall !!!

X or l = 0.05m
THANK YOU