Mathematical modeling and computer simulation of fire phenomena

An approach to the study of gas phase combustion and convection processes in fires using a combination of mathematical analysis and computer simulation is presented. It seeks to solve the governing equations directly (if approximately) by decomposing the fire into a large-scale convective and radiative transport problem coupled to a small-scale “thermal-element” model of combustion and radiative emission. The thermal-element model solves the combustion equations in a local Lagrangian coordinate system convected by the large-scale motion, which in turn is driven by the heat released by the combustion processes. The large-scale flow is studied using finite-difference techniques to solve large-eddy simulations of the Navier-Stokes equations. The basic theory behind the methodology is outlined and sample results of both large- and small-scale phenomena are presented. An analytical model of a large eddy is used to show how the simulation can be assembled to yield radiation feedback from a fire plume to a target surface.