Fire development in insulated compartements - Effects from improved thermal insulation

Abstract: New construction solutions, such as low energy buildings and lightweight ship constructions in FRP composite, are designed with more insulation than regular constructions. This may affect the fire development, leading to dangerous conditions for occupants and firemen. Will increased thermal insulation of a compartment affect the fire development so that a higher heat release rate is reached; does it lead to higher gas temperatures or earlier flashover compared to in a non-insulated compartment? In this study, hand calculations, experiments and simulations in FDS were performed, which show that the gas temperature reaches a higher level in an insulated compartment than in a non-insulated compartment. It was also shown that larger and quicker heat release rates are reached in compartments with increased thermal insulation where the fuel source is sensitive to incident radiation. The results of the study are limited since only a standard 20 feet container was studied as a representative compartment.