Characteristics of a 1 m Methanol Pool Fire

A series of measurements were made to characterize the structure of a 1 m diameter methanol (CH3OH)
pool fire steadily burning with a constant lip height in a quiescent environment. The mass burning rate
was measured by monitoring the mass loss in the methanol reservoir feeding the liquid pool. The heat
release rate was measured using oxygen consumption calorimetry. Time-averaged local measurements of
gas-phase temperature were conducted using fine diameter, Type S, bare wire thermocouples, with a
bead that was approximately spherical with a diameter of about 0.15 mm. The thermocouple signals were
corrected for radiative loss and thermal inertia effects. The heat flux was measured in the radial and
vertical directions and the radiative fraction was determined.