- Author
- Parker, A. J.
- Title
- Methodology to Produce a Composite Heat Release Rate Curve for Multiple Burning Items.
- Coporate
- Worcester Polytechnic Inst., MA
- Report
- Thesis, May 1992, 221 p.
- Keywords
- heat release rate | methodology | burning rate | fire codes | fire models | furniture calorimeters | simulation | compartments | computer models
- Identifiers
- HAZARD I; FAST; MLTFUEL; WPI/FIRE CODE; FIRST
- Abstract
- The computer fire model, HAZARD I requires the input of a single heat release rate curve into the fire descriptor program FAST to describe the fire being investigated. If only one fuel package is involved in the fire, its heat release rate curve can be input directly into HAZARD I. If more than one fuel package is involved, some method must be utilized to produce a composite heat release rate curve for input into the model. The program MLTFUEL is included in the HAZARD I package for this purpose. Severe limitations in this program, however, prevent an accurate heat release rate curve from being developed. The effect of radiation from multiple burning objects and the upper layer will enhance the burning rate of all involved items. This enhancement of the fire due to radiation is not accounted for in MLTFUEL. Single room fire models, such as the WPI/FIRE CODE and FIRST can handle multiple burning items. In this thesis, a methodology has been developed whereby the furniture calorimeter data from different fuels can be simulated using the two computer models and be used to produce a composite heat release curve suitable for input into HAZARD I. A number of residential furniture items have been tested using the furniture calorimeter at NIST over the last few years. The heat release rate data for twenty-one of the fuel packages contained in the HAZARD I database FIREDATA were simulated on both the WPI/FIRE CODE and FIRST. A catalogue containing all relevant fire parameters to reproduce this simulation has been developed. The furniture calorimeter heat release rate curve simulation method has been automated and a user's guide as well as computer code for the program developed is included. A comparison of the composite curve calculated using the WPI/FIRE CODE and the MLTFUEL curve used as the input into FAST is provided to demonstrate the better accuracy of the new methodology.