Now available on-demand!
An Academic Leadership Council Presentation
Live Webinar: Tue, April 5, 2022, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EDT
Quantitative analysis of gypsum calcination caused by a fire
is of great use in fire investigations. The rate and the depth of calcination
through the gypsum board are dictated by the heat and mass transfer through it.
The
measurement of the depth of calcination is an integral part of fire
investigations. The depth and extent of calcination of gypsum board can be
measured using a depth of calcination caliper or another similar instrument.
The relationship between the calcined and non-calcined areas on the gypsum
wallboard can also display lines of demarcation. By plotting the depth of
calcination measurements, investigators can see lines of demarcation and
patterns not visible to the naked eye.
In recent
years, the use of computer fire modeling in fire investigations has
increased. Currently, more comprehensive
and in-depth studies are necessary to understand the relationship between the
history of fire spread and the depth of calcination. However, the ability to
predict the depth of calcination in a compartment fire will improve the
reliability and accuracy of fire investigation conclusions.
This presentation will compare the experimental results of
gypsum calcination to the results predicted by a one-dimensional, in-house, unsteady
computational model. The controlled laboratory-scale experiments are conducted
with gypsum wallboard exposed to a uniform heat flux. During this exposure, the
internal temperature profile is recorded using an array of 12 thermocouples,
placed at different depths inside the gypsum board, and the depth of
calcination is measured. This
presentation quantifies of the heat flux and the duration of exposure effects
the depth of calcination.
This presentation will also explore the
nonlinearity in the propagation of dehydration front during gypsum calcination through
the combined experimental and numerical study. This is done by comparing the internal temperature profile from the
experiments to the temperature profile predicted by the model and comparing the
percentage of dehydration predicted by the model to the depth of calcination
measured in the experiments.
This project contributes to the Fire Dynamics and the Forensics/Investigations threads of the SFPE Research Roadmap.
Learning Objectives:
After completing this seminar, participants will be able to:
- Understand the chemistry behind gypsum calcination
- Understand how gypsum calcination is utilized in forensic fire investigations.
- Understand how variances in heat flux affects gypsum calcination
- Understand the relationship between temperature and depth of calcination
Speaker:
Ethan A. Fowlie - Student, Eastern Kentucky University
Advisor: Dr. Shijin Kozhumal, Eastern Kentucky University
Professional Development Hours:
1.0 PDH
Fees:
SFPE Members: Free
Questions? Please email us at education@sfpe.org.
