Heat Release Rates in Tunnels

An overview of experimentally obtained heat release rates (HRRs) for different vehicles driving through tunnels is presented. The focus is on understanding fire development and the influences of tunnel conditions on the HRR. The HRR describes the fire development in the form of energy release rate given in megawatts (MW) over a given time period. The chapter presents the basic theory of burning of fuels and summarizes the HRR for different types of vehicles, solid materials and liquids. Influences of different physical parameters such as tunnel construction or ventilation on the HRR are addressed. The HRR is also given as a value per square metre of exposed fuel surface area.