Hamins, A.
, Bundy, M.
and Dillon, S.
(2005),
Characterization of Candle Flames, Journal of Fire Protection Engineering, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=101159
(Accessed December 30, 2024)
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Characterization of Candle Flames
Published
Author(s)
, , Scott E. Dillon
Abstract
Common household open flame and radiant ignition sources are the actual or suspected cause for many fires. The purpose of this research is to identify the burning behavior and properties of common candles in order to provide additional tools for use by fire investigators. The properties of paraffin wax are obtained from the literature and from experiments. The candles are burned under controlled laboratory conditions to measure the mass burning rate, candle regression rate, flame height, and heat flux. Using the properties of paraffin wax and characteristics of the candles, numerous simulations are performed with the NIST Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) to model the burning rate and heat flux profile of the candle flame. The modeling results are then compared with the flame height and heat flux data obtained experimentally. The model facilitates an enhanced understanding of the structure of candle flames.Citation
Journal of Fire Protection Engineering
Volume
15
Issue
No. 4
Pub Type
Journals
Download Paper
Keywords
candles, arson, fire models, ignition, paraffin, wax, ignition sources, fire investigators, experiments, cone calorimeters, temperature, heat of combustion, mass loss, regression rate, flame height, heat flux, computational fluid dynamics
Citation
Issues
If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact reflib@nist.gov.
Created November 1, 2005, Updated February 19, 2017