Fires in agriculture is a complex topic, and to minimize the consequences, a combination of organizational and technical measures are needed. In this pre-project we make an overall evaluation of the situation and knowledge gaps in the sector in Norway today. We focus on identifying the typical causes of fires in agriculture and to consider measures that could reduce both the number and extent of agricultural fires.

This study investigates the fire behaviour of building-integrated photovoltaic (PV) claddings, focusing on the progression from glass failure to ignition under different cavity conditions. Experimental tests were conducted on two common PV cladding types: bifacial dual-glass (GG) and monofacial glass–plastic (GP) modules. Results revealed that GP modules exhibited faster burning and higher peak heat release rates (HRR), reaching up to 600 kW, while GG modules burned more slowly with peak HRR between 50 and 100 kW. Cavity conditions, including depth, ventilation, and operational energization, were found to be vital in determining glass breakage, occurring between 400 and 550 °C, and cavity ignition and subsequent flame spread. The relationship between cavity fire dynamics and glass breakage suggests the importance of system design, particularly regarding cavity ventilation and flame barriers, for mitigating upward fire propagation. These results establish a basis for advancing numerical fire models through integration of critical parameters such as material properties, glass breakage, cavity ignition, and cavity configuration. This approach supports comprehensive real-scale analysis to guide the development of effective design recommendations, ultimately improving fire safety in PV-integrated construction. © 2025 by the authors.

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This study examines the upward fire spread characteristics of photovoltaic (PV) façade claddings in comparison to conventional building materials, to improve the understanding of fire safety implications for Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). Through mid-scale experimental testing, the upward fire spread over PV claddings was measured using Long-wave infrared (LWIR) thermography, effectively tracking pyrolysis fronts and thermal damage. Bifacial dual-glass (GG) modules demonstrated slower fire spread than monofacial glass-plastic (GP) modules due to enhanced material resilience and encapsulation. Cavity conditions also affected the upward fire spread rates, with open cavities promoting rapid flame propagation and closed or channelled cavities delaying cavity ignition until glass breakage occurred at temperatures between 400 and 550 °C. Energized modules exhibited increased fire spread rates, approximately 17% for GP and 40% for GG modules, highlighting the impact of PV operational temperatures. Fire spread rates varied widely, with GG modules ranging from 1.1 to 2.9 mm/s and GP modules accelerating from 0.8 to 0.9 mm/s to 28–47 mm/s under dual-sided heating. Notably, GP modules surpassed the fire spread rates of conventional materials such as plywood and PMMA under similar conditions

Biocarbon, produced from renewable biomass, possesses unique physical and chemical properties that allow its utilization in metal production to replace conventional reductants, thereby reducing the carbon footprint and enhancing sustainability in metallurgical industries. However, there are risk related self-ignition and firing of biocarbon with toxic emissions along values chains from production to end users. This study investigates the combustion characteristics of wood biocarbon using a cone calorimetry. During cone calorimetry tests, the heat release rate (HRR), peak HRR, total heat release (THR), mass loss, and CO and CO2 release profiles were monitored for two particle size ranges: 0.5 ≤ d ≤ 1 mm and 4 ≤ d ≤ 6.3 µm. Significantly different results were observed based on particle size, demonstrating distinct flammability and combustibility behaviour. The smaller particle size yielded a higher THR 55.8 MJ/m2, compared to the larger size (40.8 MJ/m2). Conversely, the smaller particles resulted in a lower peak HRR (28.7 kW/m2) than the larger particles (30.2 kW/m2). These differences are attributed to variations in bulk density and surface area within the sample holder. The higher bulk density of the smaller particles limits heat transfer but increases the total sample mass, thus increasing the THR. In both particle sizes, an ash layer formed on the surface, which likely hindered heat and mass transfer during the conversion of the underlying carbon material. These findings provide valuable data for assessing the ignition, combustion, and flammability properties of biocarbon. Results from the current study are valuable for assessing properties of biocarbon related to ignition, combustion and flammability. Copyright

The amount of heat generated during thermal runaway in lithium-ion cells is dependent on the failure mechanism and abuse method. This study determines the heats generated inside and outside a 64 Ah lithium-ion pouch cell when it is forced into thermal runaway by nail penetration, heating, or overcharging. The generated heats were determined by battery calorimetry, jet flame calorimetry, and oxygen depletion calorimetry. The ratio between heat generated inside or outside the cell is found to be dependent on the abuse method. The overcharge experiment was most severe with respect to heat generated outside the cell, with 89% more thermal energy measured by the jet flame calorimeter compared to nail penetration. For heat generated inside the cell it was opposite, where nail penetration was the most severe with 53% more thermal heat generated compared to overcharge. We explain these differences from the cell mass losses during thermal runaway. When the cell mass loss increases, the heat generated outside the cell increases and simultaneously the internal heat generation decreases. For the safety of a battery module, these results imply that the possibility for propagation of a thermal runaway between cells is dependent on failure mechanism.

Hydrogen tanks used in transportation are equipped with thermal pressure relief devices to prevent a tank rapture in case of fire exposure. The opening of the pressure relief valve, in such a scenario, would likely result in an impinging and (semi-) confined hydrogen jet fire. Therefore, twelve large-scale experiments of hydrogen jet fires and one large-scale propane reference experiment have been conducted with various degrees of confinement, orientations of the jet, and distances from the nozzle to the impinging surface. Infrared and visible light videos, temperatures, heat fluxes, and mass flow rate of hydrogen or propane were recorded in each experiment. It was found that the hydrogen flame can be visible under certain conditions. The main difference between an open impinging jet and an enclosed impinging jet fire is the extent of the high-temperature region in the steel target. During the impinging jet fire test, 51% of the exposed target area exceeded 400 °C, while 80% of the comparable area exceeded 400 °C during the confined jet fire test. A comparison was also made to an enclosed propane jet fire. The temperature distribution during the propane fire was more uniform than during the hydrogen jet fire, and the localized hot spot in the impact region, as seen in the hydrogen jet fires, was not recorded.