Abstract
Response to marine accidents can be extremely difficult when Hazard and Noxious Substances (HNS) causing fires with significant consequences. Because of their potential for danger, evidence-based decisions are needed to protect the crew, responders, the coastal population and the environment. However, when an emergency is declared, key information is not always available for all responder needs. A case in point is the lack of knowledge and data to assess the risks that responders or rescue teams might take by intervening, or those that might impact coastal communities by allowing a stricken vessel to dock at a place of refuge.
The work presented in this paper deals with the combustion of two vegetable oils (palm fatty acid distillate and crude palm oil), a mixture of used cooking oils and a mixture of animal fats. The fires were performed in a stainless-steel tank instrumented with thermocouples and a scale was used to measure the mass loss during the combustion of the products. The experimental results of the combustion rate were compared to the literature models and the flame temperature measurements were used to estimate the radiative flux emitted by the flames.
