Froude scaling modeling in an Atrium Fire equipped with natural and transient forced ventilation

Abstract In this paper, the capability of Froude scaling modeling to replicate the fire dynamics in full-scale Murcia Atrium Fires tests equipped with natural and transient forced ventilation was investigated experimentally and numerically by using a 2:27 physical Scale Down Model (SDM) of the full-scale Atrium and CFX-Ansys16.2, respectively. Five SDM experiments were conducted using different heptane fire capacities located at the center of the floor. Two different turbulence models were used for simulation i.e. Shear Stress Transport and k − ε. Experimental results of the SDM and full-scale atrium fire tests were compared with those predicted for SDM through the preservation of the Froude number to cover the gap in experimental facts and scientific understanding. This study focused primarily on the transient temperatures at near and far fire fields and the descending smoke layer. The predicted velocity and visibility were assessed. This study demonstrated that Froude scaling modelling is acceptable from a threshold of greater than 50% of the full-scale.