ENERGY & WORK DEFINITIONS

Energy Capacity to perform work

Work Transformation of energy from one form
to another

ENERGY AND WORK

Energy = the ability to
perform work.
50 feet (15m)

Work = force
applied to an object
over a distance.

TYPES OF ENERGY
Chemical Chemical reaction
Mechanical Object in motion
Electrical Electron flow through conductor
Heat Transfer between two objects of differing
temperature
Light Visible radiation at atomic level
Nuclear Split (fission) or joined (fusion) atoms

TS 24

STATES OF ENERGY
Kinetic Energy possessed by a moving object
Potential Energy possessed by an object that can
be released in the future

TS 25

DEFINITION OF POWER
Amount of energy delivered over a given period of
time
Units of power

English or Customary System Horsepower

International System of Units (SI) Watts

VS 2-2

POWER
30 sec.

50 feet (15m)

Power = an amount
of energy delivered
over a period of
time.

HEAT & TEMPERATURE

TERMS

TS 26a

Heat Energy transferred from one body to another

when the temperatures of the bodies are different
Temperature Measure of warmth or coldness of an
object based on some standard (usually freezing and
boiling points)
Degrees Celsius SI unit of temperature
measurement

0C = freezing point of water

100C = boiling point of water

HEAT & TEMPERATURE

TERMS (cont.)

TS 26b

Degrees Fahrenheit Customary unit of temperature

measurement

32F = freezing point of water

212F = boiling point of water

Joule Approved SI unit of all forms of energy,

including heat
Calorie Amount of heat required to raise the
temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius

HEAT & TEMPERATURE

TERMS (cont.)

TS 26c

British thermal unit Amount of heat required to raise

the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 degree
Fahrenheit
Mechanical equivalent of heat

1 calorie = 4.187 joules

1 Btu = 1,055 joules

METHODS OF HEAT
TRANSFER

TS 27

Conduction Point-to-point transmission of heat

energy
Convection Transfer of heat energy by the
movement of heated liquids or gasses
Radiation Transmission of energy as an
electromagnetic wave without an intervening medium

CONDUCTION
Vertical

VS 2-3

Horizontal

Point-to-Point Transfer of Heat Energy from One Body to

Another by a Heat-Conducting Medium

CONVECTION

Heat Transferred by
Movement of Heated Liquids or Gases

VS 2-4

VS 2-5

RADIATION

Electromagnetic Waves Traveling Through Space Until

They Reach a Solid Object

TS 28

PROPERTIES OF MATTER
Matter Anything that occupies space and has
mass
Atmospheric pressure Pressure exerted by our
atmosphere on all objects
Density Measure of how tightly the molecules of a
solid substance are packed together
Specific gravity Ratio of the mass of a given
volume of a liquid compared with the mass of an
equal volume of water
Vapor density Density of gas or vapor in relation to
air

TS 29

LAW OF CONSERVATION
OF MASS & ENERGY
Mass and energy are neither created nor
destroyed.

Mass and energy may be converted from one to

another, but there is never any net loss of total
mass-energy.

TS 210a

CHEMICAL REACTIONS
Matter transformed form one state to another
Physical change Does not alter chemical makeup
of a substance; change of state
Chemical change Alters chemical makeup of a
substance
Exothermic reaction Gives off energy as it occurs
Endothermic reaction Absorbs energy as it occurs

TS 210b

CHEMICAL REACTIONS
(cont.)
Oxidation Formation of a chemical bond between
oxygen and another element

Instantaneous oxidation = Explosion

Rapid oxidation = Fire (steady state or free-burning)

Very slow oxidation = Rust

VS 2-6

FIRE

Fire is rapid self-sustaining oxidation accompanied by

heat and light of varying intensities.

Fire

Rapid

Rapid

Combustion

Oxidation

of Fuel

TS 211

TYPES OF OXIDATION
Instantaneous oxidation Explosion

Rapid oxidation Fire (steady state

or free-burning)

Very slow oxidation Rust

VS 2-7

COMBUSTION
The Fire Tetrahedron

Reducing
Oxidizing
Agent
Agent
(Fuel)
Chemical
Chain
Reaction

Heat

Oxidizing
Agent

Reducing
Agent
(Fuel)

Heat

Chemical
Chain
Reaction

TS 212a

OXIDIZING AGENTS
Those materials that yield oxygen or other oxidizing
gases during the course of a chemical reaction
Oxygen rich atmospheres Those with oxygen
concentrations exceeding 21%

Health care facilities

Industrial occupancies

Private homes (where occupants use liquid oxygen breathing
equipment)

OXIDIZING AGENTS
(cont.)

TS 212b

Oxygen deficient atmospheres Those with oxygen

concentrations lower than 21%

Storage tanks

Silos

Pipes and vaults

Other confined spaces

High altitudes

TS 213a

FUEL CHARACTERISTICS
Fuel Material or substance being oxidized or
burned in the combustion process
Pyrolysis Chemical decomposition of a substance
through the action of heat
Surface-to-mass ratio Surface area of fuel in
relation to its mass
Vaporization Transformation of a liquid to its vapor
or gaseous state

TS 213b

FUEL CHARACTERISTICS
(cont.)
Flammable range Range of concentrations of fuel
vapor and air in which combustion will occur

Lower flammable limit (LFL) Minimum concentration of
fuel vapor and air that supports combustion

Upper flammable limit (UFL) Concentration of fuel vapor
and air above which combustion cannot take place

VS 2-8

OXYGEN & COMBUSTION

21%
Oxygen

18%
Oxygen

14% Oxygen
(Will Not Support
Combustion or Respiration)

VS 2-9

FUEL SOURCES

Only Gases Burn

Solid Matter + Pyrolysis = Fuel Gas
Liquid Matter + Vaporization = Fuel Gas
Gaseous Matter = Fuel Gas

VS 2-10

PYROLYSIS
Ignitable mixture of
burnable gases and air

Air

Air

Heat
Energy

VS 2-11

VAPORIZATION
Ignitable
Vapor/Air
Mixture
Mixing Zone
Air

Air
Vapors

TS 214

CHEMICAL HEAT ENERGY

Most common source of heat in combustion reactions
Self-heating (spontaneous heating) Chemical
energy that occurs when a material increases in
temperature without the addition of external heat
Conditions that must be present for spontaneous
ignition to occur

Sufficient heat production

Sufficient air supply

Sufficient insulation

VS 2-12

CHEMICAL HEAT ENGERGY

Heat of Combustion
(Burning)
Spontaneous Heating
(No External Heat Source)

Resin

Paint

VS 2-13

ELECTRICAL HEAT ENERGY

Leakage Current
(Conductor Insufficiently Insulated)

Resistance Heating
(Current Through Conductor)

Overload
Arcing

Static Electricity

VS 2-14

MECHANICAL HEAT ENERGY

Friction

Compression

VS 2-15

NUCLEAR HEAT ENERGY

TS 215

NUCLEAR HEAT ENERGY

Fission Splitting atoms

Fusion Combining atoms

VS 2-16

CHEMICAL CHAIN REACTION

1. Heated fuel releases
vapors.
2. Vapors combine
to create new
compounds.

Oxygen

3. The new compounds

combine with oxygen
and ignite.

New
Compounds
Flammable
Vapors

Oxygen

Heated
Fuel

COMPARTMENT FIRE
DEVELOPMENT TERMS

TS 216

Compartment Enclosed room or space within a

building
Compartment fire Fire that occurs within a
compartment
Fuel controlled Amount of fuel available to burn is
limited
Ventilation controlled Amount of available oxygen
is limited

TS 217

IGNITION STAGE
Piloted (caused by spark or flame) or nonpiloted (selfheating)

Generally small and confined to material first ignited

FIRE GROWTH

VS 2-17

TS 218

GROWTH STAGE
Plume development

Plume begins to develop

Temperature of fire gases decreases as these gases move
away from centerline of plume

Development of ceiling layer

Overall temperature in compartment increases

Temperature of gas layer at ceiling increases

FLASHOVER

VS 2-18

TS 219a

FLASHOVER STAGE
Transition between growth stage and fully developed
fire stage; is not a specific event

Preflashover condition Radiant heat (red arrows in

visual) from the hot ceiling gas layer heats
combustible materials, producing vapors (green
arrows in visual)

FLASHOVER STAGE
(cont.)

TS 219b

Just prior to flashover

Temperatures rapidly increase

Additional fuel packages become involved

Fuel packages release combustible gases

Flashover occurs when compartment temperature

exceeds 900F (483C) and all combustible surfaces
and gases are burning

VS 2-19

FULLY DEVELOPED FIRE

Recirculating Smoke

TS 220

FULLY DEVELOPED STAGE

All combustible materials are involved in fire
Burning fuels release maximum amount of heat;
produce large volumes of fire gases
If fire becomes ventilation controlled, large volumes of
unburned fire gases are likely to flow into adjacent
spaces where they may ignite if air is more abundant

TS 221

DECAY STAGE
Heat release declines as available fuel is consumed
Amount of fire diminishes
Temperatures within compartment begin to decline
Fuel is reduced to a mass of glowing embers

TS 222

FACTORS THAT AFFECT

FIRE DEVELOPMENT
Ventilation openings

Size

Number

Arrangement

Compartment volume
Compartments thermal
properties
Ceiling height

Initial fuel package

Size

Composition

Location

Additional target fuels

Availability

Location

VS 2-20

FLAMEOVER/ROLLOVER

Superheated vapors ignite

Flame front rolls are across ceiling

TS 223

FLAMEOVER / ROLLOVER
Condition where flames move through or across the
unburned gases during a fires progression and roll
across the ceiling

Involves only fire gases, not the surfaces of other fuel

packages (flashover)

VS 2-21

THERMAL LAYERING
Extreme Heat
Moderate Heat
Low Heat

Thermal
Imbalance

TS 224

THERMAL LAYERING OF
GASES
Thermal layering Tendency of gases to form layers
according to temperature
Heat stratification Hottest gases form top layers;
cooler gases form bottom layers
Thermal balance No disruption of heat stratification
Thermal imbalance Disruption of heat stratification
(hot gases mix throughout the compartment)

VS 2-22a

BACKDRAFT INDICATIONS
Puffing Smoke

Yellow-Gray
Smoke
Walls Too
Hot to Touch
Dull Orange Glow
or Visible Fire

Darkened
Windows
Rattling
Windows
Hot Unbroken
Glass

BACKDRAFT
Low Oxygen
High Heat
Smoldering Fire
High fuel vapor
concentrations

PRE-BACKDRAFT
Introduction of oxygen causes fire of explosive force

BACKDRAFT

VS 2-22b

VS 2-23

PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION
Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Particles

4. SMOKE
3. FLAME

Sulfur Dioxide

Hydrogen Cyanide

2. HEAT
1. LIGHT
Flammable
Vapors

Water Vapor

Carbon Dioxide

Fuel

en
Ox yg

Ox y
gen

VS 2-24

EXTINGUISHING METHODS
Reducing
Temperature

Excluding
Oxygen

Removing
Fuel

Inhibiting Chain
Reaction

TS 225

TEMPERATURE REDUCTION
Is used on solid fuels and liquid fuels with high flash
points
Is most common method of extinguishment
Reduces temperature of high flash point fuels
Creates negative heat balance
Cools with water

TS 226

FUEL REMOVAL
Is used on solid, liquid, or gas fuels

Stops flow of liquid or gaseous fuel

Moves solid fuel out of fire path
Allows fire to consume all fuel

TS 227

OXYGEN EXCLUSION OR
DILUTION
Is used on solid, liquid, or gas fuels
Prevents air from reaching fuel (smothering)
Dilutes or displacing oxygen with an inert gas

INHIBITION OF CHAIN
REACTION

TS 228

Is used on gas and liquid fuels

Uses dry chemicals and halogenated hydrocarbons
Interrupts chemical chain reaction (stops flaming)

CLASS A FIRES
Materials: Ordinary Combustibles
Wood
Paper
Rubber
Plastic

VS 2-25

Extinguishment Methods:
Cooling with Water
Quenching with Water or
Class A Foams

VS 2-26

CLASS B FIRES
Materials:
Liquids
Greases
Gases

Gasoline

Extinguishment Methods:
Inhibiting Chemical
Chain Reaction
Smothering/Blanketing
Removing Fuel
Reducing Temperature

VS 2-27

CLASS C FIRES
Materials:
Energized Electrical
Equipment

Extinguishment Methods:
Nonconducting
Extinguishing Agent
(Halon, Dry Chemical,
Carbon Dioxide)
Deenergizing and
Treating as Class A or
Class B Fire

VS 2-28

CLASS D FIRES
Materials:
Combustible Materials
Magnesium
Titanium
Zirconium
Potassium
Lithium
Calcium
Zinc

Extinguishment Methods:
Blanketing with Special
Agents, Especially FuelSpecific Dry Powders

He Takes His Training Seriously

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