Carmody Combustable Hazards training kit

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Permalink Reply by Joe Case on January 19, 2009 at 3:53pm

I have a copy of the instructions from our Model 700-c if that helps.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Steeves on January 19, 2009 at 9:41pm

Joe that would be excellent. My email adress is chris.steeves@alyeska-pipeline.com
I really appreciate the help

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Permalink Reply by Theodore T. Maguire III on March 24, 2009 at 9:29am

Myself and another instructer. Were doing our fire behavior and fire chem. Lecture. We have the Carmody trainer, but some how lost the instructions for it. We would appricate if you could email use the instructions to us for furure use. Email is ffmedicatown@aol.com

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Hultman on March 24, 2009 at 10:32am

Are these still available somewhere? Sounds like a pretty cool tool to add to the fire behavior training arsenal. If possible , please shoot me a copy of the manual as well. phultman@gardnerkansas.gov

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Permalink Reply by Chris Steeves on March 27, 2009 at 11:27pm

Patrick-
I have not been able to find one for sale anywhere, not much info on internet either. I could email you a copy of the manual and you could probably buy all the pieces from a lab supply store. I think the trainer is great you can really teach fire chemistry with it not just tell the students about it.
Chris

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Permalink Reply by Betty Stoecklin on April 14, 2009 at 10:14am

Joe Case: would you please send a copy of the instructions to me also to firbee@aol.com? If they can't be emailed, please let me know. Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Betty Stoecklin on April 15, 2009 at 8:09am

Hi Joe: can I please get a copy of the instructions for the Model 700C? I work at the St. Louis County Fire Academy and we have one of these kits, but no instructions. Thanks! Betty Stoecklin

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Permalink Reply by Joe Case on April 16, 2009 at 9:15am

Betty Stoecklin said:

Joe Case: would you please send a copy of the instructions to me also to firbee@aol.com? If they can't be emailed, please let me know. Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Sean Carmody on April 17, 2009 at 10:58am

Joe Case said:

I have a copy of the instructions from our Model 700-c if that helps.

Could I be added to the recipients? And can anyone give me a maker/manufacturer, or any info about it? My name's not that common, so it knid of spooks me anytime I see it unexpectedly...

My email is mr_pita@msn.com

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Permalink Reply by Jeffery A. Hartle on May 1, 2009 at 1:53am

I utilized the Carmody Combustible Hazards kit during the early 1990s teaching industrial fire brigade members. It is an amazing tool for live demonstrations of fire chemistry under controlled circumstances. While most of the equipment could be purchased at a laboratory supply store, the ignition control device won't be easy to duplicate.

I added a series of experiments to demonstrate how the arrangement of the fuel affects burning rate, all based upon wood cellulose as the fuel. I would ignite a piece of toilet paper (burns very fast!), a piece of paper (slower), a piece of cardboard (slower still), and finally a block of 2" x 4", all with a match. The 2 x 4 usually won't ignite with a match, so I would hold the flame from a propane torch against the block, which would self-extinguish when the flame was removed. All experiments demonstrated that surface to mass ratio is an important concept, even with solids. (The kit has a kerosene-misting device which demonstrates the same concept with liquids).

I would then arrange two blocks of 2 x 4s (about 6" long) on the ring stand, standing them vertically with the 4" dimensions facing each other, separated by a wooden matchstick with the head removed. The separation between the blocks was about 1/8". One wooden match, held underneath the 1/8" gap, would ignite both blocks of wood because of radiation feedback between the two faces. We had a lot of high-rack storage and this experiment demonstrated how the vertical arrangement of fuel with minimal spacing leads to rapid fire growth from small ignition sources.

One final demonstration (can't remember if this is in the Carmody book or not) was to dry some sawdust/small chips in an oven, then store in a airtight container. After placing about 1" layer of fuel in the bottom of a beaker, stop the beaker with the drilled rubber stopper with a bent glass tube installed. Place the beaker on the ring stand using the screen, then heat the bottom of the beaker with a heat device (candle or propane torch). As smoke and flammable gases are generated through pyrolysis, they exit the beaker through the glass tube. When the fuel has low moisture content, you should be able to ignite the flammable gases mixed with the smoke by placing a lit match in the smoke stream a short distance from the tube, allowing for air to mix with the gases. This demonstrates that flammable gases/smoke can be ignited at some distance from the original heat source (such as gases/smoke venting from a attic).

Thanks for bringing back some great memories of the Carmody Kit. I wish I still had access to one!

Jeff

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Permalink Reply by mike newbury on May 1, 2009 at 3:27pm

Jeffery A. Hartle said:

I utilized the Carmody Combustible Hazards kit during the early 1990s teaching industrial fire brigade members. It is an amazing tool for live demonstrations of fire chemistry under controlled circumstances. While most of the equipment could be purchased at a laboratory supply store, the ignition control device won't be easy to duplicate.

I added a series of experiments to demonstrate how the arrangement of the fuel affects burning rate, all based upon wood cellulose as the fuel. I would ignite a piece of toilet paper (burns very fast!), a piece of paper (slower), a piece of cardboard (slower still), and finally a block of 2" x 4", all with a match. The 2 x 4 usually won't ignite with a match, so I would hold the flame from a propane torch against the block, which would self-extinguish when the flame was removed. All experiments demonstrated that surface to mass ratio is an important concept, even with solids. (The kit has a kerosene-misting device which demonstrates the same concept with liquids).

I would then arrange two blocks of 2 x 4s (about 6" long) on the ring stand, standing them vertically with the 4" dimensions facing each other, separated by a wooden matchstick with the head removed. The separation between the blocks was about 1/8". One wooden match, held underneath the 1/8" gap, would ignite both blocks of wood because of radiation feedback between the two faces. We had a lot of high-rack storage and this experiment demonstrated how the vertical arrangement of fuel with minimal spacing leads to rapid fire growth from small ignition sources.

One final demonstration (can't remember if this is in the Carmody book or not) was to dry some sawdust/small chips in an oven, then store in a airtight container. After placing about 1" layer of fuel in the bottom of a beaker, stop the beaker with the drilled rubber stopper with a bent glass tube installed. Place the beaker on the ring stand using the screen, then heat the bottom of the beaker with a heat device (candle or propane torch). As smoke and flammable gases are generated through pyrolysis, they exit the beaker through the glass tube. When the fuel has low moisture content, you should be able to ignite the flammable gases mixed with the smoke by placing a lit match in the smoke stream a short distance from the tube, allowing for air to mix with the gases. This demonstrates that flammable gases/smoke can be ignited at some distance from the original heat source (such as gases/smoke venting from a attic).

Thanks for bringing back some great memories of the Carmody Kit. I wish I still had access to one!

Jeff

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Permalink Reply by mike newbury on May 1, 2009 at 3:29pm

Cool idea for teaching fire behavior and combustibles, and making your own kit...I like it

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