Fundamental Analysis of Cable Fire Spread Considering Apparent Heat of Reaction in Porous Medium

In this study, a porous-medium approach was adopted to investigate fire spread based on the apparent heat of reaction of underground tunnel cables. A three-circuit TR CNCE-W cable configuration was assumed in the simulations. Their porosity is calculated based on a representative elementary volume, whereas the magnitudes of their heat-release and mass-loss rates were analyzed at the apparent heat of reaction (500 3,000 kJ/kg). Results show that the heat-release rate – decreased with increasing apparent heat of reaction, while the average peak heat-release rate decreased as a function of the negative exponent of the apparent heat of reaction. The findings of this study could serve as a basis for simulating fire behavior in underground utility tunnels, with future validation through cable fire experiments using a porous-medium approach.