A Computer Model Of Upward Flame Spread On Vertical Surfaces

Abstract

A model which describes the physical processes of upward flame spread and f r e growth on wall materials has been developed and implemented as a computer program. The computerbased flame spread model simulates the f i e growth along a vertical combustible wall. The vertical wall material may be heated by an imposed external heat flux and is ignited at its bottomedge with a flame from a line burner of user specified strength. The model predicts the flame spread rate, the heat release rate of the fure, the flame height, the net heat flux to the wall surface, and the time varying surface temperature. The model uses inputs developed from cone calorimeter data. The results from the model compare favorably to upward flame spread experimental results for PMMA, plywood, and vinyl-esterlglass composite found in the literature.

Fundamental flame spread and toxicity evaluation of fire retarded polymers

“…Delichatsios [8], [9] and Beyler [10] also used expressions for a variable heat flux over the flame height to calculate the upward flame spread velocity and fire growth. A more simple approach is characterised by assuming a simple relationship between flame length and heat release rate and assuming a constant flame heat flux over this length, as Saito et al [11] did.…”

The Estimation Problems of the Fire Hazard for Vertically Oriented Building Products

“…Publikacijose [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] nagrinejami vertikali4 konstrukcijl! degimo procesai statinio viduje.…”

Corner Fire Growth in a Room With a Combustible Lining

“…The fire growth model consists of two linked programs: a flame spread program and a compartment fire model. The flame spread program is the Navy flame spread model developed by Beyler, et al [5] and Lattimer et al [4]. This model is used to calculate the contribution of wall linings to the growth of a fire inside a compartment.…”

“…During the fire each cell is considered to be in one of three stages : pre-heat, burning, or burnout. During the pre-heat stage, a heat transfer algorithm was used to predict the temperature rise of each cell with time [5]. The heat transfer algorithm was based on theory developed from assuming the material behaves as a semi-infinite solid with a cubic temperature profile through the material and a time varying heat flux boundary condition.…”

“…Flame spread input data for the combustible boundary materials were developed from small-scale test data in the cone calorimeter [3]. The model has been validated against fire test data for flame spread over a vertical wall [5] and in a combustible corner with no hot layer [4]. The flame spread model divides the combustible surfaces being considered in the analysis into a user selected number of square, uniform size cells.…”