Development of a numerical approach based on coupled CFD/FEM analysis for virtual fire resistance tests—Part A: Thermal analysis of the gas phase combustion and different test specimens

Abstract

Summary In the present two‐parted study, a numerical approach is shown to consider fire resistance tests in virtual space, including the combustion, thermal analysis of the test specimen, and the deformation process. This part is dealing with the combustion process and thermal analysis of different building materials tested in a fire resistance furnace. Instead of using coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD)/finite element method simulation for the combustion and thermal heat conduction in the solid, which is commonly used in literature, the present approach considers these transport phenomena in one CFD simulation. This method enables a two‐way coupling between the gas phase and the solid material, where chemical reactions and the release of volatile components into the gas phase can occur (eg, release of water vapour from gypsum). To validate the numerical model, a fire resistance test of a steel door, which is a multilayer construction, and a wall made of gypsum blocks were experimentally and numerically investigated. Due to the chemical reactions inside the gypsum, water vapour is released to the gas phase reducing the flue gas temperature about 80 K. This effect was taken into account using a two‐way coupling in the CFD model, which predicted temperatures in close accordance to the measurement.

Experimental analysis of the wall deformation of masonry brick and gypsum‐sheathed stud walls during standardized fire resistance tests of steel doors

“…Furthermore, in numerical simulations of FRTs commonly the test specimen without adjacent wall construction was taken into account, which may lead to deviations between the numerical and experimental results for the deformation. For example, this was shown by Prieler et al, 27,28 where a coupled CFD/FEM simulation approach was used to calculate the gas phase combustion, heat transfer in the test specimen and its deformation. The neglected wall deformation was identified as crucial to calculate the test specimen's deformation in a better accordance to the measurement.…”

Numerical Modeling of Fire Resistance Test as a Tool to Design Lightweight Marine Fire Doors: A Preliminary Study

“…The performance of fire-proof doors in the fire tests has been addressed both experimentally and using numerical modeling [3][4][5][6][7][8]: these simulations were typically aimed at reproducing the experimental results and assessing the computational methods. However, Izydorczyk et al [9] highlighted the variability of the results after testing the effects of several fire-door construction parameters and materials on the fire-resistance performance.…”

Numerical Simulation of Fire Resistance Test for Gas Turbine Component Using Coupled CFD/FEM Approach

“…The necessity to predict the behavior of the component under fire stress is confirmed by the breadth of scientific research on this topic [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. The most promising and accurate approach is based on coupled CFD-FEM analysis of the component behavior under fire-resistance tests.…”

“…The most promising and accurate approach is based on coupled CFD-FEM analysis of the component behavior under fire-resistance tests. Detailed description of this approach can be found in the research of Prieler et al [3,4] and Malendowski [5].…”

“…Unlike other research [3][4][5][6][7][9][10][11] where all tests are performed on simplified models/coupons, this study analyses highly detailed complex geometry multimaterial assembly of the real component used in operational gas turbine engine. Moreover, it is typical for academia that experiment and computational analysis is performed by the same group of people working on the same project, which provide opportunity to tune the model to experimental results.…”