FIR 127 - Fire Behavior and Combustion

1. Prepare students to understand importance of fire behavior and dynamics.
   1. Identify and define the various roles of fire safety professionals.
   2. Describe the importance of understanding fire behavior and fire dynamics as it applies to all fire safety professions.
   3. Summarize fire fatality statics and be able to analyze these statics.
2. Use algebra and trigonometry related to fire development.
   1. Perform conversions and use formulas needed to understand fire from a mathematical concept.
   2. Understand units of measure and conversion between the systems of these units of measure.
   3. Interpret concepts of math and reduce apprehension related to understanding fire through math.
3. Examine important chemical reactions and chemistry related to fire development.
   1. Comprehend chemical terms related to fire dynamics.
   2. Use the periodic table to describe characteristics of specific elements.
   3. Identify the chemical composition of various fuels.
   4. Differentiate among elements, compounds, mixtures, and solutions.
   5. Explain how the oxidation reaction occurs with specific chemicals.
   6. Define the concept of heat
   7. Explain conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer.
4. Assess properties of matter and physics related to fire dynamics.
   1. Identify the physical elements that affect the combustion process.
   2. Identify the properties that characterize the three physical states of matter.
   3. Understand the relationship of mass, volume, density, pressure, and the physical characteristics of the states of matter.
   4. Compare and contrast temperature and heat.
   5. Describe how thermodynamics, energy, and work play an important role in fire dynamics.
5. Analyze the phenomenon known as fire and the process of combustion.
   1. Describe similarities and differences in the fire triangle and fire tetrahedron models used to describe fire.
   2. Describe and explain similarities and differences in premixed and diffusion flames.
   3. Describe and explain laminar and turbulent flames.
   4. List five classes of fire and describe what differentiates each.
   5. Describe the terms flame plume, fire plume, flame jet, and flame spread.
   6. Describe and explain the term heat of combustion as it relates to fuel.
   7. Describe and explain combustion efficiency as it relates to fuels.
   8. Define heat release rate.
6. Analyze the process of gaseous combustion and its properties.
   1. Describe and explain conditions that separate matter that exists in the gaseous state from other states of matter.
   2. Describe and explain flammable limits of a gaseous fuel, including upper flammable limits, lower flammable limit, and stoichiometric mixture.
   3. Diagram a simple oxidation reaction.
   4. Describe and explain three atmospheric conditions that affect gaseous combustion.
   5. Explain the difference in auto ignition temperature and minimum ignition energy for gaseous fuels.
   6. Explain the term vapor density and how it affects fire hazards.
7. Examine ignitable liquids and point out there properties.
   1. Explain changes in matter that occur for ignitable liquids to enter into an oxidation reaction.
   2. List and describe factors that differentiate flammable and combustible liquids.
   3. Explain the similarities and differences in an ignitable liquid?s flash point and fire point..
   4. Describe and explain the terms vapor pressure and boiling point of ignitable liquids.
   5. Describe and explain ignition hazards associated with aerosols.
   6. Calculate the heat release rate of a pool fire for a given ignitable liquid.
8. Analyze the process of solid combustion and its properties.
   1. Explain thermal decomposition in solids.
   2. Explain and describe pyrolysis.
   3. Distinguish among and categorize different types of solid fuels and their fuel characteristics.
   4. Identify and explain the variables affecting solid combustion.
9. Analyze the process of ignition and related materials.
   1. Explain the difference between piloted and auto ignition.
   2. Define the concept of ignition.
   3. Understand the concept of ignition temperature for solids.
   4. Use formulas to predict the ignition time of solids.
10. Examine the fire modeling and its relationship the fire behavior.
    1. Explain the history and origin of modeling.
    2. Describe the different types of computer fire models available.
    3. Summarize the general uses and limitations of fire models.
    4. Identify potential uses of fire modeling for the various fire safety professions.
11. Assess the ways fire are extinguished and the agents used.
    1. Understand and cite four methods of extinguishing fires.
    2. Describe how removal of fuel can extinguish fires.
    3. Describe how water extinguishes fire by cooling.
    4. Describe how water reacts when heated above its vaporization point.
    5. Describe how the chemical chain reaction of fire can be interrupted to facilitate extinguishment.