Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104629
Xiaolong Jiang , Wei Qi , Yuqing Li , Xiangbin Zhao , Yingchen Hong , Yuejuan Li
When a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) is transported and an unintended hydrogen discharge occurs due to a fault scenario such as component aging, mechanical impact, or fire-induced TPRD activation, the peak deflagration overpressure depends on the remaining hydrogen quantity and TPRD diameter. Currently, neither TPRD diameters nor safe residual hydrogen levels during transport are standardized. To balance driving range and safety, numerical simulations were conducted to analyze peak overpressure under conservative accumulation–ignition conditions, examining various TPRD diameters and residual hydrogen levels. The results indicate that: Under the same residual hydrogen quantity, a significantly higher peak overpressure is produced during deflagration by a 5 mm TPRD orifice diameter compared to other smaller diameters. In the case of a TPRD with a diameter of 0.5 mm, the peak overpressure generated by the deflagration is significantly lower than that of larger diameters, and transport personnel have more time to respond to emergencies when the discharge occurs. Therefore, a higher residual hydrogen quantity is permissible.
{"title":"Coupling effects of TPRD orifice diameter and residual hydrogen on deflagration overpressure peak in containerized transportation safety of HFCVs","authors":"Xiaolong Jiang , Wei Qi , Yuqing Li , Xiangbin Zhao , Yingchen Hong , Yuejuan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104629","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104629","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>When a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) is transported and an unintended hydrogen discharge occurs due to a fault scenario such as component aging, mechanical impact, or fire-induced TPRD activation, the peak deflagration overpressure depends on the remaining hydrogen quantity and TPRD diameter. Currently, neither TPRD diameters nor safe residual hydrogen levels during transport are standardized. To balance driving range and safety, numerical simulations were conducted to analyze peak overpressure under conservative accumulation–ignition conditions, examining various TPRD diameters and residual hydrogen levels. The results indicate that: Under the same residual hydrogen quantity, a significantly higher peak overpressure is produced during deflagration by a 5 mm TPRD orifice diameter compared to other smaller diameters. In the case of a TPRD with a diameter of 0.5 mm, the peak overpressure generated by the deflagration is significantly lower than that of larger diameters, and transport personnel have more time to respond to emergencies when the discharge occurs. Therefore, a higher residual hydrogen quantity is permissible.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"161 ","pages":"Article 104629"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104630
Mohamed Elshorbagi , Mohammad AlHamaydeh , Rafat Siddique
This research demonstrates the utility of the Direct Coupling Technique (DCT) for capturing the intricate, dynamic interplay between thermal and structural responses, particularly when fire induces significant geometric changes. Implemented in ABAQUS, the DCT integrates thermal and structural analyses, solving for temperature and displacement fields simultaneously. It incorporates critical material properties, including thermal conductivity, specific heat, density, stress-strain behavior, and thermal expansion, to model the performance of RC beams across heating, cooling, and post-fire phases. Validated against experimental data from two beams, one that failed during a fire and the other assessed for residual capacity, the approach proves highly accurate. Furthermore, validation of experimental data on an intumescent-coated steel substrate was conducted to demonstrate DCT's ability to capture the thermal-mechanical response for significant deformation problems, with an error of 3.4 % compared to 127.3 % for the Sequential Coupling Technique (SCT) model. A detailed parametric study further explores key factors, including concrete cover, lateral stiffness, and compressive strength, providing insights to optimize RC beams against fire hazards. The DCT application facilitates a deeper understanding of fire-structure interactions and lays the groundwork for practical design tools, thereby potentially enhancing structural safety and efficiency.
{"title":"Structural fire performance of RC beams via direct coupled temperature-displacement nonlinear simulation","authors":"Mohamed Elshorbagi , Mohammad AlHamaydeh , Rafat Siddique","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104630","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104630","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research demonstrates the utility of the Direct Coupling Technique (DCT) for capturing the intricate, dynamic interplay between thermal and structural responses, particularly when fire induces significant geometric changes. Implemented in ABAQUS, the DCT integrates thermal and structural analyses, solving for temperature and displacement fields simultaneously. It incorporates critical material properties, including thermal conductivity, specific heat, density, stress-strain behavior, and thermal expansion, to model the performance of RC beams across heating, cooling, and post-fire phases. Validated against experimental data from two beams, one that failed during a fire and the other assessed for residual capacity, the approach proves highly accurate. Furthermore, validation of experimental data on an intumescent-coated steel substrate was conducted to demonstrate DCT's ability to capture the thermal-mechanical response for significant deformation problems, with an error of 3.4 % compared to 127.3 % for the Sequential Coupling Technique (SCT) model. A detailed parametric study further explores key factors, including concrete cover, lateral stiffness, and compressive strength, providing insights to optimize RC beams against fire hazards. The DCT application facilitates a deeper understanding of fire-structure interactions and lays the groundwork for practical design tools, thereby potentially enhancing structural safety and efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"161 ","pages":"Article 104630"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145886050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104627
Sagar Singhal, Pratikash P. Panda
The study of buoyant turbulent diffusion flames requires a detailed understanding of their complex dynamics, including soot formation, radiative heat transfer, and flow field behavior. Accurate prediction of fire radiation and mechanisms of fire suppression demands high-fidelity data across realistic fire scenarios — such as turbulent pool fires and line fires. This work presents a combined experimental and numerical investigation into the effects of and dilution on the far-field radiation, soot volume fraction (SVF), and the velocity field of a 15 kW buoyant turbulent line fire. Complementary one-dimensional opposed-flow diffusion flame (1D OFDF) simulations are used to interpret soot formation trends under varying dilution conditions. Planar SVF measurements show that exerts a significantly stronger soot-inhibiting effect than . For 20% dilution in the oxidizer stream, the peak mean SVF decreases by 58% with and by 92% with . Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements reveal that dilution leads to higher peak axial velocities and enhanced flow intermittency — attributed to reduced dissipation and sustained buoyancy-driven motion. Conditional statistics and velocity probability density functions confirm the increased unsteadiness in -diluted flames. 1D OFDF simulations further indicate that the pronounced soot suppression by arises from both stronger thermal effects and additional chemical pathways, such as and . At lower dilution levels (5%–10%), these chemical reactions influence flame kinetics, whereas at higher dilution levels (20%–30%), inert and thermal effects dominate.
{"title":"Investigation of the impact of diluent addition on radiation, soot volume fraction, and flow dynamics of a buoyant turbulent line fire","authors":"Sagar Singhal, Pratikash P. Panda","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104627","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104627","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study of buoyant turbulent diffusion flames requires a detailed understanding of their complex dynamics, including soot formation, radiative heat transfer, and flow field behavior. Accurate prediction of fire radiation and mechanisms of fire suppression demands high-fidelity data across realistic fire scenarios — such as turbulent pool fires and line fires. This work presents a combined experimental and numerical investigation into the effects of <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> and <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> dilution on the far-field radiation, soot volume fraction (SVF), and the velocity field of a 15 kW buoyant turbulent line fire. Complementary one-dimensional opposed-flow diffusion flame (1D OFDF) simulations are used to interpret soot formation trends under varying dilution conditions. Planar SVF measurements show that <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> exerts a significantly stronger soot-inhibiting effect than <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>. For 20% dilution in the oxidizer stream, the peak mean SVF decreases by 58% with <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> and by 92% with <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements reveal that <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> dilution leads to higher peak axial velocities and enhanced flow intermittency — attributed to reduced dissipation and sustained buoyancy-driven motion. Conditional statistics and velocity probability density functions confirm the increased unsteadiness in <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>-diluted flames. 1D OFDF simulations further indicate that the pronounced soot suppression by <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> arises from both stronger thermal effects and additional chemical pathways, such as <span><math><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub><mo>+</mo><mi>H</mi><mo>→</mo><mi>CO</mi><mo>+</mo><msub><mrow><mi>H</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>CO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub><mo>+</mo><msub><mrow><mi>CH</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub><mo>→</mo><msub><mrow><mi>CH</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub><mi>O</mi><mo>+</mo><mi>CO</mi></mrow></math></span>. At lower dilution levels (5%–10%), these chemical reactions influence flame kinetics, whereas at higher dilution levels (20%–30%), inert and thermal effects dominate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 104627"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104626
Mahadev Rokade, Tim Stratford, Dave Rush
A dataset of 165 fire tests on rectangular concrete columns, spanning five decades, was compiled to evaluate six design methods from five international codes (Eurocode Methods A and B (ECA, ECB), Australian (AS 3600), Chinese (DBJ/T), American (ACI), and Indian (NBC)). A meta-analysis assessed their predictive reliability using historical and recent results. ECA and AS 3600 gave the most consistent and conservative predictions, with ECA performing best overall. For fire resistance ratings (FRR) < 240 min, about 70 % of ECA (2019) predictions were within ±20 % of test outcomes, though accuracy declined at longer durations. AS 3600 produced similar results due to its related formulation. ECB changed notably: 2019 method was unreliable for FRR >140 min, whereas the 2023 version aligned better with recent tests and reduced excessive conservatism. DBJ/T performed adequately on older specimens but overestimated newer ones, while ACI and NBC showed high variability and frequent unconservative predictions. Assessment of the robustness of the ECA (2023) Method with respect to design parameters indicated best performance for 250–300 mm columns, reinforcement ratios of 2.5–3.5 %, effective lengths of 3–5 m, covers of 35–65 mm, and concretes of 20–60 MPa, with reduced accuracy at extreme conditions.
{"title":"Fire resistance of concrete columns: Meta-analysis of code-based methods","authors":"Mahadev Rokade, Tim Stratford, Dave Rush","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104626","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104626","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A dataset of 165 fire tests on rectangular concrete columns, spanning five decades, was compiled to evaluate six design methods from five international codes (Eurocode Methods A and B (ECA, ECB), Australian (AS 3600), Chinese (DBJ/T), American (ACI), and Indian (NBC)). A meta-analysis assessed their predictive reliability using historical and recent results. ECA and AS 3600 gave the most consistent and conservative predictions, with ECA performing best overall. For fire resistance ratings (FRR) < 240 min, about 70 % of ECA (2019) predictions were within ±20 % of test outcomes, though accuracy declined at longer durations. AS 3600 produced similar results due to its related formulation. ECB changed notably: 2019 method was unreliable for FRR >140 min, whereas the 2023 version aligned better with recent tests and reduced excessive conservatism. DBJ/T performed adequately on older specimens but overestimated newer ones, while ACI and NBC showed high variability and frequent unconservative predictions. Assessment of the robustness of the ECA (2023) Method with respect to design parameters indicated best performance for 250–300 mm columns, reinforcement ratios of 2.5–3.5 %, effective lengths of 3–5 m, covers of 35–65 mm, and concretes of 20–60 MPa, with reduced accuracy at extreme conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"161 ","pages":"Article 104626"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104625
Christina Liveretou , Jose Rivera , Madeleine Bardy , Carlos Fernandez-Pello , Michael Gollner , Lilly Etzenbach , Maria Thomsen , Sandra Olson , Paul Ferkul
Future spacecraft may operate at sub-atmospheric pressures and elevated oxygen concentrations to reduce preparation time for extra-vehicular activities. It is important to understand fire behavior and the fire risk of materials brought aboard a spacecraft. The limiting oxygen concentration (LOC) is one of the parameters used to determine the flammability of solid fuels. This work aims to compare the LOC for opposed flame spread extinction of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in sub-atmospheric microgravity and Earth-gravity environments. Experiments with cylindrical PMMA samples are conducted in a combustion chamber in the Integrated Combustion Rack (CIR) on the International Space Station (ISS), as well as on laboratory facilities on Earth, at sub-atmospheric pressures with a forced flow of 10 cm/s opposed (counter-current) to the flame spread direction. The oxygen concentration in the chamber decreases naturally at a constant ambient pressure as a result of the PMMA combustion until flame extinction. Results show the LOC in microgravity is lower than at Earth gravity, meaning that flame spread can be sustained at lower oxygen concentrations in reduced buoyancy. The findings confirm that flammability test methods conducted in normal gravity and atmospheric pressure are not conservative enough for the conditions future spacecraft are expected to operate in.
{"title":"Flame extinction of thermally thick PMMA in Earth gravity versus microgravity: A comparison of Earth and on-orbit space experiments","authors":"Christina Liveretou , Jose Rivera , Madeleine Bardy , Carlos Fernandez-Pello , Michael Gollner , Lilly Etzenbach , Maria Thomsen , Sandra Olson , Paul Ferkul","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Future spacecraft may operate at sub-atmospheric pressures and elevated oxygen concentrations to reduce preparation time for extra-vehicular activities. It is important to understand fire behavior and the fire risk of materials brought aboard a spacecraft. The limiting oxygen concentration (LOC) is one of the parameters used to determine the flammability of solid fuels. This work aims to compare the LOC for opposed flame spread extinction of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in sub-atmospheric microgravity and Earth-gravity environments. Experiments with cylindrical PMMA samples are conducted in a combustion chamber in the Integrated Combustion Rack (CIR) on the International Space Station (ISS), as well as on laboratory facilities on Earth, at sub-atmospheric pressures with a forced flow of 10 cm/s opposed (counter-current) to the flame spread direction. The oxygen concentration in the chamber decreases naturally at a constant ambient pressure as a result of the PMMA combustion until flame extinction. Results show the LOC in microgravity is lower than at Earth gravity, meaning that flame spread can be sustained at lower oxygen concentrations in reduced buoyancy. The findings confirm that flammability test methods conducted in normal gravity and atmospheric pressure are not conservative enough for the conditions future spacecraft are expected to operate in.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 104625"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A comprehensive set of fifty experimental tests has been carried out to study liquid pool fire dynamics in a naturally-ventilated compartment (dimensions: ) with a wide open doorway. The pool diameter varied from 5 to and the ventilation factor, , varied from 0.006 to by varying the door height from 0.10 to . The well-known fuel-controlled and ventilation-controlled regimes were observed, the latter leading to external flaming. Additionally, extinction occurred for the lowest ventilation factor when the pool diameter varied from 11 to . The HRR inside the compartment was estimated using gas temperature measurements and the well-known MQH correlation. For the scenarios at hand, it is shown that the maximum HRR inside the enclosure is about . A novel experimental method was developed to estimate the ‘external’ HRR. The geometry of the external flame was reconstructed using an image processing technique. Then, the view factor from the flame to a radiative heat flux sensor, positioned outside the enclosure, was estimated using a Monte Carlo method. Subsequently, the radiative HRR of the external flame was calculated from the radiative heat flux measurement, the view factor and the area of the sensor. Finally, assuming a specific value for the radiative fraction allowed to obtain the total external HRR from the radiative HRR. The sum of the estimated ‘internal’ and ‘external’ HRR was consistent with the theoretical total HRR from mass loss rate measurements.
{"title":"Experimental method for evaluating the heat release rate of external flames in the case of an under-ventilated fire","authors":"Bouaza Lafdal , Rabah Mehaddi , ElMehdi Koutaiba , Tarek Beji , Pascal Boulet , Gilles Parent , Arnaud Trouvé","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104623","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104623","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A comprehensive set of fifty experimental tests has been carried out to study liquid pool fire dynamics in a naturally-ventilated compartment (dimensions: <span><math><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>47</mn><mtext>m</mtext><mo>×</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>47</mn><mtext>m</mtext><mo>×</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>84</mn><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></math></span>) with a <span><math><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>19</mn><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></math></span> wide open doorway. The pool diameter varied from 5 to <span><math><mrow><mn>15</mn><mtext>cm</mtext></mrow></math></span> and the ventilation factor, <span><math><mrow><mi>A</mi><msup><mrow><mi>H</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo>/</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math></span>, varied from 0.006 to <span><math><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>128</mn><msup><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow><mrow><mn>5</mn><mo>/</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math></span> by varying the door height from 0.10 to <span><math><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>77</mn><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></math></span>. The well-known fuel-controlled and ventilation-controlled regimes were observed, the latter leading to external flaming. Additionally, extinction occurred for the lowest ventilation factor when the pool diameter varied from 11 to <span><math><mrow><mn>15</mn><mtext>cm</mtext></mrow></math></span>. The HRR inside the compartment was estimated using gas temperature measurements and the well-known MQH correlation. For the scenarios at hand, it is shown that the maximum HRR inside the enclosure is about <span><math><mrow><mn>900</mn><mi>A</mi><msup><mrow><mi>H</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo>/</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math></span>. A novel experimental method was developed to estimate the ‘external’ HRR. The geometry of the external flame was reconstructed using an image processing technique. Then, the view factor from the flame to a radiative heat flux sensor, positioned outside the enclosure, was estimated using a Monte Carlo method. Subsequently, the radiative HRR of the external flame was calculated from the radiative heat flux measurement, the view factor and the area of the sensor. Finally, assuming a specific value for the radiative fraction allowed to obtain the total external HRR from the radiative HRR. The sum of the estimated ‘internal’ and ‘external’ HRR was consistent with the theoretical total HRR from mass loss rate measurements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 104623"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-16DOI: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104622
Javier Gallardo , Constanza Burgos , Pedro Reszka , Andrés Fuentes , Rodrigo Demarco
An experimental and theoretical study was conducted on the ignition delay time of a forest fuel layer under controlled varying radiative conditions. Experimental data were collected using the Idealized-Firebrand Ignition Test (I-FIT) apparatus, which uses a cylindrical heater to emit a linearly increasing incident heat flux. Data acquisition ensured precise temporal resolution throughout the entire test. The experimental ignition time was then compared to predictions from a theoretical model based on the energy balance of the fuel layer. A simplified analytical solution was obtained for temperature evolution, providing an estimated ignition delay time at different incident heat fluxes. This methodology provides an estimation of the critical heat flux without requiring additional experiments. Special attention was given to the ignition temperature criteria by comparing estimated values with measured quantities. To understand how assumptions affected the simplified analytical solutions, a numerical solution was also compared. The narrow scatter observed confirms the reproducibility of the thoroughly characterized I-FIT apparatus. As the heating rate slope increases, the ignition delay and total energy required decrease. While the model provides useful first-order predictions, it relies on simplifying assumptions whose implications are discussed transparently.
{"title":"Impact of linearly increasing heat flux on the ignition of wildland fuels","authors":"Javier Gallardo , Constanza Burgos , Pedro Reszka , Andrés Fuentes , Rodrigo Demarco","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An experimental and theoretical study was conducted on the ignition delay time of a forest fuel layer under controlled varying radiative conditions. Experimental data were collected using the Idealized-Firebrand Ignition Test (I-FIT) apparatus, which uses a cylindrical heater to emit a linearly increasing incident heat flux. Data acquisition ensured precise temporal resolution throughout the entire test. The experimental ignition time was then compared to predictions from a theoretical model based on the energy balance of the fuel layer. A simplified analytical solution was obtained for temperature evolution, providing an estimated ignition delay time at different incident heat fluxes. This methodology provides an estimation of the critical heat flux without requiring additional experiments. Special attention was given to the ignition temperature criteria by comparing estimated values with measured quantities. To understand how assumptions affected the simplified analytical solutions, a numerical solution was also compared. The narrow scatter observed confirms the reproducibility of the thoroughly characterized I-FIT apparatus. As the heating rate slope increases, the ignition delay and total energy required decrease. While the model provides useful first-order predictions, it relies on simplifying assumptions whose implications are discussed transparently.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 104622"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-15DOI: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104624
Sara Waring , Susan Giles , Caitlin Bromley , Michelle Maden , Angela Boland , Emily Ashworth , Gayatri Pandey
Fire and rescue services (FRSs) are under growing pressure to demonstrate efficiency, effectiveness, and value for money amid constrained public resources. This study provides the first comprehensive synthesis and critical appraisal of the economic evidence base on FRS activity. A scoping review of scientific and grey literature published between 2010 and 2024 consolidated analyses from the UK and internationally to determine which areas of FRS work have been economically evaluated and what methods and measures were used. Twenty-six publications met the inclusion criteria (23 quantitative, three mixed methods). A narrative synthesis of economic evaluations showed that studies have focus mainly on three domains: (i) prevention, including risk-based resource allocation; (ii) fire suppression; and (iii) inter-agency collaboration. Despite varied approaches, few studies offered transparent cost breakdowns or methodological detail, limiting comparability and generalisability. By mapping this fragmented evidence landscape, the review highlights key methodological gaps and proposes appropriate metrics for future evaluation. It establishes a foundation for more rigorous and transparent economic assessment, providing insights to inform strategic resourcing, demonstrate public value, and support evidence-led policy and investment across UK FRSs.
{"title":"Economic analysis of fire and rescue service activities: A scoping review","authors":"Sara Waring , Susan Giles , Caitlin Bromley , Michelle Maden , Angela Boland , Emily Ashworth , Gayatri Pandey","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fire and rescue services (FRSs) are under growing pressure to demonstrate efficiency, effectiveness, and value for money amid constrained public resources. This study provides the first comprehensive synthesis and critical appraisal of the economic evidence base on FRS activity. A scoping review of scientific and grey literature published between 2010 and 2024 consolidated analyses from the UK and internationally to determine which areas of FRS work have been economically evaluated and what methods and measures were used. Twenty-six publications met the inclusion criteria (23 quantitative, three mixed methods). A narrative synthesis of economic evaluations showed that studies have focus mainly on three domains: (i) prevention, including risk-based resource allocation; (ii) fire suppression; and (iii) inter-agency collaboration. Despite varied approaches, few studies offered transparent cost breakdowns or methodological detail, limiting comparability and generalisability. By mapping this fragmented evidence landscape, the review highlights key methodological gaps and proposes appropriate metrics for future evaluation. It establishes a foundation for more rigorous and transparent economic assessment, providing insights to inform strategic resourcing, demonstrate public value, and support evidence-led policy and investment across UK FRSs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 104624"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104617
Michał Malendowski , Tomasz Jankowiak , Daria Wstawska , Kamila Cabová , Wojciech Szymkuć , Jakub Šejna , Vladimír Mózer , František Wald
This study investigates the influence of thermal creep in numerical modeling of steel structures exposed to fire. Current design standards, such as Eurocode 3, typically incorporate creep implicitly within stress–strain relationships, an approach that may lead to inaccuracies, particularly under varying heating rates. To address these limitations, the paper proposes an explicit creep modeling method, which decomposes the total strain into distinct components, including a creep strain governed by a hyperbolic sine law. The model is calibrated against Eurocode 3 data to replicate anisothermal creep behavior and is validated through case studies, including a steel beam subjected to thermal and mechanical loading. The material model has been validated using numerical examples of a single truss element and a tensile specimen model. The structural model has been examined on the basis of a beam model composed of shell elements. The results demonstrate that explicit modeling is critical to accurately predict structural failure due to creep, which may be overlooked by implicit models. In addition, the findings highlight the increased impact of creep in slower heating scenarios. The proposed approach improves existing fire engineering methodologies by allowing for more reliable predictions of creep-induced structural failure.
{"title":"Explicit thermal creep in modeling of steel structures in fire","authors":"Michał Malendowski , Tomasz Jankowiak , Daria Wstawska , Kamila Cabová , Wojciech Szymkuć , Jakub Šejna , Vladimír Mózer , František Wald","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104617","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104617","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the influence of thermal creep in numerical modeling of steel structures exposed to fire. Current design standards, such as Eurocode 3, typically incorporate creep implicitly within stress–strain relationships, an approach that may lead to inaccuracies, particularly under varying heating rates. To address these limitations, the paper proposes an explicit creep modeling method, which decomposes the total strain into distinct components, including a creep strain governed by a hyperbolic sine law. The model is calibrated against Eurocode 3 data to replicate anisothermal creep behavior and is validated through case studies, including a steel beam subjected to thermal and mechanical loading. The material model has been validated using numerical examples of a single truss element and a tensile specimen model. The structural model has been examined on the basis of a beam model composed of shell elements. The results demonstrate that explicit modeling is critical to accurately predict structural failure due to creep, which may be overlooked by implicit models. In addition, the findings highlight the increased impact of creep in slower heating scenarios. The proposed approach improves existing fire engineering methodologies by allowing for more reliable predictions of creep-induced structural failure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 104617"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145738592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
False alarms erode public confidence in fire-safety systems and often lead occupants to disable smoke detectors, compromising life-safety margins. This study quantifies the false-alarm susceptibility of five newly manufactured spot-type photoelectric detectors, including conventional, analog-addressable, and multi-sensor, exposed to realistic nuisance stimuli (steam, dust, cigarette smoke, insect ingress) and four EN 54-7 fire scenarios (TF2–TF5). All devices were vulnerable to saturated steam and airborne dust, while spider webs generated non-resettable alarms in every unit. Cigarette smoke produced transient optical-density peaks that misled detectors lacking signal-integration algorithms. In full-scale fire trials, conventional detectors responded to smoldering wood and cotton but failed to alarm for flaming polyurethane or n-heptane. By contrast, the multi-sensor unit achieved rapid fire recognition and exhibited the greatest immunity to environmental nuisances. The results identify spider webs and persistent steam as dominant false-alarm drivers and expose detection blind spots for fast-growing plastic and liquid fires. Based on the findings, it is recommended that Taiwan's type-approval scheme incorporate real-fire scenarios (smoldering and flaming) and emphasize proper installation and six-monthly cleaning to cut both false and missed alarms and enhance public safety.
{"title":"False-alarm susceptibility of spot-type smoke detectors under realistic fire and nuisance conditions","authors":"Chia-Lung Wu , Chei-Fei Hung , Kang Chao , Hsiao-Chun Huang , Tien-Fu Yu , Yu-Tang Wen , Ming-Mou Hung","doi":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.firesaf.2025.104621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>False alarms erode public confidence in fire-safety systems and often lead occupants to disable smoke detectors, compromising life-safety margins. This study quantifies the false-alarm susceptibility of five newly manufactured spot-type photoelectric detectors, including conventional, analog-addressable, and multi-sensor, exposed to realistic nuisance stimuli (steam, dust, cigarette smoke, insect ingress) and four EN 54-7 fire scenarios (TF2–TF5). All devices were vulnerable to saturated steam and airborne dust, while spider webs generated non-resettable alarms in every unit. Cigarette smoke produced transient optical-density peaks that misled detectors lacking signal-integration algorithms. In full-scale fire trials, conventional detectors responded to smoldering wood and cotton but failed to alarm for flaming polyurethane or n-heptane. By contrast, the multi-sensor unit achieved rapid fire recognition and exhibited the greatest immunity to environmental nuisances. The results identify spider webs and persistent steam as dominant false-alarm drivers and expose detection blind spots for fast-growing plastic and liquid fires. Based on the findings, it is recommended that Taiwan's type-approval scheme incorporate real-fire scenarios (smoldering and flaming) and emphasize proper installation and six-monthly cleaning to cut both false and missed alarms and enhance public safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50445,"journal":{"name":"Fire Safety Journal","volume":"161 ","pages":"Article 104621"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}