Full-Scale Fire Test of an Intercity Train Car

Fire development inside a train car is a topic that has not been studied extensively due to the complexity of the problem and the need for a real train car and the appropriate facilities to conduct these tests in a controlled environment. This paper presents detailed experimental data on fire development inside a real intercity train car. The facility used for the tests is capable of conducting such large-scale fires and measuring the heat release rate using oxygen consumption calorimetry. Thermocouples and plate thermometers were installed inside the train car to provide an insight of the fire development. A number of cameras were also placed inside the car and in the tunnel providing live videos during the test. The peak heat release rate was 32 MW at 1081 s after ignition, and the fire burned 83% of the initial fire load. Flame spread data and recordings of window breaking events are discussed and compared to the heat release rate data. A local flashover-type phenomenon where the fire involved all combustibles at the rear of the car was found to occur.