Timothy Bo-Yuan Chen

Study of three LES subgrid-scale turbulence models for predictions of heat and mass transfer in large-scale compartment fires

ABSTRACT Numerical assessment was performed to investigate the wall-adaptive features offered by two subgrid-scale (SGS) turbulence models: Wall-Adapting Local Eddy Viscosity (WALE) and Vreman against the Smagorinsky model. The gas temperature and velocity field predictions were enhanced using WALE over Smagorinsky, especially at the flaming and near-wall regions since WALE considers both strain and rotation rates of the turbulent structure and the turbulent viscosity approaches zero at the wall. Conversely, the simulation results by Vreman were under-predicted against the experimental data. The WALE model could notably enhance the simulation accuracy for large-scale compartment fires due to significant improvements of the flow diffusivity modeling.

Numerical study of fire spread using the level-set method with large eddy simulation incorporating detailed chemical kinetics gas-phase combustion model

Abstract A fire code has been developed for the purpose of modelling wildland fires via Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and the use of the level-set approach to track the flame front. Detailed chemical kinetics have been considered via the strained laminar flamelet approach for the combustion process which included the consideration of the yields of toxic volatiles such as CO, CO2 and soot production. Numerical simulations have been validated against an experimental study on the fire spread on a pine needle board under different slope angles. Peak temperatures and occurrence times during the propagation process were predicted with an overall average error of 11% and 3% respectively. This demonstrates that the flaming behaviour could be well predicted under different slope conditions. By incorporating the level set with the gas phase models, information including temperature field, toxic volatiles and soot particle concentrations can be realised in comparison to empirical fire spread models.

Comparative Studies on Thermal, Mechanical, and Flame Retardant Properties of PBT Nanocomposites via Different Oxidation State Phosphorus-Containing Agents Modified Amino-CNTs

High-performance poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate) (PBT) nanocomposites have been developed via the consideration of phosphorus-containing agents and amino-carbon nanotube (A-CNT). One-pot functionalization method has been adopted to prepare functionalized CNTs via the reaction between A-CNT and different oxidation state phosphorus-containing agents, including chlorodiphenylphosphine (DPP-Cl), diphenylphosphinic chloride (DPP(O)-Cl), and diphenyl phosphoryl chloride (DPP(O3)-Cl). These functionalized CNTs, DPP(Ox)-A-CNTs (x = 0, 1, 3), were, respectively, mixed with PBT to obtain the CNT-based polymer nanocomposites through a melt blending method. Scanning electron microscope observations demonstrated that DPP(Ox)-A-CNT nanoadditives were homogeneously distributed within PBT matrix compared to A-CNT. The incorporation of DPP(Ox)-A-CNT improved the thermal stability of PBT. Moreover, PBT/DPP(O3)-A-CNT showed the highest crystallization temperature and tensile strength, due to the superior dispersion and interfacial interactions between DPP(O3)-A-CNT and PBT. PBT/DPP(O)-A-CNT exhibited the best flame retardancy resulting from the excellent carbonization effect. The radicals generated from decomposed polymer were effectively trapped by DPP(O)-A-CNT, leading to the reduction of heat release rate, smoke production rate, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide release during cone calorimeter tests.

Simultaneous enhancements in the mechanical, thermal stability, and flame retardant properties of poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate) nanocomposites with a novel phosphorus–nitrogen-containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane

Highly efficient flame retardants for engineering plastics are needed to reduce the deterioration of the mechanical and other properties of the host polymer. Herein, a novel functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (F-POSS) containing phosphorus and nitrogen has been synthesized by the reaction between N-phenylaminopropyl-POSS and diphenylphosphinic chloride. Untreated POSS and F-POSS have been respectively mixed with poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate) (PBT) to prepare the nanocomposites via the melt blending method. PBT/F-POSS shows improved mechanical properties, thermal stability and thermo-oxidative resistance in comparison with PBT/POSS. F-POSS exhibits a more significant inhibiting effect on the smoke production of PBT in the early heating stage of smoke density testing without a flame. In cone calorimeter tests, the peak heat release rate (PHRR), peak smoke production rate (PSPR), peak carbon dioxide production (PCO2P) and peak carbon monoxide production (PCOP) of PBT/F-POSS are reduced by 50%, 46%, 45% and 35%, respectively, compared to those of neat PBT. Residue analysis indicates that more C and O elements are left during the expansion and carbonization process in which phosphinic groups of F-POSS can capture the free radicals or decomposed products produced from PBT to form a stable SiOxCyPz network. The multiple protective char layers act as a thermal barrier at the surface of the substrate to reduce the fire, smoke and toxicity hazards. This work provides a facile and simple way to achieve high-performance PBT nanocomposites.

On the influences of key modelling constants of large eddy simulations for large-scale compartment fires predictions

ABSTRACT An in-house large eddy simulation (LES) based fire field model has been developed for large-scale compartment fire simulations. The model incorporates four major components, including subgrid-scale turbulence, combustion, soot and radiation models which are fully coupled. It is designed to simulate the temporal and fluid dynamical effects of turbulent reaction flow for non-premixed diffusion flame. Parametric studies were performed based on a large-scale fire experiment carried out in a 39-m long test hall facility. Several turbulent Prandtl and Schmidt numbers ranging from 0.2 to 0.5, and Smagorinsky constants ranging from 0.18 to 0.23 were investigated. It was found that the temperature and flow field predictions were most accurate with turbulent Prandtl and Schmidt numbers of 0.3, respectively, and a Smagorinsky constant of 0.2 applied. In addition, by utilising a set of numerically verified key modelling parameters, the smoke filling process was successfully captured by the present LES model.

Development of Wall-Adapting Local Eddy Viscosity Model for Study of Fire Dynamics in a Large Compartment

The Wall Adpating Local Eddy Viscosity (WALE) subgrid-scale turbulence model was adopted for an in-house large eddy simulation (LES) fire code in which the turbulence is fully coupled combustion and radiation models. The traditional Smagorinsky subgrid-scale model accounts only strain rate of the turbulent structure while the WALE model considers both the strain and the rotation rates. Furthermore, the WALE model automatically recovers the near wall-scaling for the eddy viscosity hence more adaptive for wall bounded flows.A 15 m long test hall fire was reconstructed by the in-house fire code with 1.5 MW fire source. The performance of the WALE model was assessed by comparingpredicted transient gas temperatures and velocities at various spatial locations.

Establishing pyrolysis kinetics for the modelling of the flammability and burning characteristics of solid combustible materials

In this article, a generic framework was proposed to effectively characterise the pyrolysis kinetics of any household furniture materials. To examine the validity of this method, two wooden polymeric samples, (1) furniture plywood and (2) particle board, were experimented through thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses, as well as cone calorimetry. The framework comprises of three major parameterisation procedures including (1) using the Kissinger method for the initial approximation, (2) modification of modelling constants and (3) optimisation by comparisons with the experimental results. The finalised pyrolysis kinetics was numerically investigated through computational fluid dynamics simulation of the cone calorimeter. Numerical predictions were validated against the experimental data for three different cone radiation intensities. Good agreement was achieved between the computational and experimental results in terms of heat release rate, ignition time and burn duration. The proposed framework was capable of establishing quality pyrolysis kinetics that fully replicates the complex thermal decomposition of solid combustible materials.

Numerical study of the development and angular speed of a small-scale fire whirl

Abstract The development stages of a small-scale fire whirl including the ignition, flame-rising and fully-developed whirling were successfully captured by a fire field model. Good agreements between simulation and experimental results for vertical temperature profiles and flame height were achieved. With the consideration of the interaction between the liquid and gas phases of the fuel, the radiation heat feedback towards the liquid fuel was aptly predicted. Angular velocities that govern the rotational motion of the fire whirl were evaluated based on computed data. Furthermore, the circulate motion and buoyancy force promoting the extension of flame height were characterised in numerical simulations.