Considerations in Scale-Modeling of Large Urban Fires
Abstract
The feasibility of scale-modeling a large urban fire is examined by critically reviewing some to the most important existing fire study reports and papers on various aspects ranging from ignition to a fully-developed mass fire. The review process led to extracting valuable scaling information on each aspect. Not unexpectedly, however, it is found that complete modeling of the entire chronological development of the fire is impossible due to conflicting scale restraints and due to limited degrees of freedom of the experimenter. Partial modeling of selected aspects if not only possible but also promising. Among the most crucial aspect in which the existing knowledge is inadequate to develop scaling rules is the behavior of firebrand production in a fire and combustive consumption in its flight. The objective of the present work is to assess the feasibility of studying the blast, fire, and wind effects due to a nuclear explosion in an urban setting by employing scale-modeling techniques. Our concentration will be on fire-scaling. The blast effects will be considered only to the extent of concern to describe the initial combustibles distribution near ground-zero. In a similar way, the winds produced directly by the explosion will be considered only as to their impact on the initial fires. As the blast wave passes and the associated winds subside, the fire would develop in a self- regulated manner involving complicated heat transfer, turbulent buoyant fluid mechanics and combustion.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 15, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA168497
Entities
People
- A. M. Kanury
Organizations
- University of Notre Dame