Estimation of Radiation Heat Flux in Open Pool Flames for Application of Fire Protection Walls

Petrochemical plants are characterized by various flammable substances and complicated processes. Moreover, flammable fluids are transported through high-temperature and high-pressure pipes. To reduce the potential damage inflicted on adjacent facilities owing to the risk of fire and explosion, it is necessary to consider installing a fire protection wall, which is a physical space partitioning method. Currently, in Korea, the Dangerous Substances Safety Control Act and High-Pressure Gas Safety Act define the technical specifications of fire protection walls. However, there is no performance standard for fire protection walls considering the many possible fire hazards of petrochemical plants. Therefore, the heat release rate based on the size of open pool flames, radiation heat flux, and temperature per distance were measured through an open pool fire test using n-heptane, which is commonly used as a solvent in the production processes at petrochemical plants. The experimental results were evaluated by comparing them with values calculated according to ISO 24678-7, which is the standard for the numerical analysis of radiation heat flux in an open pool fire.