For Fire Testing and Fire Safety Engineering.

The cone calorimeter is considered the most significant instrument in fire testing. This is because the net heat of combustion is proportional to the amount of oxygen required for combustion. The specimens are irradiated, ignited by sparks and thereby combusted. This apparatus analyzes the combustion gases and measures the smoke produced from a test specimen that is being exposed to a certain heat flux. The principle is known as the “oxygen consumption principle” and is among the methods of calorimetry. From the oxygen concentration, the released heat is calculated. In addition, precision can be improved by analyzing carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide concentrations.

The measurement also involves monitoring the flow rate in the exhaust pipe and the mass loss of the sample. Smoke obscuration is measured as the intensity of the laser light that is transmitted through the smoke in the flue pipe. The extinction coefficient is calculated in accordance with Bourguer’s law*. The test results form the basis for determining smoke production and smoke production rate. The TCC 918 is in accordance with all established standards including ISO 5660-1, ASTM E1354, ASTM E1474; ASTM E1740, ASTM F1550, etc.