Zone Computer Fire Models for Enclosures.
Zone Computer Fire Models for Enclosures.
(476 K)
Walton, W. D.
NFPA SFPE 95; LC Card Number 95-68247;
SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. 2nd
Edition. Section 3. Chapter 7, National Fire Protection
Assoc., Quincy, MA, DiNenno, P. J.; Beyler, C. L.;
Custer, R. L. P.; Walton, W. D., Editor(s), 3/148-151
p., 1995.
Keywords:
fire protection; fire protection engineering; zone
models; fire models; computer models; predictive models;
enclosures; computer programs
Abstract:
Computer programs are used in many areas of fire
protection design, including suppression system design,
smoke control system design, and egress analysis. The
emphasis in this chapter is on zone computer fire models
for enclosures. Zone fire models are computer programs
designed to predict the conditions resulting from a fire
in an enclosure. These models solve the equations based
on the zone assumptions describing the fire-induced
conditions within an enclosure. Computer fire models can
provide a faster and more accurate estimate of the
impact of a fire, and the measures used to prevent or
control the fire, than many of the methods previously
used. While manual calculation methods provide good
estimates of specific fire effects (e.g., prediction of
time to flashover), they are now well suited for
comprehensive analyses involving the time-dependent
interactions of multiple physical and chemical processes
present in developing fires. The state of the art in
computer fire modeling is changing rapidly.
Understanding of the processes involved in fire growth
is improving, and thus, the technical basis for the
models is improving. The capabilities, documentation,
and support for a given model can change dramatically
over a short period of time. In addition, computer
technology itself (both hardware and software) is
advancing rapidly. A few years ago, a large mainframe
computer was required to use most of the computer fire
models. Today, all of the zone fire models can be run
on personal computers. Therefore, rather than provide
an exhaustive review of rapidly changing
state-of-the-art available computer models, the
following discussion will focus on a representative
selection. The reader is guided to references 1 and 2
for a comprehensive review of computer fire models.
