2006 Fire Publications - Evaluation of the Ability of Fire Dynamic Simulator to Simulate Positive Pressure Ventilation in the Laboratory and Practical Scenarios.

Evaluation of the Ability of Fire Dynamic Simulator to Simulate Positive Pressure Ventilation in the Laboratory and Practical Scenarios.

Evaluation of the Ability of Fire Dynamic Simulator to Simulate Positive Pressure Ventilation in the Laboratory and Practical Scenarios. (8992 K)
Kerber, S.

NISTIR 7315; 149 p. April 2006.

Sponsor:

Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC

Keywords:

ventilation; scenarios; evaluation; simulations; mapping; experiments; uncertainty; flow visualization; geometry; vents; room fires; fuel load; heat release rate; gas temperature; differential pressure; gas velocity; ignition source; fire growth; smoke spread; oxygen; velocity

Abstract:

Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) is a tactic that is used on fire grounds worldwide everyday, both to improve tenability after the extinguishment of a fire and/or to improve firefighting conditions during fire attack. PPV has proven that it can be a useful tool on the fire ground, but if used improperly it can also kill or injure fire fighters and civilians. Data from three full-scale experiments are compared with simulations completed with the computational fluid dynamic model Fire dynamics simulator (FDS). The full-scale experiments characterize a PPV fan in an open atmosphere, in a simple room geometry and in a room fire. All experiments qualify and quantify the comparison of the experimental results with the FDS results. A concluding scenario is modeled utilizing the calibration of the full-scale experiments to examine the effects of PPV on a fire in a two-story, colonial style house.

Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899