Modified Fire Simulation Curve of Cabin Temperatures in Postcrash Fires for Fire Safety Engineering

Abstract

The fire simulation curve this paper presents is based on a curve which is proposed by Barnett in 2002. The curve is used to study the temperature change in a fire scenario in the interior of a rectangular compartment. However, it is not applicable to use in some long, limited spaces with arc boundaries, such as aircraft cabins. Some improvements and simplifications are made to the curve to solve this problem. A numerical simulation is conducted via the modified curve in a B737 fuselage during a postcrash fire. The result is compared with a fire dynamics simulator (FDS) simulation and a full-scale test undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The practicability and accuracy of the modified curve is proved through the relevant analysis and the main relative error analysis. The time to flashover is also predicted by the curve and the FDS simulation, respectively. Several parameters are chosen as influence factors to study their effect on the time to flashover in order to delay the occurrence of the flashover. This study may provide a technical support for the cabin fire safety design, safety management, and fire safety engineering.