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

Martinka Jozef (), Rantuch Peter (), Wachter Igor (), Štefko Tomáš (), Trčka Martin (), Hladová Martina (), Nečas Aleš () and Sulová Janka ()
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Martinka Jozef: Slovak University Of Technology In Bratislava, Faculty Of Materials Science And Technology In Trnava, Institute Of Integral Safety, Ulica Jána Bottu 2781/25, 917 24 Trnava, Slovak Republic
Rantuch Peter: Slovak University Of Technology In Bratislava, Faculty Of Materials Science And Technology In Trnava, Institute Of Integral Safety, Ulica Jána Bottu 2781/25, 917 24 Trnava, Slovak Republic
Wachter Igor: Slovak University Of Technology In Bratislava, Faculty Of Materials Science And Technology In Trnava, Institute Of Integral Safety, Ulica Jána Bottu 2781/25, 917 24 Trnava, Slovak Republic
Štefko Tomáš: Slovak University Of Technology In Bratislava, Faculty Of Materials Science And Technology In Trnava, Institute Of Integral Safety, Ulica Jána Bottu 2781/25, 917 24 Trnava, Slovak Republic
Trčka Martin: Vsb Technical University Of Ostrava, Faculty Of Safety Engineering, Lumírova 630/13, 700 30 Ostrava - Výškovice, Czech Republic
Hladová Martina: Slovak University Of Technology In Bratislava, Faculty Of Materials Science And Technology In Trnava, Institute Of Integral Safety, Ulica Jána Bottu 2781/25, 917 24 Trnava, Slovak Republic
Nečas Aleš: Slovak University Of Technology In Bratislava, Faculty Of Materials Science And Technology In Trnava, Institute Of Integral Safety, Ulica Jána Bottu 2781/25, 917 24 Trnava, Slovak Republic
Sulová Janka: Vuki, A.S., Rybničná 38, 831 07 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Research Papers Faculty of Materials Science and Technology Slovak University of Technology, 2021, vol. 29, issue 48, 81-90

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).

Keywords: Cone calorimeter; heat release rate; electrical cable; fire growth rate index; reaction to fire class (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:repfms:v:29:y:2021:i:48:p:81-90:n:10

DOI: 10.2478/rput-2021-0008

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