Citation

Hurley MJ, Munguia A. J. Fire Prot. Eng. 2010; 20(2): 77-99.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1042391509360272

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Predictions of gas temperature in the fire plume and ceiling jet as well as the response of thermal detectors due to a growing heptane-spray fire were obtained from Fire Dynamics Simulator, version 4 and compared to data from a series of full-scale tests conducted beneath a ceiling suspended in a large facility. This facility consisted of a 36.6 × 36.6 m compartment with ceiling heights ranging from 3.0 to 12.2 m. Heat release rates followed a modified t-squared growth profile. Thermocouples attached to brass disks were used to simulate thermal detectors. Outside the plume centerline, predictions of both gas and disk temperature rise taken together were within a factor of 1.9 of corresponding test data. Although the multiplicative factor of 1.9 was developed by considering all scenarios collectively, a smaller multiplicative factor could have been suggested if some outlying data were excluded. Experimental test data from scenarios that do not correspond to specific configurations of interest could also be excluded, thereby resulting in a multiplicative factor less than the value of 1.9.