- Author
- Prasad, K. R. | Baum, H. R.
- Title
- Simulating Fire Dynamics and Thermal Response of Structural Elements.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Book or Conf
- Combustion Institute/Central States Section. Third (3rd) Joint Meeting of the U.S. Sections. Session C7: Fire I. Hosted by The Central States Section of the Combustion Institute and the University of Illinois at Chicago. March 16-19, 2003, Chicago, IL, C34/1-6 p., 2003
- Keywords
- structural elements | fire dynamics | thermal analysis | finite element analysis
- Abstract
- Simulation of the effects of severe fires on the structural integrity of builings requires a close coupling between the gas phase energy release and transport phenomena and the stress analysis in the load bearing materials. The connection between the two is established primarily through the interaction of the radiative heat transfer between the solid and gas phases with the conduction of heat through the structural elements. A simple radiative transport model that assumes the compartment is divided into a hot, soot laden upper layer and a cool relatively clear lower layer is employed. Explicit formulae for the heat flux are obtained as a function of temperatures, hot layer depth, soot concentration and orientation of the structural element. These formulae are used to generate realistic thermal boundary conditions for a coupled transient three-dimensional finite element code. This code is used to generate solutions for the heating of complex structural assemblies.