Simulation of a Compartment Flashover Fire Using Hand Calculations, Zone Models and a Field Model.
Simulation of a Compartment Flashover Fire Using Hand
Calculations, Zone Models and a Field Model.
(1000 K)
Spearpoint, M. J.; Mowrer, F. W.; McGrattan, K. B.
International Conference on Fire Research and
Engineering (ICFRE3), Third (3rd). Proceedings. Society
of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) and International
Association of Fire Safety Science (IAFSS). October
4-8, 1999, Chicago, IL, Society of Fire Protection
Engineers, Boston, MA, 3-14 pp, 1999.
Keywords:
fire research; fire protection engineering;
compartments; flashover; zone models; field models; room
fires; fire tests; methodology; flame height; layer
heights; temperature; computation; fire models;
computational fluid dynamics
Abstract:
A fully furnished compartment fire was conducted in a
5.2 m by 4.6 m by 2.4 m high room. Ventilation was
provided through a single open doorway 0.9 m wide and
2.0 m high. Ignition of a pillow located on a loveseat
was achieved with the halogen bulb of a torchiere lamp.
The fire was confined to the pillow for approximately
the first 5 1/2 minutes of the test before spreading to
the loveseat and thereafter taking about 4 minutes to
reach flashover conditions. Temperature profiles at
three locations and heat flux at floor level near the
center of the room were measured. This paper discusses
attempts to model the conditions within the compartment
using three methods, including 1) hand calculations; 2)
three zone fire models; and 3) a computational fluid
dynamics model. Several fire growth scenarios were
developed using visual observations and rate of heat
release data from published sources. Predictions for
flame height, upper layer temperature and layer
interface height were deveioped for each methodology or
model. These predictions are compared with experimental
data obtained from the fire test.
