Development and Verification of Fire Tests for Cable Systems and System Components

摘要

Experiments were conducted to study the effects of a forced ventilation on the results of the IEEE 383 flame test for tray cables. Three sets of experiments were conducted on three types of cables. The first set was a control in which cable samples were tested in a free-convection environment within and 8 x 8 x 8 ft (2.44 x 2.44 x 2.44 m) enclosure. In the second set, the cable samples were tested within an enclosure with a 1500 CFM (708 1/s) forced ventilation. In the third set, the cable samples were tested within and enclosure with the ventilation rate of either 1200 CFM (566 1/s) of 1800 CFM (849 1/s). The results showed that the rate of flame propagation and the maximum cable damage were not affected when the enclosure and forced ventilation were used. It is recommended that the test method be revised to specify the use of an enclosure and forced ventilation.