Modelling The Environmental Consequences Of Fires In Warehouses

Abstract

The paper describes progress in the development of a numerical modelling methodology for predicting the environmental consequences of fires in warehouses. Two separate computational fluid dynamics models have been used to predict the emission of combustion products through warehouse roof openings and then to predict the atmospheric dispersion of the effluent. At this stage of development the dispersion model employs as boundary conditions the outflows, through the roof vents, predicted by the enclosure fire model.Results are presented for a representative warehouse containing a burning high-rack of storage with the hot gases vented to the external environment through nine roof vents. The key parameters for dispersion modelling are identified, and an example is provided using the emission from the nine roof vents. Further work is identified for the development of a practical hazard analysis tool. KEYWORDS

Consequence analysis of an open fire incident in a pesticide storage plant

“…Validation of the described methodology has been done for fires in warehouses by comparing the computational results with experimental data (Christolis et al, 1995;Miles et al, 1994). In the present study, the methodology has been validated for toxic plumes rising from pool fires too.…”

“…The proposed methodology for the simulation of the plume dispersion is based on the dimensionless buoyancy flux number (Miles et al, 1994;Hall et al, 1995;Christolis et al, 1995;Sideris et al, 2004) that is defined as follows:…”

“…The proposed methodology for the calculation of the plume dispersion, which is based on the buoyant flux number, have been developed and validated experimentally by Hall, Kukadia, Walker and Marsland (1995) using also CFD techniques by Miles et al (1994) ;Christolis Christidou Boudouvis and Markatos (1995); Sideris, Christolis and Markatos (2004) for fires in warehouses.…”

Flammability of Polymers

“…[19,[42][43][44]. The data in Tables 11.5 11 The average value of √ kρc for ordinary solid polymers is 0.778 ± 18%, for high-temperature polymers; it is 0.640 ± 15%, and for highly halogenated solid polymers it is 0.624 ± 18%. The overall average value of √ kρc for solid polymers is 0.781 ± 18%.…”

“…• For the satisfactory performance of the products (determined by measuring mechanical, thermal, electrical, and other properties and comparing them with the specified limits) • For eliminating or minimizing the deleterious effects of the environment on the products (determined by measuring the properties associated with the effects of temperature, light, oxygen, ozone, humidity, acids, smoke, aerosols, and others and comparing their values with the specified limits) • For eliminating or minimizing the fire hazards from the burning products (determined by measuring the flammability of the polymers and comparing the values with the specified limits) • For safe disposal of the products without any adverse effects to the environment, such as recycling and subsequent repolymerization, recycling to olefinic feedstock by pyrolysis, continued burial in landfill sites, incineration, and use of environmentally degradable polymers • For eliminating or minimizing contamination of air, water, and soil by the fires of the polymers and their suppression, for example, retention of water used for fire fighting [10,11] This chapter deals with the subject of flammability of polymers where thermal, oxidative, and radiative degradations all play very significant roles. Flammability of polymers is a complex subject and has been discussed in other books and review articles by various authors [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22].…”