Comparison of CFAST Predictions to USCG Real-Scale Fire Tests.
Comparison of CFAST Predictions to USCG Real-Scale Fire
Tests.
(1390 K)
Reneke, P. A.; Peatross, M. J.; Jones, W. W.; Beyler, C.
L.; Richards, R.
NISTIR 6446; 16 p. January 2000.
Journal of Fire Protection Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 1,
43-68, February 2001.
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: PB2000-102498
Keywords:
fire models; predictive models; zone models; fire tests;
test methods; fire safety; heat release rate; smoke
movement; CFAST; ventilation
Abstract:
The zone model CFAST was used to make predictions of
single room pre-flashover tire tests conducted in a
steel enclosure. These results were then compared with
previously published measurements obtained in fire
tests. Tests included diesel pool fires, polyurethane
slab fires, and wood crib fires. Half of these tests
used natural ventilation (window, 1/4 door, and full
door) while the remaining tests used forced ventilation
(0.25 m3/s, 0.38 m3/s, and 0.61 m3/s). With the
exception of heat release rates, all CFAST inputs were
selected without knowledge of the experimental results.
Key variables compared include the upper layer
temperature, the hot layer interface location, and
ceiling temperatures. Overall, predictions made by
CFAST were in good agreement with the data. There was a
general tendency to over predict both the hot gas layer
temperature and the boundary surface temperature which
may be due to under prediction of boundary heat losses.
Experimental results showed that heat release rates
varied with ventilation configurations by as much as a
factor of 3. This observation indicates that the wide
practice of using free bum heat release rate data in
compartment fire predictions can result in over
prediction of compartment fire conditions.
