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Author
deRis, J.
Title
Prediction of Fire Dynamics. Final Report. Third Calendar Quarterly Report. July 1, 1994-August 28, 1994.
Coporate
Factory Mutual Research Corp., Norwood, MA
Sponsor
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
Report
NIST GCR 97-729, October 1997, 39 p.
Distribution
Available from National Technical Information Service
Contract
NIST-GRANT-60NANB1D1177
Keywords
fire dynamics | ceiling jets | diffusion flames | heat transfer | fire models | flame spread | soot | temperature | turbulent flames | walls
Abstract
This report summarizes accomplishments of a Factory Mutual Research Corporation (FMRC) project on the Prediction of Fire Dynamics for the NIST grant period indicated. Work performed under a subcontract by Professor H.W. Emmons on Transient Ceiling Jet Heat Transfer is described as part of Task 1, Prediction of Fire in Buildings. This task has developed new practical expressions for heat transfer rates between the fire-induced ceiling-jet and the ceiling surface, so that the rate of increase in ceiling temperature can be predicted more reliably. The accomplishments of three tasks performed at FMRC are then presented in summaries of Tasks 2, 4, and 5. In Tasks 2 and 4, considerable progress has been made in the formulation of similarity relationships for gas temperature and soot layer thickness profiles in real-scale wall fires. We believe that these similarity relationships can be exploited to describe turbulent buoyant flames on vertical surfaces more accurately than ever. All of this work is aimed at the development of submodels or algorithms that can be used in NIST/BFRL comprehensive computer fire models. The FMRC tasks have previously led to the development of practical smoke-point measurement techniques for solid combustible materials, as described in a paper presented at the 4th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science, Ottawa, June 1994.