Abstract: As the power center of a ship, the engine-room contains a wide variety of equipment with complex structures, numerous hazard sources, and high risk levels, making it prone to fires. Therefore, engine-room fires have always been a critical issue in ship fire safety. Based on a summary of the hazard sources and characteristics of engine-room fires, this paper elaborates on typical fire parameters and establishes three hazard criteria based on their impact on personnel: flue-gas temperature, oxygen volume fraction, and visibility. Common types of engine-room fires include oil pool fires, jet fires, electrical cabinet fires, and cable fires. Focusing on the most common oil pool fire, this study constructs experimental scenarios in a closed test cabin. For five different oil pool areas (0.25, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 4.00 m²), the fire evolution patterns are investigated and summarized in terms of heat release rate, flue-gas temperature, visibility, oxygen volume fraction, and other parameters.

Key words: ship fire, engine-room fire, fire evolution patterns, pool fire, combustion rate