Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Design - Essay Example This paper presents the introduction to cone calorimeter test, the experimental procedure for conducting the experiment, the test results obtained and finally the results obtained are evaluated and a conclusions is drawn based on the results. The name cone calorimeter was coined from the shape of truncated conical heater that was developed by Dr. Vytenis Babrauskas who used the equipment to irradiate a test specimen of size 100 mm by 100mm. most of the laboratory contain the FTT cone calorimeter as it is compact and easy to use. Exhaust system: It comprises of the hood, gas sampling ring probe and an exhaust fan which are manufactured from stainless steel. The flow can be controlled and the equipment also allows for orifice flow measurement. Split shutter mechanism: This system is used to protect the sample area before conducting the test. It ensures that the initial mass measurement is constant. The operator is given extra time before starting the test. The shutter system also prevents premature ignition of highly ignitable materials (Source: Johan, A. 2002. Cone Calorimeter –A Tool for Measuring Heat Release Rate. Finland: Abo Akademi process chemistry center. [Online]. Available at http://www.tut.fi/units/me/ener/IFRF/FinSweFlameDays09/4B/LindholmPaper.pdf . Accessed august 20, 2009. ) The oxygen consumption principle is used in the formulation of empirical observation in a cone calorimeter test. The underlying principle used stipulates that the heat released is directly proportional to the oxygen consumed. Measurement of the oxygen concentration at the exhaust duct and the volumetric flow rate of air give data that is used in the computation of the rate of oxygen consumption. The heat released in a cone calorimeter is given by; The main objectives for conducting this experiment are to determine the rate of heat