Experimental Study of Microwave Attenuation in a Compartment Fire

• Published in: Journal of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 249 - 251
• Main Authors: Hong, Sang Gi, Lee, Hakjune, Yang, Hoesung, Jin, Junho, Lee, Hyesun, Lee, Kangbok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 한국전자파학회JEES 01-07-2021; The Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science; 한국전자파학회
• Subjects: ash particle; attenuation; ionized particle; plasma; propagation; 전자/정보통신공학; Ash Particle; Plasma; Attenuation; Ionized Particle; Propagation
• ISSN: 2671-7255; 2671-7263
• DOI: 10.26866/jees.2021.3.l.2

In this letter, we show the experimental results of microwave attenuation characteristics for representative communication frequencies (UHF, public safety long-term evolution [PSLTE], LoRa, Wi-Fi, and LTE) in a compartment fire. We used kerosene, lumber, and urethane foam as fuels, which can be easily found in homes, and measured the signal intensity with three antenna heights to investigate the effect of the flame and smoke. In the compartment environment, the ionized particles were the dominant attenuation factor of the signals. Furthermore, measurements revealed that the attenuation depends on frequencies and fuel types. In particular, large attenuation was observed at particular frequencies when burning lumber and urethane foam.