Abstract
The paper describes an application of numerical simulation of fire dynamics and evacuation of people in a tunnel. The software tool Fire Dynamics Simulator is used to simulate temperature resolution and development of smoke in a railway tunnel. Comparing to temperature curves which are usually used in the design stage results of the model show that the numerical model gives lower temperature of hot smoke layer. Outputs of the numerical simulation of fire also enable to improve models of evacuation of people during fires in tunnels. In the presented study the calculated high of smoke layer in the tunnel is in 10 min after the fire ignition lower than the level of 2.2 m which is considered as the maximal limit for safe evacuation. Simulation of the evacuation process in bigger scale together with fire dynamics can provide very valuable information about important security conditions like Available Safe Evacuation Time (ASET) vs Required Safe Evacuation Time (RSET). On given example in software EXODUS the paper summarizes selected results of evacuation model which should be in mind of a designer when preparing an evacuation plan.
Highlights
Fire safety has been restricted by prescriptive standards
Natural evolution is associated with an increase of exact knowledge about the fire dynamics
Using all benefits of the knowledge and computer development, fire safety in railway tunnels is investigated by application of fire and evacuation models
Summary
Fire safety has been restricted by prescriptive standards. These prescriptive codes including many requirements are based on traditional fire testing techniques. The problematic of fluid dynamics in case of fire in railway tunnels is very complicated It can be solved numerically, when correct method is applied. The aim is to determine the exact behavior of the fire and the spread of toxic gases in the tunnel, which corresponds to reality, and to find the balance between the tunnel safety equipment components and their contribution to improvement of traffic safety at the site In this case it is advantageous to use a numerical simulation. Based on results of these and other studies Colella stated [8] that CFD method can be used to produce sufficiently accurate results of flow pattern and temperature gradient located in close areas of the fire As it was mentioned above reliability of numerical solution and accurateness of results have to be checked. For the purpose of the model was assigned persons reaction time in the interval 0-30 s with normal distribution
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