Flame Spread in Cable Tray Fires and its Modeling in Fire Simulation Codes

Röwekamp, M.; Klein-Heßling, W.; Riese, Olaf; Berg, H.P.

doi:10.2478/v10040-008-0057-z

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Different strategies have been developed to model the fire development in cable tray installations. Performance of several computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes, to estimate fire development and propagation in cable tray installations, have been compared in the past [20]. Based on Cone Calorimeter data from the FIPEC project mathematical models for material pyrolysis were created [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Fire Spread Simulation Based on Material Pyrolysis - An Application to the CHRISTIFIRE Phase 1 Horizontal Cable Tray Tests

Hehnen¹,

Arnold²,

Mendola³

2020

Preprint

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A general procedure is described, to generate material parameter sets to simulate fire propagation in horizontal cable tray installations. Cone Calorimeter test data is processed in an inverse modelling approach. Here, parameter sets are generated procedurally and serve as input for simulations conducted with the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). The simulation responses are compared with the experimental data and ranked based on their fitness. The best fitness was found for a test condition of \SI{50}{\kilo\watt\per\meter^2}. Low flux conditions \SI{25}{\kilo\watt\per\meter^2} and less exhibited difficulties to be simulated accurately. As a validation step, the best parameter sets are then utilised to simulate fire propagation within a horizontal cable tray installation and are compared with experimental data. It is important to note, the inverse modelling process is focused on the Cone Calorimeter and not aware of the actual validation step. Despite this handicap, the general features in the fire development can be reproduced, however not exact. The fire in the tray simulation extinguishes earlier and the total energy release is slightly higher as compared to the experiment. The responses of the material parameter sets are briefly compared with a selection of state of the art procedures.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Fire Spread Simulation Based on Material Pyrolysis - An Application to the CHRISTIFIRE Phase 1 Horizontal Cable Tray Tests

Hehnen¹,

Arnold²,

Mendola³

2020

Preprint

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“…It is stated in Askit et al that the configuration of cables “may play a role as significant as physical and chemical properties on the cable response to fires.” Furthermore, the influence of “loading, bundling, grouping and spacing of cables” on the extent of flame spread, and thus, the severity of the fire, has been highlighted in the context of the FIPEC (Fire Performance of Electric Cables) project . Very often, a cable tray is represented as a single rectangular slab that defines the material surface where the fuel undergoes a pyrolysis process before being burned. However, such an approach does not allow reproducing a realistic flame pattern.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This would not be the case if each tray were modeled as one homogeneous rectangular slab (see Figure ). One way to account for the space between cables when they are not densely packed is to model longitudinal slots of air between the cables, as suggested in Röwekamp et al It is important also to mention that, in the approach presented herein, thermal degradation of the cables (ie, pyrolysis), which is a very complex process, is not modeled. Instead, flame spread is predicted based on a surface ignition approach where the heat up and ignition are modeled, but the burning rate is prescribed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical simulations of a full‐scale cable tray fire using small‐scale test data

Beji

Merci

2018

Fire and Materials

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Summary This paper presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)‐based modeling strategy for the prediction of cable tray fire development. The methodology is applied to a set of five horizontal trays (each 2.4‐m long and 0.45‐m wide) that are positioned with a 0.3‐m vertical spacing and set up against an insulated wall. Each tray contains 49 power PVC cables. Ignition is performed with an 80‐kW propane burner centrally positioned at 0.2 m below the lowest tray. A collection of four groups of cables per tray (made of one homogeneous material) is considered. These groups are separated by longitudinal slots of air to “mimic” their relatively “loose arrangement.” The thermal properties and surface ignition temperature are estimated from cone calorimetry (CC). When the ignition temperature is reached, the cables burn according to a prescribed heat release rate per unit area (HRRPUA) profile obtained from CC, as is or in a modified shape. A realistic flame pattern is predicted. Furthermore, using only data from CC, the peak HRR is underpredicted, and the time to reach the peak is overpredicted. The proposed “design” for the modified HRRPUA CC‐profile significantly improves the results.

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“…Considering this complexity and the developmental state of flame spread models, it was recommended to resort to heat release rates derived from tests conducted with a similar configuration, favoring the development of an experimental database. Predicting the heat release rate of cable tray fires is still qualified as highly complex in a more recent work . Later on, among the PRISME 2 program, a benchmark exercise was performed, aimed at assessing the ability of fire modeling to predict a cable tray fire in confined and ventilated compartments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Predicting the heat release rate of cable tray fires is still qualified as highly complex in a more recent work. 12 Later on, among the PRISME 2 program, a benchmark exercise was performed, aimed at assessing the ability of fire modeling to predict a cable tray fire in confined and ventilated compartments. It was concluded that simulating cable fires in confined conditions is very complex by contrast with liquid fuel fire simulations that have a higher level of maturity.…”

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confidence: 99%

Cable tray FIRE tests simulations in open atmosphere and in confined and mechanically ventilated compartments with the CALIF3S/ISIS CFD software

2018

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Summary Fire hazard in nuclear power plants (NPPs) is particularly often investigated as potential cause of safety equipment failure and confinement loss. Many fire events recorded in NPPs involve electric cables, widely used throughout facilities. IRSN is developing the CALIF3S/ISIS computational fluid dynamics software devoted to fire simulation in large‐scale confined and mechanically ventilated compartments. This paper presents two aspects of the CALIF3S/ISIS code ability to simulate fires. The first one concerns vertical and horizontal spreading of a cable tray fire in open atmosphere using an approach based on the FLASH‐CAT cable fire spread model. Resorting to the suitable parameters of the FLASH‐CAT model based on video fire analyses of tests enables to properly compute the heat release rate of the fire. The second aspect concerns the ability to simulate the evolution and consequences of fires in confined and mechanically ventilated compartments. For these cases, the heat release rate measured during the corresponding experiment is used as input data for the calculations. The predicted evolutions of pressure or gas temperatures are in relatively good accordance with the experiments. The major discrepancy concerns gas concentrations in the fire room which is attributed to a lack of information about the properties of the fuel material.

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Flame Spread in Cable Tray Fires and its Modeling in Fire Simulation Codes

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Numerical Fire Spread Simulation Based on Material Pyrolysis - An Application to the CHRISTIFIRE Phase 1 Horizontal Cable Tray Tests

Numerical Fire Spread Simulation Based on Material Pyrolysis - An Application to the CHRISTIFIRE Phase 1 Horizontal Cable Tray Tests

Numerical simulations of a full‐scale cable tray fire using small‐scale test data

Cable tray FIRE tests simulations in open atmosphere and in confined and mechanically ventilated compartments with the CALIF3S/ISIS CFD software

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