SPREAD: A Model of Flame Spread on Vertical Surfaces.
SPREAD: A Model of Flame Spread on Vertical Surfaces.
(3084 K)
Mitler, H. E.; Steckler, K. D.
NISTIR 5619; 69 p. April 1995.
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Keywords:
computer models; flame spread; fire growth; fire models;
fire spread; mathematical models; upward spread; walls
fires
Abstract:
This report describes the computer program SPREAD.
SPREAD is the explicity implementation of a model which
has been developed for predicting the ignition of, and
the subsequent rate and extent of fire spread on flat
walls in a room using the fire properties of the
materials involved. It uses input data from bench-scale
tests including the LIFT and the Cone Calorimeter. The
principal mode of spread is upward, but the calculations
also include the slow lateral spread on the wall. For
the latter calculations, the fact that the room produces
a two-layer environment has been taken into account (the
lateral spread rate within the upper layer is greater
than in the lower one). Embedded in the overall model
is a general pyrolysis submodel, specially developed for
this purpose, which treats arbitrary materials
(ablating, char-forming, composite, etc.). SPREAD also
calculates the regression of the pyrolyzing surface,
including the possible burnout of the wall/slab at any
point. The program has been compared to experimental
data for wood particle board and for PMMA. The
structure of the program is given in a set of
appendices.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899