Validation of Fire Dynamics Simulator for forced and natural convection flows

Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model developed specifically for fire safety applications. FDS is widely used by fire researchers, investigators and engineers.
The study was carried out to assess the accuracy of FDS predictions for a scenario in which smoke spreads from a small compartment into an adjacent larger space, from which it is then extracted using powered ventilation system. Such a fire scenario can be encountered, for example, in a hotel building where bedrooms face onto a feature atrium or in a shopping centre with small retail units opening onto a mall.
In the study, the results of small-scale physical experiments were compared with the FDS predictions. The main parameters for which assessment was made included temperature in the fire compartment and in the smoke reservoir and the height of the smoke layer in the reservoir. The influence of different mesh types was investigated. A review of the existing and ongoing validation work for FDS is also included in the paper, based on the information obtained from published papers and other sources.

MSc dissertation prepared under the supervision of Prof. Vasily Novozhilov (University of Ulster)

Autorzy: Piotr Smardz