Simulating the Fuel Mass Loss Rate in Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) Using a New Furniture Calorimeter

Abstract

Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is widely used in the fire community to simulate and understand in detail enclosure fire dynamics. Fire models require accurate descriptions of the fuel sources to simulate the fire behavior. One approach in FDS is to describe the fuel mass loss rate from furniture calorimeter tests. Unfortunately furniture calorimeter tests do not account for enclosure effects on the fuel sources (i.e. the thermal feedback of the smoke layer and the air vitiation). This work explores a simple pyrolysis model that uses furniture calorimeter data and applies a correction to the data to represent enclosure effects. The study includes: (1) the development of a database which compiles furniture calorimeter data, (2) the development of a modified version of FDS that incorporates a simple pyrolysis model proposed by Professor Quintiere and (3) a performance evaluation of the model by detailed comparisons between FDS results and experimental data from two studies performed at the University of Canterbury.