Arc Mapping
Our research involving compartment fires explored the reliability of a technique called “arc mapping” which uses the electrical wiring in a building to establish the origin of a fire. The analysis of three-dimensional data collected during the research indicated a high probability that localised melting on electrical conductors known as ‘arcing damage’ occurred in close proximity to the fire’s area of origin.
Fireworks: The Science Behind the Show
As you ooh and aah at the dazzling explosions of a fireworks display, there are three things going on that you probably wouldn’t guess: the chemists who made those pyrotechnics designed most of them so they wouldn’t explode, you’re actually seeing the conservation of energy, and most peculiar of all, when things are at their brightest, you’re actually seeing the fireworks as they’re cooling down. The products of pyrotechnic chemistry have been refined since the 800s, when the Chinese began filling bamboo shoots with black powder and exploding them at the New Year with the hope that the sound would scare away evil spirits.
Stainless Steels
Iron is one of the most common and important metals on earth and forms the basis of the most widely used group of metallic materials, steels. Steels can be manufactured cheaply, in large volumes, and provide a range of useful mechanical properties; hardness, strength, ease of machinability, heat resistance, corrosion resistance etc. The properties of steel can be altered by the addition or removal of chemical elements or by heat treatment. Hence, the performance and longevity of steel components often relies on correct property specification and manufacture. If, for instance, a steel application requires exemplary corrosion resistance, but the steel has been incorrectly manufactured or specified, the component will be unlikely to perform effectively and may fail prematurely.
Fires Caused by Hold Lights in Bulk Carriers
In the last few years there has been a change in bulk cargo ship design relating to Australian ladderways. The ships we have seen were all built in China, with the Australian ladders built as partially enclosed box sections.
Warehouse Racking Collapses – Cause and Origin Investigation
There are a number of different factors that could result in a racking collapse. The cause might not be a single factor, but can be a number of combined factors which ultimately weaken the structure to a point where it collapses.
Self-Heating of Rags Soaked in Drying Oil; How Long Until They Can Ignite?
Hawkins has investigated numerous fires where the most probable cause has been the self-heating of rags, cloths or other similar materials that were impregnated with drying oils, such as linseed oil.
The Cost of Stress Corrosion Cracking
Broad estimates put the cost of corrosion to 1 to 4 % of GNP in the USA. Whilst an accurate figure would be elusive to even the most rigorous rational, it is fair to say that repairing the consequences of corrosion is a costly business. Brass and austenitic stainless steel are widely used in engineering applications to convey liquids, such as water, or for pressurised applications, such as heat exchangers, steam generating equipment and pipework. As such, stress corrosion cracking can result in catastrophic, and costly, failures of this equipment.
Losses In Power Generation Equipment – Seeing Past the Smoke & Mirrors
The power generation market is complex and frequently changing. There is a wide variety of generating assets ranging from very traditional (steam turbines powered by burning coal), similar turbines powered by nuclear reactors, gas turbines that directly drive generators and may also provide their waste heat to boilers (to drive a steam turbine), reciprocating (piston) engines, hydro turbines, through to more recent (and immature) technologies such as wind turbines and solar (usually in the form of photovoltaics, known as ‘PV’ or ‘solar panels’).
Event Data Recorders in Passenger Vehicles
An Event Data Recorder or EDR is a function or device installed in a vehicle that records technical vehicle and occupant information for a brief period of time (seconds, not minutes) before, during and after a collision, for the purpose of monitoring and assessing vehicle safety system performance.