The visibility of signs in smoldering smoke of filter-paper was reported in the previous issue
1) by the author. In this paper, the visibility of signs in various smoke such as generated from wooden and various plastic building materials is studied.
The relation between the visibility and the smoke density at the obscuration threshold of the sign in smoldering smoke (white) or in flaming smoke (black) are shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The product of the visibility (
V ) and the smoke density (
σ) at the obscuration threshold is almost constant in the case of either white smoke or black one.
Relative scattered luminous flux due to smoke, which influences the visibility of sign, is measured (see Fig. 3). There is no difference between the scattered luminous flux due to smoldering smoke of Japanese cedar and that of various plastics. However, the scattered luminous flux due to flaming smoke varies with the kind of building materials or the quantity of supplied air for burning. Assuming that the value of
k for smoldering smoke (white) is 1.0, the values of
k for flaming smoke is obtained from the experimental results to be about 0.3∼1.0 as shown in Table 1 and Table 2.
The sizes of smoke particles, which influence strongly the scattered luminous flux, are measured by taking microscopic photographes (see Fig. 4). The particles of various smoldering smoke are sphere of about 1
μ as shown in Photo. 1, Photo. 2, and Fig. 5, while those of flaming smoke are consists of non-sphere particles of about 1∼20
μ, and some sphere particles which are considered smoldering smoke particles. Also, an experiment is carried out to take microscopic photographes on suspended smoke particles (see Photo. 4 and Photo. 5).
The threshold contrast (
δc) of a back-lighted sign varies depending on the visibility, the illuminance in corridor and the properties of smoke, but it is presumed to be
δc = 0.01∼0.02 under the conditions of the visibility of 5∼15 m and usual corridor-illumination lights (see Fig. 8).
The value of
L in white smoke is given by the mean illuminance (Mean illuminance from all direction multiplied by 1/
π ) without smoke. However,
L in black smoke requires tremendous calculation because it depends on the smoke density and the properties of smoke. By assuming that the illumination is given by point light source, and reflection from wall surface can be neglected,
L in black smoke will be given approximately by Eq. (4).
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