Experimental study on the fuel requirements for the thermal degradation of bodies by means of open pyre cremation

Luis Yerman; Harrison Wall; Jeronimo Carrascal; Aidon Browning; Devduni Chandraratne; Christina Nguyen; Andy Wong; Tristan Goode; Daniel Kyriacou; Margaret Campbell; Julian Cao; Tam Do; Diana Casimiro-Soriguer; Andrea Lucherini; Sergio Zarate; Hons K. Wyn; Aaron Bolanos; Angela Solarte; Carmen Gorska; Ba-Dinh Le; Son Tran; Quang Le; Jose L. Torero

doi:10.1016/j.firesaf.2018.04.007

Experimental study on the fuel requirements for the thermal degradation of bodies by means of open pyre cremation

Luis Yerman, Harrison Wall, Jeronimo Carrascal, Aidon Browning, Devduni Chandraratne, Christina Nguyen, Andy Wong, Tristan Goode, Daniel Kyriacou, Margaret Campbell, Julian Cao, Tam Do, Diana Casimiro-Soriguer, Andrea Lucherini, Sergio Zarate, Hons K. Wyn, Aaron Bolanos, Angela Solarte, Carmen Gorska, Ba-Dinh LeSon Tran, Quang Le, Jose L. Torero

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

The results of a systematic study of open pyre cremation of bodies is reported here with the aim of providing quantitative information on the mechanisms controlling the cremation process and the relationship between the characteristics of a fire and the level of consumption of a body. Systematically constructed timber pyres and recently euthanized pig carcasses (as surrogates for human bodies) were used to establish the importance of fuel quantity, methodology of fuel application, body size and body arrangement. The results indicate that a fuel/body mass ratio greater than 9 is necessary to overcome the endothermic effect of the body on the pyre. Even with a fuel/body mass ratio of 9 and ideal burning conditions full destruction of all organic matter could not be attained.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	63-73
Number of pages	11
Journal	Fire Safety Journal
Volume	98
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2018.04.007
Publication status	Published - 2018
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

cremation of bodies
Incineration
self-sustained burning

Access to Document

10.1016/j.firesaf.2018.04.007

Cite this

Yerman, L., Wall, H., Carrascal, J., Browning, A., Chandraratne, D., Nguyen, C., Wong, A., Goode, T., Kyriacou, D., Campbell, M., Cao, J., Do, T., Casimiro-Soriguer, D., Lucherini, A., Zarate, S., Wyn, H. K., Bolanos, A., Solarte, A., Gorska, C., ... Torero, J. L. (2018). Experimental study on the fuel requirements for the thermal degradation of bodies by means of open pyre cremation. Fire Safety Journal, 98, 63-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2018.04.007

Yerman, Luis ; Wall, Harrison ; Carrascal, Jeronimo ; Browning, Aidon ; Chandraratne, Devduni ; Nguyen, Christina ; Wong, Andy ; Goode, Tristan ; Kyriacou, Daniel ; Campbell, Margaret ; Cao, Julian ; Do, Tam ; Casimiro-Soriguer, Diana ; Lucherini, Andrea ; Zarate, Sergio ; Wyn, Hons K. ; Bolanos, Aaron ; Solarte, Angela ; Gorska, Carmen ; Le, Ba-Dinh ; Tran, Son ; Le, Quang ; Torero, Jose L. / Experimental study on the fuel requirements for the thermal degradation of bodies by means of open pyre cremation. In: Fire Safety Journal. 2018 ; Vol. 98. pp. 63-73.

@article{e7c54d228b91495e84f63bf7a9ba23b6,

title = "Experimental study on the fuel requirements for the thermal degradation of bodies by means of open pyre cremation",

abstract = "The results of a systematic study of open pyre cremation of bodies is reported here with the aim of providing quantitative information on the mechanisms controlling the cremation process and the relationship between the characteristics of a fire and the level of consumption of a body. Systematically constructed timber pyres and recently euthanized pig carcasses (as surrogates for human bodies) were used to establish the importance of fuel quantity, methodology of fuel application, body size and body arrangement. The results indicate that a fuel/body mass ratio greater than 9 is necessary to overcome the endothermic effect of the body on the pyre. Even with a fuel/body mass ratio of 9 and ideal burning conditions full destruction of all organic matter could not be attained.",

keywords = "cremation of bodies, Incineration, self-sustained burning",

author = "Luis Yerman and Harrison Wall and Jeronimo Carrascal and Aidon Browning and Devduni Chandraratne and Christina Nguyen and Andy Wong and Tristan Goode and Daniel Kyriacou and Margaret Campbell and Julian Cao and Tam Do and Diana Casimiro-Soriguer and Andrea Lucherini and Sergio Zarate and Wyn, {Hons K.} and Aaron Bolanos and Angela Solarte and Carmen Gorska and Ba-Dinh Le and Son Tran and Quang Le and Torero, {Jose L.}",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1016/j.firesaf.2018.04.007",

language = "English",

volume = "98",

pages = "63--73",

journal = "Fire Safety Journal",

issn = "0379-7112",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

Yerman, L, Wall, H, Carrascal, J, Browning, A, Chandraratne, D, Nguyen, C, Wong, A, Goode, T, Kyriacou, D, Campbell, M, Cao, J, Do, T, Casimiro-Soriguer, D, Lucherini, A, Zarate, S, Wyn, HK, Bolanos, A, Solarte, A, Gorska, C, Le, B-D, Tran, S, Le, Q & Torero, JL 2018, 'Experimental study on the fuel requirements for the thermal degradation of bodies by means of open pyre cremation', Fire Safety Journal, vol. 98, pp. 63-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2018.04.007

Experimental study on the fuel requirements for the thermal degradation of bodies by means of open pyre cremation. / Yerman, Luis; Wall, Harrison; Carrascal, Jeronimo; Browning, Aidon; Chandraratne, Devduni; Nguyen, Christina; Wong, Andy; Goode, Tristan; Kyriacou, Daniel; Campbell, Margaret; Cao, Julian; Do, Tam; Casimiro-Soriguer, Diana; Lucherini, Andrea; Zarate, Sergio; Wyn, Hons K.; Bolanos, Aaron; Solarte, Angela; Gorska, Carmen; Le, Ba-Dinh; Tran, Son; Le, Quang; Torero, Jose L.

In: Fire Safety Journal, Vol. 98, 2018, p. 63-73.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Experimental study on the fuel requirements for the thermal degradation of bodies by means of open pyre cremation

AU - Yerman, Luis

AU - Wall, Harrison

AU - Carrascal, Jeronimo

AU - Browning, Aidon

AU - Chandraratne, Devduni

AU - Nguyen, Christina

AU - Wong, Andy

AU - Goode, Tristan

AU - Kyriacou, Daniel

AU - Campbell, Margaret

AU - Cao, Julian

AU - Do, Tam

AU - Casimiro-Soriguer, Diana

AU - Lucherini, Andrea

AU - Zarate, Sergio

AU - Wyn, Hons K.

AU - Bolanos, Aaron

AU - Solarte, Angela

AU - Gorska, Carmen

AU - Le, Ba-Dinh

AU - Tran, Son

AU - Le, Quang

AU - Torero, Jose L.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - The results of a systematic study of open pyre cremation of bodies is reported here with the aim of providing quantitative information on the mechanisms controlling the cremation process and the relationship between the characteristics of a fire and the level of consumption of a body. Systematically constructed timber pyres and recently euthanized pig carcasses (as surrogates for human bodies) were used to establish the importance of fuel quantity, methodology of fuel application, body size and body arrangement. The results indicate that a fuel/body mass ratio greater than 9 is necessary to overcome the endothermic effect of the body on the pyre. Even with a fuel/body mass ratio of 9 and ideal burning conditions full destruction of all organic matter could not be attained.

AB - The results of a systematic study of open pyre cremation of bodies is reported here with the aim of providing quantitative information on the mechanisms controlling the cremation process and the relationship between the characteristics of a fire and the level of consumption of a body. Systematically constructed timber pyres and recently euthanized pig carcasses (as surrogates for human bodies) were used to establish the importance of fuel quantity, methodology of fuel application, body size and body arrangement. The results indicate that a fuel/body mass ratio greater than 9 is necessary to overcome the endothermic effect of the body on the pyre. Even with a fuel/body mass ratio of 9 and ideal burning conditions full destruction of all organic matter could not be attained.

KW - cremation of bodies

KW - Incineration

KW - self-sustained burning

U2 - 10.1016/j.firesaf.2018.04.007

DO - 10.1016/j.firesaf.2018.04.007

M3 - Article

VL - 98

SP - 63

EP - 73

JO - Fire Safety Journal

JF - Fire Safety Journal

SN - 0379-7112

ER -