Specialist Scientific Facilities - Fire Galleries (underground & surface)

These facilities comprise two experimental tunnels on HSL's Buxton site for the study of fires of different scales and over a range of ventilation conditions. One is completely underground and the other is a surface tunnel. Both have associated services and some permanent instrumentation.

Features

Underground Gallery
• 200m long with a cross-sectional area of 4.2m^2.
• Driven through a combination of solid rock and in-fill and lined throughout its length. In the fire zone it is protected by a fire brick lining.
• Continuously adjustable longitudinal air flows of up to 20m³s^-1.
• A side room located half way along the gallery, equipped with light and power, for on-site preparation of experiments and forward deployment of instrumentation.
• Lighting along half its length.
• Sunken load cell platform with a capacity of up to 1 Tonne in the fire zone.
• Gas sampling system and arrays of thermocouples downstream of the fire zone.

Surface Gallery
• Reinforced concrete structure 366m long with a cross-sectional area of 5.6m².
• 40m long section can be isolated to form a 200 cubic metre chamber for hyperbaric (pressurised) fire tests at up to 3.5 bar gauge.
• Ventilation using any or all of three fans. The main fan provides an adjustable flow of up to 50m³s^-1, control being provided by louvres on the fan inlet. Two secondary fans deliver air at two speeds (2.5 and 8.5m³s^-1) .
• Lighting throughout its length with removable fluorescent strips.
• Water is available at various points along the gallery.
• Two separate control buildings; a Portacabin located near the open end and a modem three room permanent structure approximately 100m from the fan house end. Both buildings are equipped with light, heat and power.

Applications
• Tunnel fires related to transport and the mining industry.
• Underground facility is used as part of a standard flammability test for hydraulic fluids (NCB570).
• Fire trials on the location of fire detection equipment.
• Behaviour of fires in pressurised workings and fires in hyperbaric oxygen.
• Response of gas detectors at elevated pressures.
• Effects of fires on stationary and moving vehicles.

This facility is available to public and private sector customers from the UK and overseas and is complemented by the analytical and interpretative skills of HSL's experienced scientific and technical staff.

Further Details
Contact our Business Development Unit by telephone (+44) 01298 218218, fax (+44) 01298 218822 or email hslinfo@hsl.gov.uk.

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