Numerical Simulation of the Howard Street Tunnel Fire.
Numerical Simulation of the Howard Street Tunnel Fire.
(564 K)
McGrattan, K. B.; Hamins, A.
Fire Technology, Vol. 42, No. 4, 273-281, October 2006.
Sponsor:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
Keywords:
tunnels; simulation; fire models; gas temperatures;
oxygen concentration; sensitivity analysis
Abstract:
The paper presents numerical simulations of a fire in
the Howard Street Tunnel, Baltimore, Maryland, following
the derailment of a freight train in July, 2001. The
model was validated for this application using
temperature data collected during a series of fire
experiments conducted in a decommissioned highway tunnel
in West Virginia. The peak predicted temperatures within
the Howard Street Tunnel were approximately 1,000DGC
(1,800DGF) within the flaming regions, and approximately
500DGC (900DGF) averaged over a length of the tunnel equal
to about four rail cars.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899