Fire Dynamics Simulator: User's Manual.
Fire Dynamics Simulator: User's Manual.
(464 K)
McGrattan, K. B.; Forney, G. P.
NISTIR 6469; 55 p. January 2000.
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
(NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161.
Telephone:
1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000;
Fax: 703-605-6900.
Website: http://www.ntis.gov
Order number: PB2000-104812
Keywords:
fire models; simulation; predictive models;
computational fluid dynamics; fire protection
Abstract:
Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is a computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) model of fire-driven fluid flow. The
software described in this document solves numerically a
form of the Navier-Stokes equations appropriate for
low-speed, thermally-driven flow with an emphasis on
smoke and heat transport from fires. The formulation of
the equations and the numerical algorithm are contained
in a companion document, called "Fire Dynamics
Simulator: Technical Reference Guide". The intent of
this User's Manual is to explain how calculations are
performed and how to analyze the results. Fire Dynamics
Simulator consists of two computer programs. The first,
called simply fds, is a Fortran 90 computer program that
solves the equations. The second, called smokeview, is
an OpenGL graphics program that allows one to visualize
the results. All of the input parameters required by fds
to describe the particular scenario of interest are
conveyed via one or two text files created by the user.
Version 1 of smokeview has a limited Graphical User
Interface (GUI), with major parameters controlled by a
GUI and minor parameters controlled via a text file.
How to get FDS: All of the files associated with FDS
are linked to the URL: http://fire.nist.gov. The FDS
distribution consists of the Fortran 90 source code for
fds, a compiled executable for the PC (fds.exe), a
compiled executable of smokeview for the PC
(smokeview.exe) and several popular UNIX workstations,
and sample input files for the cases discussed below.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899