Determination of Fire and Thermal Parameters by Using an Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)

The Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL) is primarily used to determine the heat release rate of materials, products, and assemblies. Other parameters that are measured by ICAL are the effective heat of combustion, mass loss rate, time to ignition, smoke and gas production, emissivity, and surface temperature.

The ICAL was developed in 1992 and standardized in ASTM E-1623, and ISO TR 14696. The ISO version of the standard was adopted by BSI (BS ISO/TR 14696:1999). ICAL is currently being developed into a full ISO standard (it recently received a positive committee draft vote). In the US, the apparatus is being proposed as a method for testing exterior wall cladding systems by the ASTM E05.14 Subcommittee, and it will probably be used for regulatory purposes.

The ICAL can also be used for supporting fire investigations and for obtaining the fire parameters that are needed as inputs in fire models.

A complete ASTM E-1623 apparatus consists of the following main components, Radiant panel assembly capable of vertical orientation, sample holder, infrared pyrometer, weighing platform, radiant panel constant irradiance control system and exhaust collection system.

Intermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)

As part of our ICAL apparatus, we supply a radiant panel (burner area approximately 1.75m wide, 1.40m high) that consists of a structural frame made of "strut channel", 30 ceramic-faced natural gas burners, including a stainless steel protective screen and necessary piping to distribute natural gas to the burners. This includes valves to shut off the three main pipes supplying the three rows of burners and a shut off valve and a fine regulating needle valve at each burner.

The control system for the constant irradiance radiant panel utilises a laminar flow element, a temperature compensating pressure transducer, a motor valve, a PID controller, thermocouples for the radiant panel and natural gas temperature measurements and necessary piping (piping and fittings from the natural gas source to the motor valve are not included). The specimen holder assembly (1m x 1m sample) is made up of wire igniters, variable transformer, a weighing platform (150kg ± 1g capacity) with a temperature protecting enclosure, cable between the platform and the terminal (12m) and a RS-232 data interface cable from the terminal to the computer or data acquisition system (5m).

Also supplied is a specimen holder trolley and tracks for specimen holder positioning. Additionally, we supply a specimen shield (water-cooled), heat flux meter, and a non-combustible board as a heat-flux calibration panel. The instrumentation also incorporates various safety features, including a device that stops the supply of natural gas to the burners when the burners are not ignited.

Optional: Exhaust collection system.

Chilworth’s own fire and safety laboratories in the USA have provided contract testing services to various manufacturing industries, educational and research establishments and government agencies for over twenty years. Our laboratories are equipped with the latest testing instruments developed and produced by our own expert engineers. Our testing instruments are practical, cost effective, and well proven in our own laboratories. We believe that organisations establishing their own testing laboratories will benefit from our extensive knowledge and expertise.

Chilworth Pacific Fire Laboratories are currently leading the ICAL standardization efforts in the International Standardization Organization (ISO), and our staff has had a major contribution in its development into the ASTM standard. Our technicians have built a number of apparatus for various clients, including the ATF Fire Research Laboratory and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

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