In a simulation of a developing fire, flame spread must be properly accounted for. The pyrolysis model is important in this respect. To that purpose, we develop a simplified enthalpy based pyrolysis model that is extendable to multi-dimensional solid-phase treatments. This model is to be coupled to gas phase turbulent combustion simulations. The description of the pyrolysis process is simplified in order to acquire short simulation times. In this paper, first, the basic thermodynamic description of pyrolysis phenomena is revisited for charring and non-charring materials, possibly containing moisture. The heat of pyrolysis is defined and its relation to the formation enthalpies of individual constituents is explained.Solving only one equation for enthalpy on a fixed computational mesh, provides a useful description of the transport of heat and the pyrolysis process inside the solid material. Models for e.g. char oxidation or complex transport of the pyrolysis gases or water vapour inside the solid material can be coupled to the present model. Next, numerical issues and implementation are discussed. We consider basic test cases with imposed external heat flux to a solid material that can be dry or contain moisture. We illustrate that continuous pyrolysis gases mass flow rates are obtained when a piecewise linear representation of the temperature field is adopted on the fixed computational mesh. With constant temperature per computational cell, discontinuities, with sudden drops to zero, are encountered, as reported in the literature. We show that the present model formulation is robust with respect to numerical aspects (cell size and time step) and that the model performs well for variable external heat fluxes. For charring and non-charring materials, we validate the model results by means of numerical reference test cases and experimental data. By means of a numerical test case, we show that the model, when coupled to CFD calculations, is able to simulate flame spread.

A new, simple pyrolysis model for charring materials is applied to several numerical and experimental test cases, with variable externally imposed heat fluxes. The model is based on enthalpy. A piecewise linear temperature field representation is adopted, in combination with an estimate for the pyrolysis front position. Chemical kinetics are not accounted for: the pyrolysis process takes place in an infinitely thin front, at the 'pyrolysis temperature'. The evolution in time of pyrolysis gases mass flow rates and surface temperatures are discussed. The presented model is able to reproduce numerical reference results, which were obtained with the more complex moving mesh model. It performs better than the integral model. We illustrate good agreement with numerical reference results for variable thickness and boundary conditions. This reveals that the model provides good results for the entire range of thermally thin and thermally thick materials. It also shows that possible interruption of the pyrolysis process, due to excessive heat losses, is automatically predicted with the present approach. Finally, an experimental test case is considered.

Simulation results, obtained by means of application of an enthalpy based pyrolysis model, are presented. The ultimate focus concerns the potential of the model to be used in flame spread simulations. As an example we discuss vertically upward flame spread over a charring material in a parallel plate configuration. Firstly, the quality of the pyrolysis model is illustrated by means of cone calorimeter results for square (9.8 cm x 9.8 cm The simulation results are compared to experimental data, indicating that, provided that a correct flame height and corresponding heat flux are applied as boundary conditions, flame spread can be predicted accordingly, using the present pyrolysis model.

SUMMARYIn this paper, we describe the results from an experimental campaign, focused on vertical upward flame spread over a charring material. First, for validation purposes of simulation tools, we report on cone calorimeter results for square (9.8cm×9.8 cm), 1.65 cm thick, medium density fibre samples, mounted horizontally. Temperature is shown at the surface and at different depths. The mass of the sample is continuously measured. From the raw data, we derive the temporal evolution of the mass loss rate due to pyrolysis. Different externally imposed heat fluxes are investigated (20, 30 and 50 kW/m 2 ), onto dry and wet material. Afterwards, for the configuration of two particle board plates (0.025 m thick, 0.4 m wide and 2.5 m high), vertically mounted face to face is considered. Two different horizontal spacing distances between the two plates are studied (30.5 and 10.5 cm). The purpose of this set-up is to investigate the vertical upward flame spread with strong radiative heat feedback. To that purpose, the temporal evolution of surface temperature is measured over the height of the plates. The measurement data are used to test a pyrolysis model in numerical simulations.

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