CFD MODELING OF FIRE IN A LARGE- DINING HALL

Abstract

Fire safety is very important for any construction. Many recent events of fire accidents have caught world's attention and raised public awareness on the aftermaths of fire accidents including explosions, toxic releases, losses of human life, material property etc. Particularly the fires developing in the multi storied buildings, such as residential complex, offices etc. pose threats to life and property. Hence, increasing more effective fire protection measures are being included to mitigate fire risks and enhance safety. Fire protection engineering focuses on studies for understanding, prevention and mitigation of fires. The mathematical modelling of smoke movement in any enclosure, like in corridors of floors of the building, is a formidable task. This thesis aims to perform fire safety analysis on a large dining hall using CFD modelling. For this purpose validation of physical sub models is done using results of well-known Steckler's compartment fire experiments. The occupancy chosen for the study was that of a large dining hall of Radhakrishnan Bhawan, a boys' hostel on the campus of Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. A volumetric heat source fire has been hypothesised and smoke and temperature behaviour is studied using CFD code ANSYS-CFX. The project work aims at prediction of the Available Safe Egress Time for safely evacuating all the occupants from this dining hall in case of a fire scenario.