- Author
-
Chiam, B. H.
- Title
- Numerical Simulation of a Metro Train Fire.
- Coporate
- University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Report
-
Fire Engineering Research Report 05/1,
June 2005,
331 p.
- Keywords
-
railroads
|
simulation
|
computational fluid dynamics
|
heat release rate
|
tunnels
|
ventilation
|
combustion
|
design applications
|
scenarios
|
fire sfety
|
railroad fires
|
railroad safety
|
hydrodynamics
|
combustion models
|
thermal radiation
|
heat flux
|
pryolysis
|
geometry
|
fire protection
|
test methods
|
fire load
|
fire statistics
|
cone calorimeters
|
oxygen consumption
|
material properties
|
experiments
- Identifiers
- current methods of estimating the HRR of a metro train; fire safety studies of rail cars; studies relevant to this research project; Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS); convection heat flux; train car and tunnel geometries; circle line train; train cars fire load schedule; design fire scenarios; fire development; trial simulations; NFPA 130 and FRA test methods and performance criteria; major metro train fires in tunnel from 1970 to 2003; emergency tunnel ventilation system operating direction for Circle Line (CCL) under various fire scenarios; FRP polyester - Calculation of molecular weight and stoichiometry coefficient for CO2, H2O and O2; sample FDS data file for trial simulations; sample FDS data file for Cone Calorimeter model
- Abstract
- This research thesis presents the simulation of fire growth and flame spread within a metro train in an underground trainway using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model. The motivation of the study is to predict the heat release rate (HRR) and specifically the peak value for emergency tunnel ventilation system design. Even though currently there are several methods that can be used to estimate the HRR for a metro train, it appears that the current methods cannot realistically predict the HRR because factors such as the burning behaviour of materials; and/or the train and tunnel geometries that affect the HRR are not considered. This project attempts to incorporate these factors in the FDS model. The study evaluated the design of metro trains proposed for the new Circle Line under construction in Singapore. In this research, two modelling approaches were proposed. The first modelling approach prescribed the Cone Calorimeter heat release rate per unit area (HRRPUA) while the other prescribed the heat of vaporisation. The difference between the two is the prescribed constant which governed the rate of pyrolysis. Cone Calorimeter tests were conducted for the surface exposed materials to evaluate the train car materials' reaction to fire and to derive the material properties for input into the FDS model. In this research, three common fire scenarios have been identified for simulation. They were fire on top of the seat (arson), fire in the corner (arson and electrical fault) and undercarriage fire (electrical fault). The common fire scenarios were expanded to account for ventilation factors. A total of 13 credible fire scenarios were investigated.