Flame spread over polyethylene-insulated copper and stainless-steel wires at high pressure

This work studied flame spread over polyethylene (PE)-insulated wires at high pressure with an emphasis on the effect of ambient pressure. Laboratory simulated were used as a tested wire, which consisted semi-transparent low-density PE (LDPE) tube insulation and copper (Cu) rod or stainless-steel (SS) core. Increasing produced much soot, leading to intensively yellow luminous flame. Flame rate for Cu increased pressure, whereas that SS decreased. A qualitative analysis via simplified model shows heat flux increases but consequently heating decreases due decreased length. Therefore, increasing For rod, however, core is dominant enough compensate heating, thus positively affected spread. During spread, melted insulations often dripped down, it reduced no dripping occurred when further indicates there limit high-pressure region. These findings should contribute electrical fire safety in elevated environments.