Temperature of a steel structure in a car park in the event of a fire involving hybrid motor vehicles

摘要

The growing number of alternative fuel vehicles (fuel cell, NGV, LPG, electric £) and the lack of information on their combustion behaviour raise a questioning regarding their incorporation in fire scenarios of fire safety engineering of open car parks. To address this issue, CTICM and ArcelorMittal took part in a test campaign coordinated by the LCPP (Laboratoire central de la préfecture de Police). In the scope of this test campaign, a specific steel structure, composed of seven beams and nine columns, was set up and instrumented over the fire area to evaluate the thermal impact of the vehicle combustion. These tests were conducted in a large underground car park of which the ventilation conditions were quite different from those in an open car park. Each test involved two vehicles, an alternative fuel vehicle and a conventional one. The ignition was realised on the alternative fuel vehicle. In addition, a specific test with two traditional petroleum fuels vehicles was performed, which is used as reference point. In this paper, the temperatures were measured during all the tests are described. All the experimental results are then analysed to compare the different tests. The analysis highlights the safe character of the current fire safety engineering method applied in France for open car parks, regardless of the type of vehicle engine, especially in respect of the maximum temperatures reached in unprotected steel structures and the propagation time between adjacent vehicles.