Dayton Aircraft Cabin Fire Model. Volume I. Basic Mathematical Model.

Abstract

A basic mathematical model and computer simulation program have been developed to assess the smoke and toxic gas emissions resulting from the burning of cabin interior materials of a wide-body transport aircraft in a full-scale fire based on laboratory test data on these materials. The mathematical model employs a technique of approximating the distribution of burning or smoldering regions on combustible materials by dividing the surface of the material into square area elements. The combustion behavior of a material is modeled by the allowing of the area elements to exist in one of seven discrete states. The four primary states are the following: virgin (the original, unignited condition), smoldering (nonflaming thermal degredation), flaming (burning with open flaming), or charred (burned-out or inert). The other three states are intermediate states in the transition to or from one of the four primary states. Fire ignition; flame spread; release of heat, smoke, and toxic combustion products; and the eventual extinction of a fire are all predicted by specifying times of transition between the four primary states and by specifying flame spread rates. Transition times, flame spread rates and the smoke, heat, and toxic gas release rates are assumed to be known as functions of imposed heat flux from laboratory measurements on the specific materials and assemblies of an aircraft cabin interior. Smoke and toxic gas concentration within the cabin section of the fire origin are computed by a one-dimensional, dynamic, stratified model of the cabin atmosphere which includes buoyancy driven flow out of the cabin section through one or more doorways. The results of two sample runs of the simulation program are presented and analyzed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1976
Accession Number
ADA033682

Entities

People

  • Charles D. Macarthur
  • Jerry B. Reeves

Organizations

  • University of Dayton Research Institute

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Cabins
  • Aircrafts
  • Background Radiation
  • Burning Rate
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Combustion
  • Combustion Products
  • Computer Programs
  • Computer Simulations
  • Fire Safety
  • Fires
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Heat Of Combustion
  • Heat Transfer
  • Mathematical Models
  • Test Methods
  • Transport Aircraft

Readers

  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Fire Suppression Systems Design.
  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics